This slideshow is designed to help students write introductions and conclusions for their formal research papers.
For a slideshow with active links: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sPJVJbo79DBisUGhtUCyIwE9unfyxZN4aN6EMlv-eag/edit?usp=sharing
2. Overview
Writers can really struggle to write an introduction and conclusion for
their paper. If they feel they must write exactly along the paper’s order by
starting with the introduction, it can give writer’s block.
First, you do not have to write in the paper’s order
Second, there are some techniques to consider in writing both an
introduction and conclusion that will make both processes much easier.
This slideshow is designed to help make the process easier when you are
ready to begin.
2
4. Introductions are sometimes
taught conceptually as upside
down triangles. You begin with
very broad concepts (commonly a
hook or brief overview) and bridge
them to your more specific thesis
statement.
If you want to Google it, another
term for it is called the funnel
method.
4
5. Consider your paper:
A camera where during the introduction, you
enlist a wide lens, during the body of the
paper you zoom in to a more narrow lens, and
then during the conclusion of the paper, you
return to the wide lens.
A canvas where you select a wide tipped
paintbrush for the introduction, finer tipped
brushes to detail the body of the paper, and
then back to broad strokes for the conclusion.
A theatrical stage where the stage is set
during the introduction, the dramatic
production occurs during the body of the
paper, and the resolution of the production is
your conclusion.
5
Analogies
6. To continue the triangle
or funnel concept:
The triangle is upside down for the
introduction of the paper.
It leads you to a rectangle for the body of
the paper where all of the content has
specific focus.
Finally, you reach a right-side-up triangle
for the conclusion where it begins more
specific and ends more broad and general.
6
8. 8
In 3-6 sentences, draft a brief overview of your topic in broad terms and
sophisticated language that you can copy/paste into your introduction.
Remember that your audience does not know (a) what you will be writing about
or (b) why it is important, so it will be important to state both.
The brief overview is to “set the stage” for your paper so you want to set the
tone as to whether it is a topic of concern or one of promise, etc.
You may notice later that I used none of my keywords for my main points within
my thesis statement in the writing of my brief overview. I did mention the
keyword for my topic because my audience needs to know what I am writing
about in a general sense.
9. Example:
Don’t forget to refer
back to the
worksheet when
drafting your paper
Make a copy to edit
your own work
The more
sophisticated your
work the more
“ready” it will be for
the rough draft
Feel free to use
this worksheet!
9
Example #1: America may have the honor of being number one for many positive
achievements, but on the flip side, it also has the shame of holding the number one spot
in unfavorable realms, as well. America leads the world in hosting the highest number of
persons who are incarcerated. While taking a closer look at these numbers, various
concerns become glaringly apparent.
Example #2: Most expectant parents envision bringing their newborn into a world that is
as safe as the one that they encountered as a child. This expectation can be unrealistic,
especially in a rapidly changing world. Climate change is a term many are familiar with but
it does not “hit home” until one considers the impact it can have from generation to
generation.
10. 10
Your instructor may have had you do some pre-writing (such as a topic proposal) where you
stated why you wanted to write about this topic. If so, some of that writing may be able to be
translated into your brief overview.
If you accidentally wrote one sentence about each main point of your thesis statement to use
as your brief overview, don’t discard them. You can use those sentences in the conclusion of
your paper.
If, when you drafted a thesis statement, you accidentally wrote a paragraph instead of a
sentence, you may have been writing content that would be good for your overview. You can
refer back to those drafts and check (yes, alarm bells should be ringing if your thesis
statement is still a paragraph and it is warning you that you should fix that.)
12. 12
To return to the theatrical production or artwork analogies:
If you need to get an audience interested in coming to your theatrical production,
you have to advertise the event to get them to buy tickets.
If you need to sell tickets to your art show, they have to want to attend.
13. 13
You want your audience to engage enough to want to read the paper. You already care
about your topic but they may not. Your topic probably hasn’t even been on their radar.
A hook helps them to become interested. The following slides suggest possible hooks.
While you would want to choose one, we encourage our students to draft each type and
select the strongest. Often, they do not have to trash the work that they did for the other
types because they can be incorporated elsewhere in the paper (even sometimes the
conclusion!)
Consider looking to higher quality articles or publications and model some hooks they
use.
14. Hook option:The famous quote
Locate one powerful famous quote surrounding your topic. This is not a “direct quote” from
within a good article; instead, this is something profound a person (usually a leader) has said
about your topic.
Write this as you would in your paper by naming the person associated with it along with their
credentials (as long as it is not a household name) followed by the famous quote. Remember
to place the quote into quotation marks since it is a direct quote. The introduction of the
person who is being quoted serves as an “in-text” citation and will not need to be followed by a
parenthetical citation. Try to avoid using an anonymous quote.
Check with your instructor to see if they want this citation included within your Works Cited.
14
15. Example:
15
Example #1: Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political activist, and journalist formerly sentenced to
death and currently imprisoned, stated, “Prison is a second-by-second assault on the
soul, a day-to-day degradation of the self, an oppressive steel and brick umbrella that
transforms seconds into hours and hours into days.”
Example #2: “The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts
and solutions. All we have to do is wake up and change” was aptly stated by seventeen-
year-old, environmental activist, Greta Thunberg.
16. Hook option:The narrative story
Identify one story about a person, community, animal, etc. whose life has been directly
influenced by your topic. You can easily do this by searching for your topic along with
the term stories (for example prisoner stories within a regular internet search).
Identify the main details of their story in a few brief sentences that you can copy and
paste into your introduction. Please recognize that only a brief synopsis is appropriate
for the introduction portion of your paper. You can feel free to continue their story in
greater detail within the body of your paper.
Be sure to include the proper parenthetical citation.
Tip: now would be a great time to also paste the URL link of the article into
Noodletools!
16
17. Example:
17
Example: Kalief Browder was accused of robbery when he was sixteen. As a result, he
was thrown into New York’s Rikers Island prison all the while insisting he did not
commit the crime. While he awaited trial for nearly three years, he was tortured and
starved. Soon the psychological effects of this abuse were glaringly apparent. He
continued to serve his time for a crime he was never convicted of. Following his release
from prison, Kalief ultimately resorted to suicide (Gonnerman). A story such as Kalief’s,
unfortunately, exemplifies the all too harsh realities within a cruel and broken system
that exists within the United States.
Here is an example of the writing you may use if you choose to revisit your story in more detail
later in the paper: To revisit Kalief Browder’s story, which was presented within the
introduction of this paper, we find that...
18. Hook option:The statistic
Locate 1-2 general statistics about your topic. Your statistics may address how large
your topic is on the global scale, how large is it in the U.S., a significant change in
statistics over the years...
This statistic must cover the overall concept and not surround/support one specific
subtopic. (1.) Provide the statistic below in sentence form which can, then, be copied and
pasted into your introduction and (2.) follow it with a sentence explaining its significance.
Be sure to include the proper parenthetical citation. Tip: now would be a great time to
also paste the URL link of the article into Noodletools!
For the body of the paper, your statistics should be given further detail and attention as
described within this slideshow. They can also surround more specific focuses.
18
19. Example:
19
Example: “According to a 2018 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), nearly
2.2 million adults were held in America's prisons and jails at the end of 2016. That means
for every 100,000 people residing in the United States, approximately 655 of them were
behind bars” (Kann). While reduced from 754 out of every 100,000 in 2008, this alarming
statistic requires researchers to look at why the United States retains the highest rate in
the world (“Prisoners in 2008”). Additionally, they must question what makes the United
States different from other large countries and determine what the current root causes
may exist for this epidemic.
20. Hook option:
The question
Generally, instructors do not like questioning in formal research papers. They often lower the level of
sophistication of the paper.
For an introduction, the question should be:
๏ An overarching question (also known as an essential question) to your research as a whole. Avoid
“How might one feel if…?” and only use strong questions that would lead a great debate or
discourse (my example is usually, “Is torture ever justified?”)
๏ Since your paper is not a research study where you seek to gather data to answer such
questions, you want to answer the question for your reader and lead them on the path of your
thought progress during the body of the paper with evidence from experts to support your answer.
Remember, questions are risky. Your instructor might respond less favorably to your paper if they do
not like questioning techniques or if you have failed to present a sophisticated question.
20
22. 22
The final sentence of the introduction within a formal research paper is always a
thesis statement. At our school, most instructors like when you underline the
thesis statement for easy identification.
23. Formula for an introduction
23
Option 1:
hook
brief overview
thesis statement
Option 2:
brief overview
hook
thesis statement
How long should it be?
A well developed introduction that fills up almost an
entire page would be appropriate for a 7 or more
page paper. The hook might be 3 sentences (there
may even be 2 hooks), the overview 5-7 sentences,
and the thesis statement 1.
An introduction for a 4-6 page paper may fill about
three-quarters of a page. The hook may be 2
sentences and the overview 3-5 and the thesis
statement 1 sentence
An introduction for a 1-3 page paper may fill about
one-quarter to one-third of a page. The hook may
be 1-2 sentences, the overview 2 sentences and
the thesis statement 1.
25. Example:
Kalief Browder was accused of robbery when he was sixteen. As a result, he was
thrown into New York’s Rikers Island prison all the while insisting he did not commit
the crime. While he awaited trial for nearly three years, he was tortured and starved.
Soon the psychological effects of this abuse were glaringly apparent. He continued to
serve his time for a crime he was never convicted of. Following his release from
prison, Kalief ultimately resorted to suicide (Gonnerman). A story such as Kalief’s,
unfortunately, exemplifies the all too harsh realities within a cruel and broken system
that exists within the United States. America may have the honor of being number
one for many positive achievements, but on the flip side, it also has the shame of
holding the number one spot in unfavorable realms, as well. America leads the world
in hosting the highest number of persons who are incarcerated. While taking a closer
look at these numbers, various concerns become glaringly apparent. The United
States, who incarcerates the greatest number of people worldwide, raises serious
social concerns with regards to unbalanced prison populations and the protection of
human rights and dignity; these concerns make the nation ripe for solutions that
address and catalyze real and immediate change.
25
28. Remember that you are now going specific to broad with your focus (the
triangle is now right-side-up). A summary of information/brief review will
remind your audience of the main ideas for each main topic. Typically one
strong sentence for each main topic will do. While it feels redundant/repetitive,
your job is to remind your reader of the content that you developed.
Especially, if it is a long paper, they may need help “zooming out” back to a
broad conceptual focus. You may take your reader on a backwards path since
they will begin with what is most fresh in their memory.
Remember to check if your brief overview within your introduction is not
accidentally is a summary of information. If it is, pull it into your conclusion and
work on a new brief overview for the introduction section.
28
29. Example:
29
Example:
The United States prison populations are severely unbalanced regarding race and gender.
Human rights for the mentally ill in the United States often fall short within the prison
system, stripping the dignity of prisoners who suffer with mental illness.
Stakeholders must analyze the successes and failures of the existing efforts to reduce
incarceration rates and make any necessary adjustments in order to negate the horrible
injustices that remain.
31. Discover from your instructor whether they prefer the thesis statement in the
conclusion to be reworded or duplicated using the exact same words.
If they prefer reworded, this is where you will paste one of your draft thesis
statements that you created or write a new one. If you write a new one now,
assess it to see if it is better than the original. You may want to swap them.
31
32. Example:
32
Example: Alarmingly, the United States leads the world in imprisoning the greatest
number of people; concerns related to unbalanced prisoner populations and upholding
human rights each scream for immediate change to the current system.
34. Sometimes a history instructor will want the correlation to be a synthesis.
They will want you to explain how the topic aligns with historical context and
impacts the world today or how it impacted the world shortly after an event.
Another example of correlation is an identification of the relationship your topic
has with other topics also impacting the world.
34
35. Example:
35
Example #1: Incarceration issues can be alleviated if, as a nation, racism is greatly
reduced and improvements to treat those who are mentally ill are significant.
Example #2 (student example:Ike Aherne): For most decisions, downsides can be brought
to light and weighed against the upsides; in the end, all that matters is that the better
choice was made. In Truman’s case, he chose correctly. The positive effects of the atomic
bomb favored America placing the nation in a position of power that would be enjoyed for
decades to come. Therefore, the American government was not a fault for making a
decision that benefited their citizens. Victory on the battlefield takes sacrifice, and the
bomb was used with intentions to stop violence and loss of life, not to seize land or
resources.
37. Often educated predictions can be made. They can be made for the near or
distant future. They can also be made in relationship to anticipated statistics,
laws, events, or anticipated changes in feelings and beliefs.
This prediction can be a nice closure for your paper.
37
38. Example:
38
Example #1: Since there has been a significant decline in the incarceration rate since
2008, there is potential for hope that efforts will continue to reduce this epidemic that may
even take the United States from being the leading nation with the highest number of
incarcerated citizens to be replaced by another country.
39. Formula for a conclusion
39
Option 1:
Thesis statement
Review
Correlation
Prediction
Option 2:
Review
Thesis statement
Correlation
Prediction
How long should it be?
No matter the length of the paper, a conclusion is
most likely to fill out about one-third of a page. The
thesis statement 1 sentence, with the
review/summary of information 3 sentences, the
correlation 1 sentence and/or the prediction 1
sentence.
Additional conclusion notes:
You never want to introduce new points in your conclusion. Be sure
not to “amp up” the emotional appeal. Be very brief in the
presentation since you don’t want to peak your reader’s interest in
wanting to read a whole new paper. You want them to feel satisfied
in tying up the information for now.
41. Example:
Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political activist, and journalist formerly sentenced to death and currently
imprisoned, stated, “Prison is a second-by-second assault on the soul, a day-to-day degradation
of the self, an oppressive steel and brick umbrella that transforms seconds into hours and hours
into days.” Alarmingly, the United States leads the world in imprisoning the greatest number of
people; concerns related to unbalanced prisoner populations and upholding human rights each
scream for immediate change to the current system. The United States prison populations are
severely unbalanced regarding race and gender. Human rights for the mentally ill in the United
States often fall short within the prison system, stripping the dignity of prisoners who suffer
with mental illness. Stakeholders must analyze the successes and failures of the existing efforts
to reduce incarceration rates and make any necessary adjustments in order to negate the
horrible injustices that remain. Since there has been a significant decline in the incarceration
rate since 2008, there is potential for hope that efforts will continue to reduce this epidemic that
may even take the United States from leading nation with the highest number of incarcerated
citizens to be replaced by another country.
You may have noticed that I added an element into the conclusion draft from the introduction portion of this worksheet. I was able to since I
had selected not to use it within the draft introduction. You may like to do this, too!!! Oftentimes, this works well because of the broad and
general nature of each section.
41
43. Credits
Special thanks to all the people who made and released
these awesome resources for free:
๏ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
๏ Photographs by Unsplash
43
