Dissertation Writing

Dissertation Writing Elements of the Introduction

"Essay introductions have the readers 'diving in' whereas dissertation introductions lead the readers gently into the debate or issue." - Jenifer Spencer, English for academic purposes materials writer and co-author of 'EAP Essentials'.

Writing a dissertation is like taking a journey. You have to plan the basics of the journey just like you would for a day out or a longer holiday. What's different is that a dissertation requires careful attention, especially the introduction, as this sets up your academic journey for both your readers and yourself.

First, let's briefly consider the differences between writing an introduction for an essay and writing introduction for a dissertation.

Hills and mountains are similar to each other in that there are upward shifts in the geography that take place. Likewise, introductions for essays and dissertations are similar in that they provide a clear context for the reader and writer.

Like a mountainrange, an introduction to a dissertation starts from a broad, general topic that the writer focuses. In contrast, an essay usually starts off with a more specific, focused topic since essays are much shorter in length compared to dissertations.

Establishing a research territory

First you have to identify and establish the area in which you wish to research. What this means is that you should choose a specific area or context in which you wish to research. This is the first step to identifying a specific area for research. Swales and Feak (2004) call this 'establishing a research territory'.

When you establish a research territory you can demonstrate briefly to the reader that the overall research is important, interesting or problematic. However, what you must remember to do is introduce and review specific items of previous research in your chosen area.

Understanding effective introductions

One way to understand and recognize effective introductions is to skim and read a few introductions to dissertations within your own field. As you read, note down briefly the length of each introduction, how the background and context are presented, references to research, subsections included (if any) and how the writer outlines the aim of the dissertation.

After you have established your background and context through introducing and reviewing items of research relevant to your topic, you must focus your research. To do this you can: (1) indicate a gap in previous literature, (2) extend upon previous research in some way, (3) raise questions about previous research or (4) counter the findings of previous research.

Clarifying your chosen area of research

Once you've made clear the general area of your research, you should consider the particular area you will specifically investigate by considering how your research relates to previous and ongoing research within your field. Creating research questions before you start reading can help you focus your dissertation on a specific area.

For example, a Master's student of English language teaching might choose native-speakerism as a broad, general topic. To focus this, the student might investigate the views of managers of English language schools within a specific country or city regarding their hiring practices of English language teachers in relationship to the first language of teachers hired. Here we see a clear move from a general topic to a specific issue that is chosen for research.

After you clarify and focus your research on a specific area you need to outline the purpose(s) for your research to the reader or state what research you have pursued. In addition, you can state the initial findings of your research and indicate to the readers the general structure your paper takes in a similar way you might map out a journey. You can also introduce your research questions.

Moves in an Introduction

According to Swales and Feak (1996:174f) there are three moves that an introduction to a research paper must make. It must...

Establish your research territory by introducing and reviewing items of previous research in the area.
Establish a niche by indicating a gap in the previous research raising a question about it or extending previous knowledge in some way.
Occupy the niche by outlining purposes or stating the nature of the present research.

Remember: think of your dissertation as a journey. You start off by looking in your field for a specific topic to research. Then, find and indicate a gap in the research, which focuses your research further. Then state the specifics of your research by discussing the reasons for it. The reasons you discuss are specific to your paper and topic, and thus form perhaps the most specific part of your Introduction.

Resources for effective Introductions...

The first link provides a concise outline of what to include in an introduction and a set of questions to help guide you through your introductions more generally. The second link highlights common words and phrases found in each move of an introduction.

Revising Introductions: Moves & Questions

Language for Introduction sections

Like this image, make sure your Introduction reflects what is said in the rest of your dissertation and vice versa. It might be a good idea to start your dissertation first and then finish it by writing your Introduction. This can ensure that your Introduction matches your dissertation and that your dissertation matches what is presented in your Introduction.

References

Campbel, K. (2013) The genre of research articles: Introduction sections. Pros Write Blog. Available at: http://proswrite.com/2013/04/09/the-genre-of-research-articles-introduction-sections/
Pennington, K. (2005) The Introduction Section. Helsinki University of Technology Language Centre. Available at: http://www.cs.tut.fi/kurssit/SGN-16006/academic_writing/cars_model_handout.pdf
The Online Writing Lab (2015) Introductions. Purdue University. Available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/994/03/
Samraj, B. (2008). A discourse analysis of master's theses across disciplines with a focus on introductions. Journal of English for academic purposes, 7(1), 55-67. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1475158508000052
Swales, J.M. (2004) Research Genres: Exploration and Applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Swales, J.M. (1990) English in Academic and Research Settings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Created By

Dustin Hosseini

Appreciate

Created with images by Matt Ming - "High mountain road, Tibetan flowers"

Made with Adobe Slate

Make your words and images move.

Get Slate

Dissertation Writing Elements of the Introduction

Report Abuse