What is an Introduction 

In this part, you will learn what an Introduction section is and how to structure this section.

The Introduction section in research proposals (as well as research articles, theses, etc.) is, strategically, one of the key sections of the whole work. Although placed first following the abstract, just like the Abstract, the Introduction is often the last section to be written. This is because it may be difficult to describe your study effectively before you have conducted appropriate survey of relevant literature, identified the problem to be addressed, worked out the research methodology, thought out expected outcomes, and even obtained preliminary findings (if applicable).

The aim of a typical Introduction is twofold:

1. to appeal to the reader’s interest and signal why your proposal is worth reading, and
2. to orient the reader as to the significance of the research problem within a broader research area, the gap or needs that your study seeks to address, and how well it appears to address that gap.

Much like a mini-synopsis or an overview of the whole proposal, a typical Introduction first sets the scene for the current investigation and then explains why the present study is important, what its purpose is, and what its major contribution (significance) to the field is.

To give the reader an idea of established knowledge in the research area, the Introduction section would often include a review of relevant literature on the topic. This part of the Introduction should give the reader an idea of what has been said about the topic in the research community or what key studies the proposed study will build on. The literature review part will normally conclude with a statement of gap(s) that need to be filled. On the other hand, in research proposals, dissertations and theses, the review of literature on the chosen topic is often not integrated into the Introduction section. It may appear as a separate section (called the “Literature Review” section) which will immediately follow the Introduction and which will provide a more thorough review of relevant sources. More detailed guidelines on writing a literature review can be found in the "Literature Review" module.  

Just like other sections in a piece of research writing, most Introductions follow a logical pattern of organization that can be described in terms of the so-called “moves” (Swales, 1990)—stretches of text that fulfil the author’s communicative intentions or functions in a text (e.g., providing the background to a study, describing the study’s purpose, etc.). Moves can be divided into smaller units called “steps,” which serve to convey communicative functions within a certain move. The length of a step can vary from a single sentence to a number of paragraphs. Although there are some steps that carry the weight of the entire Introduction section and are thus obligatory (e.g., indicating a research gap), other steps (e.g., providing definitions) are optional. 

Moves and steps framework

Learn about how to structure the Introduction section based on a suggested plan. Check your understanding of this unit by completing comprehension check activities. 

In Move 1 of a typical Introduction (widely known as “Establishing a territory”) what the writer would often do is to establish a context for his or her research or situate it within the general topic area. This is done through a series of steps, which allow the author to move from the more general information about the topic to more specific aspects of the topic. In most cases, the necessary background information and details would be provided, and key concepts defined or given new interpretations. The author would often make links to other studies on the topic (the literature review step) before taking the next logical step—letting the reader know what remains unexplored that calls for further research on the topic.

Move 2 (often referred to as “Establishing a niche”) would be the space for the writer to actually say that there exists  a “niche” or gap that needs to be filled. New questions can be raised to stress the need for another study in this area, and to make a compelling argument for what this study could add to the current body of knowledge on the topic. This move would most often conclude the review of relevant sources on the topic.  

In Move 3 (“Occupying the niche”), the writer outlines how the proposed study will address the gap. This final part of an Introduction is a place for the writer to announce the purpose (and objectives) of the present study, outline the proposed theoretical framework and methods, the study’s scope and boundaries (limitations to what it sets out to achieve), and explain what the expected value and outcomes of the study are.

Suggested framework for structuring the Introduction section

Here is a possible framework or plan for structuring the Introduction section in a research proposal. Note that some of the steps included in the framework are marked as “optional,” meaning that they may appear in an Introduction, but this is not always the case:

There are no hard and fast rules as to how the elements (moves and steps) should be ordered in an Introduction or any other section of your work. Research has shown that the move-step structure of Introductions to research articles, reports and proposals, may differ considerably across a variety of disciplines. Some steps can be introduced repeatedly and cyclically within the same move. Moreover, more than one step can be found within the same sentence.

A lot of the steps within these moves will be recurring in the Literature Review section (see the Literature review module), if the latter is a standalone section in a research proposal.

Sample Introduction

Here is an adapted Introduction to a research proposal in the field of management: