Creating Your Introduction

Sketch a

Working

IntroductionFour-Part Scheme for Your Introduction :

1. Current Situation (what your readers now think or do)

2. Research Question (what your readers need to know but don't)

3. Significance of the Question (your answer to So what?)

4. Answer (what your readers should know)

Write your introduction twice:

Write a sketchy one now for yourself

Final one for your readers after you've revised your draft and know what you have written.

Final introduction usually has four parts, so you might as well build your working introduction to anticipate them.

1. Current Situation

Since the centerpiece of your introduction is your disruptive research question, you first have to offer readers something for your question to disrupt. Briefly state what your readers (or others) believe that you will challenge with your question

Think of this as the first half of a contradiction:

I used to think . . ., but . . .

Most people think . . ., but . . .

What events seem to show is . . ., but . . .

Researchers have shown . . ., but ..

Example

• Might set up a question about the Alamo by asking readers to think about its status as a national legend.

• State in terms of what you believed before you began your research ( I used to think . . .)

Ex I always thought of the Battle of the Alamo as a major event in our nation's history.

• what others believe ( Most people think . . .)

Terms of What you Believe

Example: The Battle of the Alamo has always been treated as a major historical event, not only in history textbooks but in popular culture as well.• an event or situation ( What events seem to show is

. . .) Ex. In 2004 the blockbuster film The Alamo was nominated for the Harry Award for promoting the public understanding of a historical event. That film was a remake of a 1960 film by the same name, which was nominated for seven Oscars and won one.

What Other Researchers Have Found

Researchers have shown . . .• What really happened at the Alamo is well known.

Historians have uncovered almost every detail relevant to understanding the true Alamo story.

• Summarize the major research leading up to your paper, but do not cover all the sources you find.

• Instead, summarize only those whose findings you intend to extend, modify, or correct.

2. RESEARCH QUESTION

Research Question: Why has the story of the minor regional battle at the Alamo become a national legend?

Problem Statements: I always thought of the Battle of the Alamo as a major event in our nation's history. But the Alamo was a minor regional battle that somehow became a national legend.

What really happened at the Alamo is well known. Historians have uncovered almost every detail relevant to understanding the true Alamo story. But few historians have tried to explain why this minor regional battle has become so important in our national mythology.

• Rephrase your Research Question as a statement about what we don't know or understand in light of the Current Situation. • Since this is the second

half of the contradiction, it should start with but or however.

• Writers do this in many ways, so as you read, note how your sources do it, then use them as models.

3. Significance of your question

• Next, explain the by answering So what if we don't find out? – If we can explain how the Alamo became a national legend, we

can better understand how American culture has fostered a feeling of national unity in a diverse population that shares relatively little history.

• At this point in your career, you may find any larger significance to your answer hard to imagine. If so, you can state the significance in terms of the themes of your class: – If we can explain how the Alamo became a national legend, we

can better understand the issues of American identity and diversity

4. Answer

• Revise your claim as the Answer to the question, in terms that match those of the first three parts: The Alamo became a national legend not because it was important to the history of the United States or even to the history of Texas, but because it reflected both the traditional virtue of heroic self-sacrifice and the frontier virtue of self-reliance.

CAUTION Don't Fear Giving Away Your Answer

Some new researchers fear that if they reveal their claim early, in their introduction, readers will be bored and stop reading. Others worry about repeating themselves. Both fears are baseless. If you ask an interesting question, readers will want to see how well you can support its answer.

REVIEW

• Current Situation (what your readers now think or do) • Research Question (what your readers need to know but don't)• Significance of the Question (your answer to So what?)

• Answer (what your readers should know)

Turabian, Kate L.; Williams, Joseph M.; Colomb, Gregory G. (2010-04-15). Student's Guide to Writing College Papers: Fourth Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and) (p. 82). University of Chicago Press. Kindle Edition.