Dissertation Introduction

Your introduction is a summary of 100 – 200 words, stating what the objectives are/what you are going to write about. Many students confuse this section with the background/history sections but generally they will be expected to be kept separate.

Top Dissertation Introduction Tips

A good formula for you introduction is to put the issue in context as concisely as possible. Answer the question: why do this study? Why now? Why here? Why me? State the aims of the study.

Chapter one is very important and is possibly best compiled by answering a series of questions as follows.

  • Is there a problem?
  • What is it?
  • Why does it need to be solved?
  • What is your hypothesis (hunch)?
  • Who will benefit from your investigation?
  • In what sense will they benefit?
  • In what sense will my contribution add to what is already known?
  • How in general terms are you going to solve the problem, e.g., collect data, analyse data?
  • By what methods? E.g., a case study approach.
  • What are the constraints or limitations of the study?

A good way to end the introduction is to state the dissertation objectives.  Don’t forget that this is a SHORT intro for your reader to the subject, to put the issue in context. The background and history will be dealt with elsewhere.