How to Start a Research Paper Introduction (With Examples)
You have your research topic. You've found several sources. You might even know what your paper is going to argue. But the first paragraph is still blank.
Every opening sentence you try sounds wrong. One is too broad. Another gives away your entire argument. A third sounds like something copied from a textbook.
If you're wondering how to start a research paper introduction, don't begin by searching for an impressive quotation or a dramatic statement. Start by identifying the specific problem your paper investigates.
A research introduction has a practical job: help readers understand the topic, recognize the problem or question, and see what your paper will examine.
Here's how to build that introduction, even if you haven't written a single sentence yet.
Before You Write: Answer These Three Questions
Many students struggle with their introduction because they try to write it before they've made three basic decisions.
Open a blank document and answer these questions in plain language:
- What specific topic am I investigating? Not the general subject, but the particular issue your paper addresses.
- What question or problem makes this topic worth investigating? Identify the uncertainty, disagreement, or issue your paper explores.
- What will my paper actually do? Will you compare studies, evaluate an argument, analyze evidence, or report original findings?
For example, suppose your assignment concerns social media and university students.
Too broad: Social media affects students.
More focused: This paper examines how late-night social media habits relate to sleep quality among undergraduate students.
The second version gives you a subject, a specific relationship to investigate, and a defined population.
If you haven't narrowed your topic yet, begin with our guide to starting a research paper before drafting the introduction.
How to Start a Research Paper Introduction: A Five-Part Structure
You don't need five separate paragraphs for every assignment. Think of these as five pieces of information that readers should receive in a sensible order.
1. Open With the Specific Research Problem
Your first sentence should bring readers into the subject without making an enormous claim.
Students often write openings such as:
Since the beginning of time, technology has changed the world.
This sentence is broad, difficult to support, and doesn't tell readers what the paper is investigating.
A more useful opening would be:
Late-night social media use raises questions about how students' digital routines relate to their sleep quality.
Notice what changes. The second sentence identifies the issue immediately. It doesn't need exaggerated language to attract attention.
For an evidence-based opening, you can also begin with a carefully sourced finding or an established disagreement in the literature. Don't invent a statistic simply because it sounds persuasive.
2. Give Readers Only the Background They Need
After introducing the problem, provide enough context for readers to understand it.
This is where students often write too much. They describe the entire history of the topic before reaching the research question.
Instead, ask:
- What does the reader need to know to understand this problem?
- Which terms require a brief definition?
- What relevant research or debate establishes the context?
- Which details can wait until the literature review?
For a paper about social media and sleep, relevant background might include how the paper defines nighttime use, what sleep outcomes are being considered, and why the relationship is worth examining.
You don't need to explain the entire history of social networking platforms.
3. Identify the Problem, Debate, or Research Gap
This is the point where your introduction becomes more than a general overview.
Explain what remains uncertain or what your paper intends to examine.
For example:
Although research has examined screen use and sleep, differences in how studies measure technology habits can complicate comparisons between their findings.
This is an illustrative statement, not a verified summary of a particular body of research. In your own paper, support a claim like this with relevant sources.
A research gap doesn't always mean nobody has studied your topic. It may involve conflicting findings, an understudied population, a methodological limitation, or a question that existing evidence hasn't fully resolved.
Don't claim that no previous research exists unless you've investigated the literature thoroughly.
4. State Your Research Question or Objective
Now tell readers exactly what your paper sets out to investigate.
For example:
This paper examines the relationship between nighttime social media habits and self-reported sleep quality among undergraduate students.
Or, if your instructor expects an explicit research question:
How are nighttime social media habits associated with sleep quality among undergraduate students?
Keep your wording consistent with your actual assignment and evidence.
A literature-based paper that reviews existing studies should not imply that you collected original survey data. Likewise, an empirical research report should describe its own research objective accurately.
5. End With Your Thesis, Central Argument, or Study Purpose
The final part of the introduction tells readers where the paper is going.
For an argumentative research paper, this may be a thesis statement.
For an empirical research report, it may be a study objective, hypothesis, or brief description of the approach, depending on the required format.
Example of a literature-based paper's central argument:
This paper argues that evaluating nighttime social media habits requires attention to patterns of use, study design, and differences between student populations rather than relying on total screen time alone.
Use this wording only if the evidence in your paper supports that position.
Your introduction should make a defensible promise about the paper that follows—not a claim you hope to prove later.
Research Paper Introduction Example: Weak vs. Strong
Let's compare two introductions for a fictional literature-based assignment about social media habits and sleep.
Weak Introduction
Social media is very important in today's world. Millions of people use it every day. Students use social media for entertainment, education, and communication. Social media has advantages and disadvantages. This research paper will discuss social media and sleep.
Why it doesn't work: The opening is too general, the problem isn't defined, and readers don't know what question the paper will answer.
Improved Introduction
Late-night social media use raises an important question about how undergraduate students' digital routines relate to sleep quality. Research on technology use and sleep examines several potentially relevant factors, including the timing of use, interruptions from notifications, and differences in individual habits. However, comparing findings can be difficult when studies define technology use and sleep outcomes differently. This paper examines how nighttime social media habits are associated with self-reported sleep quality among undergraduate students. By comparing findings and methodological differences across relevant studies, it evaluates what the existing evidence can—and cannot—establish about this relationship.
Why it's stronger: It identifies a specific problem, establishes the context, acknowledges a potential research issue, and explains the paper's purpose.
These examples are teaching illustrations. They are not summaries of verified studies. In an actual submission, support relevant background claims with credible academic sources.
What Should the First Sentence of a Research Paper Introduction Be?
If you still can't find a suitable opening, use the nature of your assignment to choose a starting point.
For a Paper Comparing Research Findings
Research on [specific issue] has produced differing interpretations of [particular relationship or outcome].
Use this structure when your sources genuinely disagree.
For a Paper Investigating a Specific Problem
[Specific problem] presents an important challenge for [defined population or setting].
Explain what makes the challenge important rather than assuming readers will agree.
For a Paper Analyzing a Policy or Practice
The effectiveness of [policy or practice] depends partly on how [relevant factor] is understood and measured.
Again, this must match the evidence your paper actually examines.
For an Empirical Research Report
Understanding [specific relationship] is important for investigating [research problem] in [population or setting].
These sentence patterns help you begin, but they shouldn't replace careful reasoning or source-based claims.
How Much Background Belongs in the Introduction?
There is no universal number of sentences.
A short undergraduate research paper may need only a compact introduction. A dissertation or journal article may require a more developed explanation of the existing literature and research gap.
The useful question isn't "Have I written enough background?" It's "Does the reader have enough context to understand my research question?"
If a paragraph describes information that doesn't help readers understand the problem, consider moving it to the body or removing it.
If you find yourself summarizing one study after another, you may be writing part of your literature review rather than your introduction.
Our guide to writing a literature review explains how to organize sources around themes, disagreements, and research questions.
Where Should Citations Appear in a Research Introduction?
Include citations when you make factual claims that depend on research, refer to previous studies, define specialized concepts using a source, or describe an established academic debate.
For example, a claim about how frequently students experience a particular sleep problem needs evidence.
A sentence explaining what your own paper will examine usually doesn't require a citation unless it also contains a source-dependent claim.
Don't add citations to every sentence simply to make the introduction look academic. And don't leave factual background claims unsupported.
For help selecting the correct referencing system, see our APA vs. MLA vs. Chicago citation guide.
Five Introduction Mistakes That Are Easy to Fix
1. Starting With a Dictionary Definition
A dictionary definition rarely establishes a meaningful research problem. Define a term only when readers need that definition to understand your question.
2. Using an Unsupported Statistic
An impressive number isn't useful if you can't verify its source. Use reliable research and represent findings accurately.
3. Making the Topic Too Broad
"Technology affects education" could describe thousands of papers. Narrow your opening to the particular technology, educational setting, and issue you investigate.
4. Announcing a Research Gap Without Evidence
Don't write "No researchers have studied this issue" unless your literature search supports that claim. Describe the specific limitation or unresolved question instead.
5. Promising More Than the Paper Delivers
If your paper reviews five published studies, don't describe it as a comprehensive analysis of all available research. Match the introduction to the actual scope of your work.
How to Write Your First Introduction Draft in 20 Minutes
If you've been editing the same opening sentence for an hour, stop polishing and try this exercise.
- Minutes 1–4: Write your research question in one sentence.
- Minutes 5–8: List two pieces of background information readers need.
- Minutes 9–12: Identify the problem, disagreement, or limitation your paper addresses.
- Minutes 13–16: Write your study objective or central argument.
- Minutes 17–20: Arrange those sentences in a logical order and add transitions.
Don't worry about making the first draft elegant. Your goal is to create a working introduction that accurately represents your paper.
Once the main body is complete, return to the introduction and check whether the research question, argument, and scope still match what you've written.
Should You Write the Introduction First or Last?
You can draft it first and revise it later. In fact, that often works well.
Writing an early introduction helps you clarify the direction of your paper. But as you evaluate sources or analyze data, your argument may change.
That means your final introduction should be reviewed after you've completed the main sections.
If your paper's argument has changed, revise the introduction to reflect the work you've actually done.
Once you've finished the body, our guide to writing a research paper conclusion can help you bring your findings together without repeating the introduction.
Final Introduction Checklist
Before moving on to the main body, ask yourself:
- Does my opening sentence identify a specific issue?
- Have I provided enough background to understand the topic?
- Is the research problem or question clear?
- Have I supported relevant factual claims with sources?
- Does my thesis or study purpose match the assignment?
- Have I avoided unnecessary history and broad generalizations?
- Does the introduction accurately describe the paper that follows?
For additional guidance on developing academic introductions, consult the University of North Carolina Writing Center's introduction guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you start a research paper intro without a quote?
Begin with the specific research problem, a relevant source-supported finding, or a clearly defined debate. A quotation isn't required.
Can a research paper introduction start with a question?
Yes, if the question is meaningful and appropriate for the assignment. However, stating the problem directly is often clearer than opening with a rhetorical question.
Should the research question appear in the introduction?
Usually, yes. It may appear as a direct question or be expressed through a clear statement of the paper's objective. Follow your instructor's required structure.
Do I need a thesis statement in every research paper introduction?
Not always in the same form. Argumentative papers generally need a central claim, while empirical reports may emphasize a research objective, hypothesis, or study purpose.
Can I revise my introduction after writing the conclusion?
Yes. Revising the introduction after completing the paper helps ensure it accurately reflects your final argument, findings, and scope.
Start With the Problem, Not the Perfect Sentence
Knowing how to start a research paper introduction doesn't mean finding the most impressive opening line. It means making the research problem clear enough that readers understand why the paper exists.
Identify your specific topic, provide essential context, explain the question you're investigating, and state what your paper will do.
Once those pieces are in place, you can improve the wording. A clear, accurate first draft is far more useful than a polished sentence that never leads anywhere.
