MUF0012: How to Write the Introduction and Conclusion

How to Write the ‘Introduction’ Section of the Research Report

● This section is placed after the Contents Page (optional) and before the Situation section of the report.
● The intention of this section is to define the topic and context, and outline the purpose of the report
(your thesis statement should go here).
● The introduction should be approximately 200 words in length.
● Read and discuss the example introduction, then use the sentence starters to formulate your draft.

Step 1: Hook + State and define your topic.

Introduce your topic and explain any key terms / technical terms your reader needs to know and understand.

The purpose of this report is to examine…

… is a central idea / term / concept in this report. It can be defined as…

Step 2: Provide context for the report.

This may include a summary of an event which has formed the basis of your research, or provide very basic
relevant historical, social or cultural details that may be necessary for understanding your topic.

In order to understand the research contained in this report, it is necessary to know that…
It is important to consider the context of this topic, which is...

Step 3: Thesis - State the purpose of the report.

This is done by introducing what your report intends to do. Remember to summarise your problems, your
solutions and make a statement about which solution appears to be the best.

This paper will explore the issue by investigating…

This essay will examine...
MUF0012: How to Write the Introduction and Conclusion

Example Introduction

Amongst the many problems faced by young people, it appears that their relationship with alcohol
and binge drinking has become a significant concern. Binge drinking is a central concept in this paper
and is often defined as drinking excessively in a short period of time (Australia Drug Information,
2010). It is also important to consider the context of youth drinking in Australia. In 2012,
approximately 19.5% of young people worldwide exceed the alcohol guidelines by consuming more
than two drinks per day (Smith, 2016). As there appears to be a widespread acceptance of alcohol
consumption around the globe, this type of drinking behaviour has become a common phenomenon
in the world throughout the children’s lives, where alcohol consumption is perceived as a normal
experience when children develop into youth (The Cabin Sydney, 2015). This is a phenomenon that is
also reflected in young people in Australia. This paper will explore the issue by investigating the
reasons behind high rates of excessive alcohol consumption in Australian youth, such as peer pressure
and ease of access to alcohol. It will then examine the effectiveness of the strategies to decrease
binge drinking such as government legislation and educational programs, showing how government
intervention is most effective in managing this crisis in Australia.
MUF0012: How to Write the Introduction and Conclusion

How to Write the ‘Conclusion’ Section of the Research Report

● The purpose of this section is to summarise what has been discussed in the paper.
● It can be brief, simply restating the thesis statement with slightly different words and using past tense
(we use past tense because this part is at the end of the paper).
● It can be a little longer if you would like to provide advice or a prediction about the future (no personal
language - I think, in my opinion, my belief, I believe).
● It should definitely state what the overall judgement was about the solutions/best solution.
● No new information!!! No citations!!!

Example Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper outlined the youth unemployment situation in Australia, along with
problems arising in the last decade. It suggested three solutions and on evaluation it has found that
Australian government should improve training programs, as this is the most feasible solution out of
the three to tackle ongoing youth unemployment in Australia. This solution was chosen as the optimal
solution because of its effectiveness: it is cost effective yet contains minimal risks. In the near future,
the Australian government should apply a solution if they do not want their economy to stagnate or
stumble across a downfall.