Module 3, Chapter I - Introduction

3.1 Understanding the Purpose of the Introduction Chapter

To write an excellent dissertation introduction, you should understand the essential elements of the chapter. The purpose of the introduction chapter is to orient the reader of the dissertation and give them an understanding of what the research seeks to accomplish or discover. What do you need to address in the introduction n chapter?

• What is the topic of the research?
• What justification are you giving to conduct the research (Why is the study critical)
• What will be the extent of your study? (The things to be covered and those that should be left out)
• What are the constraints and limitations of your study?

The dissertation introduction is set to provide an overview of the anticipated study. It is also set to outline a clear rationale for the research. The introduction chapter is meant to answer what the research entails and why it is essential to conduct it. The chapter should be detailed and contain the required depth of information. Often, you can be easily distracted by other fields of study connected to the topic of interest. While writing the introduction part of a dissertation, it is important to note other related fields as pieces knowledge that the reader would need to know and not as the focus of the research. The introduction is set to be less detailed but precise. Details of the study are unfolded in other chapters of the dissertation.

Having gained an understanding of what is needed from the introduction chapter of a dissertation, you can now delve into the details of the introduction. The specific requirements of the introduction chapter may vary based on the needs of different institutions and departments. However, the essential parts that inform an excellent dissertation introduction are:

• The opening section. In this section, you should introduce the readers to your study and highly orient them on the precise purpose of the study.
• The background of the research. This portion position the dissertation in its proper context.
• The problem statements. This section explains the main problem or issues existing in the study.
• The aim and objective of the research. This explains the things the study seeks to achieve.
• The importance of the study. It gives an understanding of why the research should be conducted. This section seeks to share satisfactory evidence on why the research is worthwhile.
• The limitations of the research. This portion unveils the possible problems and constraints that could be experienced during the study.
• The structure of the dissertation. This section gives an outline of how the dissertation will be structured.

These sections will ensure that the introduction is written smoothly and logically. It builds a friendly interface between the reader and the research, which is key to shaping the reader’s attitude throughout the dissertation.

3.2 The Opening Section of the Introduction

When writing the introduction chapter of a dissertation, the opening section is one of the essential parts. This section seeks to engage the readers with the research by representing it in language and a manner they can easily understand. The opening session should be simple, precise, and attractive. It should be simple enough to understand as the reader may lose interest. There is no specific way to write the opening section of the dissertation introduction. However, there are vital elements that you can consider while writing an engaging introduction section:

• A sentence orienting the reader on the general field of study. For instance, “Organizational skills development involves identifying current or potential skills gaps within a business and developing programs to resolve these gaps. Management research, including X, Y and Z, has clearly established that organizational skills development is an essential contributor to business growth.”
• A sentence about the specific research topic derived from the field of study. For instance, “However, there are conflicting views and an overall lack of research regarding how best to manage skills development initiatives in highly dynamic environments where subject knowledge is rapidly and continuously evolving – for example, in the website development industry.”
• A sentence explaining the aims and objectives of the dissertation. For instance, “This research aims to identify and evaluate skills development approaches and strategies for highly dynamic industries in which subject knowledge is continuously evolving.”
• A sentence giving the structure of the dissertation introduction chapter. For example, “This chapter will provide an introduction to the study by first discussing the background and context, followed by the research problem, the research aims, objectives and questions, the significance and finally, the limitations.”

TIP: The opening section of the dissertation introduction should be short, preferably a paragraph. The points above serve as a guideline for composing a neat and clear opening section.

3.3 The Background of the Research

While the opening section offers an overview of the research at hand, the background of the dissertation seeks to lay a foundation for the topic of study. When writing the introduction chapter of a dissertation, the background of the study provides a broader understanding of the topic of choice. It also sheds light on the present contextual variables of the study. The section entails a brief history of the desired field of study, the changes and improvements that may have occurred throughout the history of the research conducted, and the fundamental findings that have been documented. The background of the study gives the relevant information needed to equip the readers with a basic understanding of the area of study.

For example, sticking with the skills development topic addressed in the opening section of the introduction, the background of the research would begin by providing a general outlook of the skills development field. The section would then give an outline of the existing studies conducted. The background of the research section would then examine how the current day context has affected the efficacy of previously developed skill development processes. In our case, the section would examine how the rapid growth in technology has affected the traditional skill-developing trainers due to the struggle to keep up with new-age development.

While writing the background of the research section, you should assume that the reader has yet to gain any prior knowledge or expertise in that field of study. Therefore, you are expected to include a ‘Definition of Terms’ session with some of the technical terms associated with the topic of study. This would help the reader quickly understand the rest of the paper since most of the terms are repeated. Also is essential to avoid assuming the readers’ level of knowledge. In many cases, the readers do not have a platform to communicate directly with you or ask questions in opaque areas. Therefore, it is crucial for you to explain all terms that cannot be identified as common knowledge.

3.4 The Problem Statement

In this session, you should begin to get more precise about the research problem. The background of the research section may have opened the reader to a wide range of the issues solved by other scholars in the same field of study. However, the problem statement helps you to make the scope of the study narrower and more specific. The research problem can be termed as the issue or field of study where there needs to be more well-rounded and conclusive information based on research. A research problem emerges when questions that need answers arise, yet the present literature is limited in offering a satisfactory answer to the question(s) at hand. While writing the introduction chapter of a dissertation, the problem statement should be clear on what could be missing in the existing literature and why the deliberation issue is a problem. You can plan the research problem presentation by answering the following questions:

• What is the current state of research in the field of choice? (What has already been established by other scholars?)
• Where is the literature gap? In the research conducted, what is the missing outcome?
• Is the missing literature posing a problem that needs to be solved?

For example, research that has already been established can be acknowledged as follows, “Organizational skills development is critically important for employee satisfaction and company performance (reference). Numerous studies have investigated strategies and approaches to manage skills development programs within organizations (reference).”

The missing information from literature stemming from studies done by other researchers in the same field can be presented as, “However, these studies have traditionally focused on relatively slow-paced industries where key skills and knowledge do not change particularly often. This body of theory presents a problem for industries that face a rapidly changing skills landscape – for example, the website development industry – where new platforms, languages and best practices emerge on an extremely frequent basis.”

Presenting reasons why the missing literature is a problem that needs to be solved can be done as, “As a result, the existing research is inadequate for industries in which essential knowledge and skills are constantly and rapidly evolving, as it assumes a slow pace of knowledge development. Industries in such environments, therefore, find themselves ill-equipped in terms of skills development strategies and approaches.”

As outlined in the examples above, the present research status has been acknowledged, the missing gap in the research conducted has also been clearly stated, and finally, the evidence as to why the missing literature is a problem that needs analysis has been given.

TIP: When you incorporate this format to focus on the research problem, clarity informs and compels the reader to agree on the need to conduct the research.

3.5 The aim and objective of the research

            The research aims and objectives explain what you plan to do to solve the research problem defined by the problem statement. This section also includes the research questions. When writing the introduction chapter of a dissertation, the aims and objective session of the research begin by clearly stating the primary goal of the dissertation. The study’s main purpose is a well-thought-out and structured statement that clearly details what you are willing to achieve through your study. For example, the skills and development topic used in previous models can have the primary goal of the study presented as, “Given the lack of research regarding organizational skills development in fast-moving industries, this study will aim to identify and evaluate the skills development approaches utilized by web development companies in the United Kingdom.” As shown in the example, the aim of the study is clearly stated. It shows the precise context in which the research is set to be conducted: web development firms in the United Kingdom.

            After the main aim of the research has been outlined, the other study objectives are outlined. The research objectives help support and achieve the main purpose of your study. They are more specific and practical. They outline practical developments that should be carried out to accomplish your study’s main aim. Based on the main goal outlined in the previous paragraph, the research objectives can be as follows:

• To examine the main skill development systems and the principal approach employed by website development firms in the United Kingdom.
• To analyze the efficacy of the skills development systems enacted
• To analyze the effectiveness of the main approaches used by website development firms in the United Kingdom.
• To determine the pros and cons of the different systems and approaches to check the best versus the worst.

From the examples shown, the objectives outlined should show the actions that you intend to undertake and the precise areas of study that will help in achieving the primary goal of your research. The objectives can be termed as a breakdown of the leading research goal. They are more practical and specific.

Once the research objectives have been stated, the next step is to outline the research questions. The research question is a further breakdown of the aims and objectives of the study. They are termed as the specific queries that the study will be answering. Research questions should be precise and theoretical. At the conclusion chapter of the dissertation, the research questions should be directly answered based on the evidence you will have gathered in the research. From the research objectives in the skills development example, some of the research questions determined can be:

• What skills development systems and methods are used by website developers in the United Kingdom?
• How successful are these systems and methods?
• What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the specified systems and methods?

The examples above show that the research questions are directly linked to the research objectives outlined. Research questions can be termed as the force propelling the dissertation as they determine what you will cover in all the other parts of the dissertation and the direction of the research. It is also crucial to be clear on the scope of the study. While writing the aim and objectives of the study, you should be clear on what will be covered in the dissertation and what will not. Consequently, having extensive research goals, objectives, and questions poses the possibility of deviating from the topic of interest. Establishing clear boundaries for the research is crucial to writing a dissertation that focuses on the study’s primary purpose.

3.6 Significance of the Research

When writing the introduction chapter of a dissertation, it is essential for you to state the significance of the research. So far, there has been an alluding to the importance of the study throughout the other sections of the introduction. However, the significance of the research sections gives a broader perspective of the importance of the research. It shows how the research will benefit the entire world. For example, based on the skills development topic, the significance of the study can be as follows, “This study will contribute to the body of knowledge on skills development by incorporating skills development strategies and approaches for industries in which knowledge and skills are rapidly and constantly changing. This will help address the current shortage of research in this area and provide real-world value to organizations operating in such dynamic environments.” As shown in the example, the significance of the research should show that your study intends to fill the missing literature and provide actionable plans.

3.7 The Limitations of the Research

After convincing the reader of the significance of the research, the next part involves identifying the study’s limitations. When writing the introduction chapter of a dissertation, it is essential to note that no research is perfect. Many dissertations are surrounded by factors that may affect their effectiveness. The fact that the time limit set to complete the study is tight, financial constraints that make it difficult to finance the research, and the fact that you may need more experience in writing dissertations are all factors that may limit your dissertation. Constraints and limitations in dissertation writing are expected and accepted. It is essential for you to identify the limitation and document. This helps to inform scholars in the future and caution them to be aware of the limitations hence improving future research. Once the research is improved, the findings for future research will be strengthened more than those of the past.

3.8 The Structure of the Dissertation

While writing the introduction chapter of the dissertation, you are expected to include a clear outline of the structure of the dissertation. The session acts as a map that the reader can use to understand what to expect throughout each part of the dissertation. The structure of the dissertation provides an overview of the aim of each chapter and the content to be shared. To help the reader, you can have a sentence for every dissertation chapter stating what would be done in each chapter.