5 Things You Should Do To Compose A Flawless Dissertation Introduction
No matter what the subject or discipline, your dissertation project will be one of the most important academic assignments you will ever encounter. Most students take several months working their dissertations, from developing a good topic, through weeks of research, through drafting and revising each version of the document. The introduction is often considered the most important part because it sets the tone for the rest of the work. With this in mind there are five things you can do to ensure you compose a flawless dissertation introduction:
- Start with a Great Hook
- Write a Great Thesis
- Provide Good Background
- Be Sure to Write Clearly
- Edit and Proofread the Intro
Just like in other writing assignments, you want to get you dissertation started with a bang. There are several techniques you can try to write an excellent hook – and the most appropriate one might come down to what your topic is about. Consider everything from beginning with a question to a quote to an anecdote, then evaluate each one for effectiveness.
Assuming you have already developed a good working thesis before starting your research and writing the first draft, you should work on revising this statement so that it clearly and concisely reflects your position on the topic. It’s good to get right to the point, without leaving any room to question what it is you are trying to argue for or against.
You want to communicate some good background information to set the writer off on the right path. Generally, you won’t have to define too many terms because you are addressing a group of professionals, but don’t overestimate their knowledge in highly specialized areas. Give all important background information as needed to help your readers better understand the perspective in which you are writing from.
A lot of graduate students make the mistake of trying to sound highly academic by using complex sentence structures or long, multisyllabic words. Don’t confuse the reader by electing to use overly academic language. If used incorrectly you will sound unintelligent, and even if you use long words or complex sentence structures correctly, you might come off sounding pompous.
Finally, don’t forget that you need to pay as much attention editing and proofreading the content in the introduction as you would in every other section of your dissertation. Again, since the intro helps set the tone for the rest of the work, it would be detrimental to have any confusing language or errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling.