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Chapter 5. The Introduction

First Reporter – Ms. Marry Rose Angel D. Ferranco

 The Introduction

 Importance of Introduction

 Quantitative, Qualitative and Mixed Methods Introductions

Second Reporter – Ms. Mishelle B. Fernandez

 A Model for an Introduction

 The Research Problem

 Studies addressing the problems

Third Reporter – Ms. Cherry Ann V. Villacrusis

 Deficiencies in the past literature

 Significance of a study for audiences

 Additional Readings
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THE INTRODUCTION

Marry Rose Angel D. Ferranco

Mindoro State University

RS200- Methods of Research

Ms. Alice Ramos

December 2, 2022
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Abstract

According to Wilkinson (1991), An Introduction is the first passage in a journal article,

dissertation, or scholarly research study (p.101). The introduction part summarized the details of

one research. It give you the insight what kind of research you propose and summarized the

overall background of your selected topic. This chapter discusses the composition and writing of

a scholarly introduction and examines the differences in writing an introduction for these three

different types of designs. Then the discussion turns to the five components of writing a good

introduction: (a) establishing the problem leading to the study, (b) reviewing the literature about

the problem, (c) identifying deficiencies in the literature about the problem, (d) targeting an

audience and noting the significance of the problem for this audience, and (e) identifying the

purpose of the proposed study.

Keywords: passage, summarize, design, writing.

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THE INTRODUCTION

An introduction is the first passage in a journal article, dissertation, or scholarly research

study. It sets the stage for the entire study. As Wilkinson (1991) mentions,

The introduction is the part of the paper that provides readers with the background

information for the research reported in the paper. Its purpose is to establish a framework for the

research, so that readers can understand how it is related to other research. (p. 96)

The goal of your introduction is to let your reader know the topic of the paper and what

points will be made about the topic. It also tells your reader the specific purpose or main

argument of your paper. These can be achieved by taking your introduction from "general" to

"specific.” (https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/introductions-conclusions.)

1. General

This refers to the broader topic you will address in your paper and its significance for the

reader. For example, it might let your reader know you are writing about "climate change."

2. Narrowing

This is where you guide your reader to see your purpose for this particular paper. These

sentences should give the reader an idea of what the context is for the topic. For example, it's not
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that you want to merely discuss climate change in general, but instead want to discuss the effects

on yearly temperatures and how citizens can act.

3. Specific

This is where you narrow the focus to your argument, or you’re Thesis Statement.

Introductions for non-academic writing (emails, webpages, business and technical

documents, etc.) (https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/introductions-conclusions.)

Introduction paragraphs are also used in non-academic writing, but these introductions

take on a different format. Rather than developing a fully developed paragraph of 5 or more

sentences, these introductions are much shorter in length and they go directly to the main point

or the specific information or purpose for the written communication.

Examples of introductions for non-academic writing can be seen in our sample letter or

memo, sample business report, and sample online article/webpage.

(https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/introductions-conclusions.)
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IMPORTANCE OF INTRODUCTION

The introduction is the first paragraph a reader will read of your essay or article. It should

be written to establish the tone of your writing. It lets the reader know what the over-arching idea

of your work is and what you are setting out to do. It’s important to have a particular focus. This

focus will become the central idea that your reader will remember in order to understand the rest

of what you are saying. (https://inkforall.com/ai-writing-tools/hook-writing/purpose-of-an-

introduction/.)

A Good Introduction Should:

(https://www.constant-content.com/content-writing-service/2007/10/the-importance-of-

introductions/)

 Prepare the reader for the information they’ll gain from the article.

 Hook the reader into reading the article or convince the reader they want to read the article.

 Make a statement that summarizes what the article is about (some call this a thesis

statement).

An Introduction Should Not:

(https://www.constant-content.com/content-writing-service/2007/10/the-importance-of-

introductions/)

 Answer a question you have posed in your title without restating the question.

 Begin with step number one of a process that you will outline in your article (such as in a

“how to” type article).

 Contain only one sentence–that being your “thesis” statement.

 Consist of the words “In this article, I will tell you about such and such, and convince you

why you should do such and such.” This heavy-handed approach will turn most readers off.
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 Be completely absent from your article!

RESEARCH PROBLEM

A research problem is the problem or issue that leads to the need for a study. It can

originate from many potential sources. It might spring from an experience researchers have had

in their personal lives or workplaces. It may come from an extensive debate that has appeared in

the literature. It might develop from policy debates in government or among top executives. The

sources of research problems are often multiple. Identifying and stating the research problem that

underlies a study is not easy (p.101).

A research problem is defined as an area of concern that requires a meaningful

understanding of a specific topic, a condition, a contradiction, or a difficulty.

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/research-problem/)

A problem statement in research seeks to achieve the following:

 Introduce the importance of the topic in the research proposal.

 Position the problem in an appropriate context.

 Provide a framework to analyze and report results.

Characteristics of a research problem (https://www.questionpro.com/blog/research-problem/)

 It must address the gap in knowledge.

 It must be significant to the extent that it contributes positively to the research

 It must help in further research

 With the data collected, you must understand the problem clearly

 It must be in the researcher’s interest should and suit his/her time, knowledge, skills, and

resources

 The problem-solving approach must be ethical

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 Customary research methods can be applied

Components of a research problem (https://www.questionpro.com/blog/research-problem/)

A research problem has the following components:

1. Research consumer: A group of individuals or various groups of individuals must have

difficulty or must face a problem. The researchers may be a part of this group facing the

problem. All the others who face the problem but are not included in the research form

the research consumers.

2. Research-consumer’s objective: The research consumer must face a problem or should

need an issue to be addressed. If there is no problem, there can be no basis for conducting

research.

3. Alternative means to meet the objective: Always have a ‘Plan B’ when you address a

marketing research problem. It means that the researcher must have at least two means or

courses of action to fulfill the research objective. If there is an absence of choice or an

alternative means to fulfill the research objective, the researcher cannot have a problem.

4. Doubts in the selection of alternatives: Having an alternative means to meet the objective

is just one part of the problem. Both the means should be such that the researcher has

doubts about which is the better approach out of the two. This truly makes the research

more reliable.

5. There must be more than one environment: It is imperative that the problem exists in

more than one environment. It can happen that a change in the environmental factors

mitigates the problem. A researcher may be doubtful about the most efficient means in

the environment ‘A’, but may not be so doubtful about the environment ‘B’.
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Steps to formulate a research problem (https://www.questionpro.com/blog/research-problem/)

Here are the five basic steps to formulate a research problem:

1. Identify the broad research area: Begin your research by identifying a broad research area

based on your interest, specialty, profession, expertise, and knowledge. This area must

possess some kind of significance regarding your knowledge interest and specialty. For

example, a researcher studying sports education can select areas like football, soccer,

hockey, and baseball. These are the broader areas that can be further subdivided into

various research topics to figure out marketing strategies.

2. Divide the broad area into sub-areas: After you choose a broad area to study, drill down

to a specific topic that is manageable and researchable. To do this, break down the broad

area into sub-areas and choose a specific topic. For example, if your broad area is soccer,

it can be further divided into the following subcategories:

a. Profile of soccer players

b. Profile of soccer clubs

c. Level of soccer clubs

d. Impact of the club on the city

e. Revenue generating areas

f. Sponsors of the soccer clubs

3. Choose a sub-area: It is not possible to study all the sub-areas due to time and money

constraints. Thus, choose one sub-area of interest and one that is manageable and feasible

for you. The area you select must have some research significance and must be

significant to your research knowledge.

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4. Formulate research questions: After you choose a specific sub-area, think about the areas

you must explore and research about. Start noting down important questions that you

deem important for the research study. Many questions may arise but narrow down and

choose the most important and impactful questions. The length of the research depends

on the number of questions you formulate. Choose the questions, depending on the

expected length of your research.

5. Set research objectives: You must draw a plan about the objectives of the research that

you need to explore. The objectives of the research study help to identify the research

questions. There is a difference between the research question and the research objective.

The difference is the way they are written. Research questions generally consist of an

interrogative tone. On the other hand, the research objectives are aim-oriented. They

include terms like to examine, to investigate, to explore, and to find out.

QUALITATIVE, QUANTITATIVE AND MIXED METHOD INTRODUCTIONS

In a qualitative project, the author will describe a research problem that can best be

understood by exploring a concept or phenomenon. Qualitative research is exploratory, and

researchers use it to explore a topic when the variables and theory base are unknown. Morse

(1991).

Qualitative research is a means for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals

or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. The process of research involves emerging

questions and procedures, data typically collected in the participant’s setting, data analysis

inductively building from particulars to general themes, and the researcher making

interpretations of the meaning of the data. The final written report has a flexible structure. Those

who engage in this form of inquiry support a way of looking at research that honors an inductive
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style, a focus on individual meaning, and the importance of rendering the complexity of a

situation (adapted from Creswell, 2007).

For example, urban sprawl (a problem) needs to be explored because it has not been

examined in certain areas of a state. Alternatively, kids in elementary classrooms have anxiety

that interferes with learning (a problem), and the best way to explore this problem is to go to

schools and visit directly with teachers and students (p. 102).

Quantitative research is a means for testing objective theories by examining the

relationship among variables. These variables, in turn, can be measured, typically on

instruments, so that numbered data can be analyzed using statistical procedures. The final written

report has a set structure consisting of introduction, literature and theory, methods, results, and

discussion (Creswell, 2008).

In a quantitative project, the problem is best addressed by understanding what factors or

variables influence an outcome. For example, in response to worker cutbacks (a problem for all

employees), an investigator may seek to discover what factors influence businesses to downsize.

Another researcher may need to understand the high divorce rate among married couples (a

problem) and examine whether financial issues contribute to divorce. In both of these situations,

the research problem is one in which understanding the factors that explain or relate to an

outcome helps the investigator best understand and explain the problem (p.102).

In addition, in quantitative introductions, researchers sometimes advance a theory to test,

and they will incorporate substantial reviews of the literature to identify research questions that

need to be answered. A quantitative introduction may be written from the impersonal point of

view and in the past tense, to convey objectivity (p. 102).

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Mixed methods research is an approach to inquiry that combines or associates both

qualitative and quantitative forms. It involves philosophical assumptions, the use of qualitative

and quantitative approaches, and the mixing of both approaches in a study. Thus, it is more than

simply collecting and analyzing both kinds of data; it also involves the use of both approaches in

tandem so that the overall strength of a study is greater than either qualitative or quantitative

research (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).

A mixed methods study can employ either the qualitative or the quantitative approach (or

some combination) to writing an introduction. In any given mixed methods study, the emphasis

might tip in the direction of either quantitative or qualitative research, and the introduction will

mirror that emphasis. For other mixed methods projects, the emphasis will be equal between

qualitative and quantitative research. (p. 102).

A mixed methods project may initially seek to explain the relationship between smoking

behavior and depression among adolescents, then explore the detailed views of adolescents and

display different patterns of smoking and depression. With the first phase of this project as

quantitative, the introduction may emphasize a quantitative approach with inclusion of a theory

that predicts this relationship and a substantive review of the literature. (p.102).

Conclusion

An introduction is the first passage in a journal article, dissertation, or scholarly research

study. It sets the stage for the entire study. This chapter provides advice about composing and

writing an introduction to a scholarly study. The first element is to consider how the introduction

incorporates the research problems associated with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods

research.
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References

Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative

and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods

approaches (p.101-102).

Creswell, J. W., & Plano-Clark, V. L. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed methods

research. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications.

Importance and purpose of effective introduction. (2022, October 29). INK.

https://inkforall.com/ai-writing-tools/hook-writing/purpose-of-an-introduction/

Morse, J. M. (1991). Approaches to Qualitative & Quantitative Methodological Triangulation.

Nursing Research, 40, 120-123. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-199103000-00014

The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center:

https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/introductions-conclusions

The importance of introductions. (2019, January 25). Constant Content (A Division of Moresby

Media Inc.). https://www.constant-content.com/content-writing-service/2007/10/the-importance-

of-introductions/

Research problem: Everything a market researcher needs to know. (2021, June 4). QuestionPro.

https://www.questionpro.com/blog/research-problem/