Ideas about the essential parts of a research paper introduction and how to write them are often predictable and include the following: start with a strong opening sentence to capture the reader’s attention, provide background information to establish context, clearly define the research problem and its connection to existing knowledge, state the research objectives, and outline the structure of the paper.
Below are five areas to consider when writing the introduction.
1. Length of Research Paper Introduction
Writing a compelling research paper introduction often hinges on identifying the right length. The optimal length of an introduction lies in finding the right balance; neither excess nor to few words is desirable.
How long should this section be?
The ideal length requires considering various factors because an acceptable word count will generally make the introduction concise yet thorough.
We reviewed 10 research papers to get a good idea of how many words a research paper introduction should be, as summarized in the table.
| Research Paper | Word Count in the introduction | percentage of the total word count | JOURNAL/PUBLISHER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alotiabi, 2024 | 876 | 18.6% | Belitung Nursing Journal |
| Anto et al., 2023 | 729 | 9.9% | JMIR Formative Research |
| Bragg, 2022 | 142 | 2.6% | Eastern Kentucky University |
| Dodemaide et al., 2022 | 748 | 15.1% | The British Journal of Social Work |
| Hjetland et al., 2020 | 616 | 7.5% | BMC Psychology |
| Hussain & Khatoon, 2023 | 290 | 17.9% | Cross Current Int Peer Reviewed J Human Soc Sci |
| Popat & Tarrant, 2022 | 431 | 9.1% | Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry |
| Samari et al., 2022 | 826 | 15.3% | PLOS ONE |
| Satoh et al., 2015 | 333 | 4.6% | Hypertension |
| Singh, 2020 | 1510 | 12.5% | The University of Western Ontario |
The average word count for the 10 research papers’ introduction listed above is 11.3% of the number of words in the paper. This is consistent with most journals’ recommendation that an introduction should be 10-15% of the total paper length.
Many factors determine the word count for an introduction. In our table above, the third research paper was accepted although its introduction was only 2.5% of the total word count.
2. The Topic
One of the parts of an introduction is the topic. Having the word limit in mind, proceed to clearly state the topic within the first 2-3 sentences as this makes it easy for the reader to understand the focus.
Examples from our earlier table:
- Alotiabi (2024): Clearly identifies the topic as medication administration errors and their impact on patient safety and healthcare costs.
- Satoh et al. (2015): Introduces the topic as the relationship between blood pressure, cholesterol, and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.
It is also advisable to contextualize the topic with statistics or background data. Refer back to our table for the following examples:
- Singh (2020): Introduces the topic of youth mental health in Ontario with statistics on mental health admissions and service gaps.
- Hjetland et al. (2020): Introduces social media use and adolescent mental health with statistics on social media usage among Norwegian adolescents.
Some topics are focused on specific populations or contexts. For instance,
- Samari et al. (2022): Examines youth experiences of social media harm and harm-reduction strategies in Asia.
- Dodemaide et al. (2022): Focuses on social media use and young adult mental health within a social work framework.
Other topics are balanced to highlight positive and negative aspects of the research area. For example,
- Popat and Tarrant (2022): Introduces social media and adolescent psychological well-being, covering both benefits like social support and harms like cyberbullying.
3. Citations in the Introduction
Although the APA guidelines do not require citations in an introduction or conclusion, it is a good practice to cite only works that are most relevant to your topic. Cite what previous literature says about the topic.
The most important thing for readers is to see evidence of original thinking.
- Number of citations: avoid overloading the introduction with too many citations. Usually, 2-5 well-chosen sources are enough, but this depends on the length and complexity of the research paper.
- When to cite: cite when providing background information or definition. For example, “According to the CDC (2024), obesity rates have increased by 35% over the last decade.”
- When not to cite: certain well-known facts are considered common knowledge and typically do not require citations. For instance, “The World Health Organization recognizes obesity as a global epidemic,” “Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses,” or “Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.” Widely known or undisputed facts do not require citations.
- Original though: even as you cite, it is important to blend cited information with original thinking. This synthesis leads naturally to the thesis statement.
- Citation style: if a paper requires APA citation, be consistent with this format for all in-text citations in the introduction.
4. Presenting the Current Research Problem
Do not forget to present the research problem being investigated. Approach this part of the introduction by:
- Clearly identifying the problem: State what issue or gap your research addresses. Use concise language and provide context with relevant background information.
- Explaining the significance: Indicate why the problem matters and how addressing it contributes to the field.
- Narrowing the focus: If the topic is broad, specify the particular aspect you are investigating.
Issues to avoid when presenting the research problem
- Being too vague: Avoid broad, generic statements that don’t clearly identify the issue.
- Excessive detail: Don’t include a full literature review in the introduction.
Below is an example of how to present the research problem.
Despite advancements in electronic medical records (EMRs), many rural health clinics face challenges in care coordination due to limited interoperability (Smith, 2022). This research investigates how implementing a shared EMR system can address these gaps and improve patient outcomes.
5. Research Aim/Objective
The final part of a research paper introduction is “aim or objective.” Research papers generally have aims instead of thesis statements. So, here are the considerations on how to approach the research objective in the introduction:
- Be specific and focused: State exactly what the research seeks to achieve.
- Align with the research problem: The aim should directly respond to the problem identified.
- Use active language: Make the research objective actionable and measurable.
- Place it at the end of the introduction: Conclude the introduction with a purpose or research aim.
Issues to avoid when writing the research aim in the introduction
- Overly broad aims: Avoid aims that are too general or cannot be measured.
- Multiple unclear objectives: If you have various aims, clearly separate them rather than blending them into one confusing statement.
An example of how to frame the research objective is in the introduction.
This research aims to evaluate the impact of shared electronic medical record systems on care coordination in rural health clinics, focusing on patient outcomes, provider communication, and workflow efficiency.
