How to Write a Perfect Research Paper Introduction

The introduction to a research paper can make or break your grade. Those first few words represent the tone of the paper. It has to attract the reader's attention and fully inform the reader about the topic. In at least five sentences, you will introduce your research, theme and explanation or argument.

1
Research at least five sources on the topic. Don't bog yourself down with too many sources, though. Seek out official journals in the field you'll be covering, and pick the best articles or books that closely discuss your specific theme. Avoid generic or independent websites. URLs ending in .org, .gov or .edu are good options. Wikepedia is not a good source for a research paper. Visit your school or local library and use their online databases, such as Ebscoe or ProQuest.
2
Write the theme of the paper. This only needs to be one detailed sentence, a summary of what you intend to argue with your research. In the theme, you should list at least three, but no more than five, arguments supporting your theme. Use a clear, active voice. The body of the research paper will stem from this sentence. Sum up your research in less than 50 words. Any longer, and you run the risk of losing the reader's attention. A nice average length is 35 words, but don't stumble on counting words. That's secondary to content.
3
Write an outline for the paper, based on your theme. The outline does not need to be detailed -- just a rough sketch of the path you will take to make your point. This will help you organize your sources and flesh out the introductory paragraph.
4
Introduce the theme in the first sentence of the introductory paragraph. Do not use the theme as the first sentence, though. With a few key words, generalize the theme in relation to the audience or the subject, whichever suits the topic. In a biology paper, you may reflect on the effect a certain species has on its environment. In a literature paper, you can note how an author's choices affected his life, or state the author's significance to the literary world.

Below are examples.

THEME

"Art therapy offers cancer patients the opportunity to learn to relax and trust their doctor and their medical treatments; to express their fears and anxieties, helping them cope with their disease; to regain self-confidence; and to hopefully experience positive results, such as enhanced energy or lessened pain."

The theme has four obvious components. The body of the research paper would be structured accordingly.

INTRODUCTION

"The direct relationship between the mind and the body's ability to heal may never be fully understood, but further studies in art therapy with cancer patients prove that indulging in creative activities like painting or sculpting often decreases pain and increases positive progression through the disease."

The first line refers to the theme, but does not go into specifics. It reflects on the impact of art therapy on cancer patients as a whole.
5
Position the theme in your introductory paragraph wisely. Every research paper is unique. The theme often works well as the last line of the introduction. But it can also fall anywhere in between the first and last sentence. The two key sentences are the intro and the theme. Once you have those two, the rest of the sentences (at least three) should further clarify your position and introduce the theme and what you intend to address with your research.