What is an introduction?

An introduction may be many different things, depending on the type of writing

you are doing. In an empirical paper, a proposal, or a research paper—an introduction
does three things:
• Introduces your topic
• Reviews the literature on your topic
• States your hypotheses or research questions
The Outline of an Introduction
• Opening paragraph
• Review of the literature (usually several paragraphs)
• Summary paragraph and statement of hypotheses or research questions.
The Opening Paragraph is a key paragraph. It lets the reader know what to expect,
gives the reader a general roadmap for your paper, may mention papers you will review
in more detail later, and for a very long paper, it may be more than one paragraph.
The opening paragraph includes 5 basic pieces of information, usually in this order:
• A statement on the general topic
• A general statement about what the literature has found
• A statement about what the literature is missing or where there is an unanswered
question
• The aim of the study
• A general statement of the study approach
Here is an example of an introduction to a study on child development, parental
responsibilities, and culture:
Parenting style is a well-established influence on child development (Bornstein,
2003). Research indicates that different parenting styles are generally predictive
of academic and emotional adaptation in children (Steinberg, Elmen & Mounts,
1989). However, some research has suggested that the influence of parenting
style may vary across cultures and by immigration status (Frankel & Roer-
Bornstein, 1982). The aim of the current study was to examine how parenting
styles among first-generation immigrants from the African diaspora influenced
child development. The study examined parenting style and child outcomes within
a community of Somalian immigrants in the Northeastern United States.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A literature review is a synthesis of what is available on your research topic. This synthesis brings
together the findings of various sources to explain the general understanding of the subject,
thereby laying the groundwork for the question of research and primary research. While a
literature review cites sources and should discuss the credibility of the included sources, this is
not only an annotated bibliography. The literature review must examine all the important sources
on a subject, whether they support the claims you will eventually work on.

Need of Review of Literature

• One of the first steps in planning research work is to review previously
completed research in the area of interest.
• It is essential that each researcher be up to date in their information about the
literature related to their own problem already posed by others.
• It avoids the replication of the study.
• It is a source of research problems.

Objectives of Review of Literature

• It provides theories, ideas, explanations, or hypotheses that are useful to formulate a
new problem.
• It avoids duplication when a previous study indicates that no further study is needed.
• It provides the sources for hypothesis. The researcher may develop research
hypotheses from the available studies.
• It provides an appropriate method, procedure, and data sources to address the issue.
• Findings from related studies can be significantly compared and possibly used as a
subject for the findings of the study.

How to Conduct the Review of Literature

Create a thematic Prepares the first draft

Develop search by identifying an
tabulation of
terms summarized organizational approach
and writing strategically.
information.

Search using terms, Summarize in paragraph Write the first draft

boolean operators,
and filters; iterative
process
form important
information from each
source; include citations

Identify initial Read abstract (and Edit, proofread and

primary sources on additional sections) polish.
the topic. to narrow sources if
needed
Source: https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/90135_book_item_90135.pdf

Precautions in Library Use

• Avoid intellectual dishonesty.
• Avoid being conditioned by a prior researcher's point of view and the temptation
to blindly follow their procedure.
• It is not sufficient to list past studies without examining and describing their
characteristics.
 • It is always useful to organize prior studies in chronological order so that the
growth of the domain is clearly known to the researcher and readers alike.
• A researcher must have a good knowledge of library procedures that will help
them find books and references needed for him without losing much time and
energy.

Reporting Review of Literature

Like all academic texts, a literature review should include an introduction, a main
body and a conclusion. What needs to be included in each depends on the purpose of
your review.
1. Introduction. The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of
the literature review.
2. Body. Depending on how long your literature review is, you may want to divide
the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period,
or methodological approach.
While writing, take these tips:
• Summarize and synthesize: outline the main points of each source and combine
them into a coherent whole.
• Analyze and interpret: don't simply paraphrase other researchers, add your own
interpretations as much as possible, discussing the importance of the findings
relative to the literature at large.
• Critical Evaluation: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources.
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transitional words and thematic phrases
to link, compare and contrast.

Example of paragraph in literature review

3. Conclusion. To conclude, you should summarize the key findings from the literature
and emphasize their importance.