Size your introduction appropriately. To present a balanced paper, your introduction must be in correct proportion to the research essay's body and conclusion. The introduction should make up approximately 20 percent of the final paper. For example, a one-page introduction is an ideal length for a five-page paper.
Identify the work or idea under study. Specifically name the focus of your research. Whether you're writing an essay about a book, an idea or a theory, provide a brief summary of the research in order to ground your reader.
Situate the work under discussion in its historical, cultural or theoretical context. Early in your introduction, provide the reader with specific information relevant to your study. For example, if your research addresses a work of literature set or written in response to World War I, refer to this in your introduction. Context provides the setting for your research and grounds your reader.
Introduce critical sources or established theory that you will address in the essay. You might choose to build upon an established idea or theory or to argue against one, but you need to set up the supporting or contrasting theory in your introduction. Choose quotations from your critical sources that are relevant to your discussion and that strengthen your argument.
Establish your thesis in your introduction. Your thesis answers questions suggested by your introduction. A thesis might address a curious contradiction in the research or take the form of a traditional listing of interpretations to be addressed in the body. A thesis doesn't necessarily need to be the last sentence of your introduction and is sometimes best articulated after additional work on the body of the paper is completed. Attempting to write a thesis before organizing your ideas can be frustrating and shut down your creative thinking. If you must present a thesis early in the process, think of it as a soft thesis and adjust your scope as your research unfolds.