28/05/2019 Academic Phrasebank – Introducing Work

Academic Phrasebank
Introducing Work

Referring to Sources
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Introducing Work
Describing Methods

Reporting Results
General Language Functions
Discussing Findings
Being Cautious
Writing
Being Conclusions
Critical

Classifying and
Listing
Compare and
Contrast
Defining Terms

Describing Trends

Describing
Quantities
Explaining
Causality
Giving Examples

Signalling
Transition
Writing about the
Past

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There are many ways to introduce an academic essay or short paper. Most academic writers,
however, appear to do one or more of the following in their introductions:

establish the context, background and/or importance of the topic

present an issue, problem, or controversy in the field of study
define the topic and/or key terms used in the paper
state the purpose of the essay or short paper
provide an overview of the coverage and/or structure of the writing

Slightly less complex introductions may simply inform the reader: what the topic is, why it is
important, and how the writing is organised. In very short assignments, it is not uncommon for a
writer to commence simply by stating the purpose of their writing.

Introductions to research dissertations and theses tend to be relatively short compared to the
other sections of the text but quite complex in terms of their functional elements. Some of the
more common elements include:

establishing the context, background and/or importance of the topic

giving a brief review of the relevant academic literature
identifying a problem, controversy or a knowledge gap in the field of study
stating the aim(s) of the research and the research questions or hypotheses
providing a synopsis of the research design and method(s)
explaining the significance or value of the study
defining certain key terms
providing an overview of the dissertation or report structure

Examples of phrases which are commonly employed to realise these functions can be seen by
clicking on the headings listed below. Note that there may be a certain amount of overlap between
some of the categories under which the phrases are listed. Also, the order in which the different
categories of phrases are shown reflects a typical order but this is far from fixed or rigid, and not
all the elements are present in all introductions.
A number of analysts have identified common patterns in the introductions of research articles.
One of the best known patterns is the CARS model (create a research space) first described by
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John Swales (1990). This model, which utilises an ecological metaphor, has, in its simplest form,
three elements or moves:

Establishing the territory (establishing importance of the topic, reviewing previous work)
Identifying a niche (indicating a gap in knowledge)
Occupying the niche (listing purpose of new research, listing questions, stating the value the
work, indicating the structure of the writing)

Establishing the importance of the topic for the world or society

Establishing the importance of the topic for the discipline

Establishing the importance of the topic (time frame given)

Establishing the importance of the topic as a problem to be addressed

Referring to previous work to establish what is already known

Identifying a controversy within the field of study

Explaining the inadequacies of previous studies

Identifying the paucity or lack of previous research

Identifying a knowledge gap in the field of study

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Stating the focus, aim, or argument of a short paper

Stating the purpose of the current research

Describing the research design and the methods used

Explaining the significance of the current study

Describing the limitations of the current study

Giving reasons for personal interest in the research

Outlining the structure of the paper or dissertation

Explaining key terms used in the current work

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