Almost every writer is familiar with the trickiness of introducing or wrapping up a thesis. When you are assigned a certain topic, you usually have some ideas about the points you want to make in the main body, but introductions and conclusions are where writer’s block may occur.
This is why many writers choose to start their thesis by outlining the answers tackled in the main body, alongside dividing the text into smaller chunks.
It is completely fine to ditch the natural order of things and write the main body first. However, the main parts of your thesis have to be introduced and concluded in a coherent way by the end of your exhibition.
The Importance of Thesis Introductions
The introduction is the primal part of your thesis. Its main purpose is to make your reader familiar with the topic of your paper.
The opening part of your thesis is your chance to make a good first impression on readers. It should present the readers with your writing tone and the general quality of your paper, therefore it generates an initial opinion in their minds.
What a Good Introduction Should Achieve
There is no universal formula that fits every topic, but below we will provide several main characteristics you should have in mind when writing your introduction.
Grab your reader’s attention
The first sentence of your introduction should hook your readers from the start. Let’s go through some suggested tactics for attracting the reader’s attention:
- Open up with a rhetorical question
- State a common myth about your subject that is to be debunked
- Share an interesting fact, statistics, or a famous quote about the topic
- Outline the scene of your narrative (main figure, location, time, etc.)
- Include a funny anecdote
Give a general insight into your topic
Once you gained your reader’s attention, get more specific in the next sentence or two. Explain the topic of your thesis, state what makes it important, and provide some general background information that puts the topic into context.
Finish with your thesis statement
Usually, the last sentence of the introduction represents the thesis statement. It should be straightforward, easy to recognize, and relevant to the topic.
The Importance of Thesis Conclusions
While making a good first impression is essential, wrapping up your paper with a strong last word is equally important. In the conclusion, you can have the final word on the questions you have answered in your thesis.
The final part is meant to represent a recollection of your thoughts with a touch of your personal viewpoint on the topic. This is where you can express your passion for the topic’s importance and end on a positive note with a call to action directed at readers.
Conclusions are the most creative part of research papers, as they don’t have to stay within the limits of the assignment. In the final part of your thesis, you can tackle broader problems linked to the subject, and emphasize the importance of your sources.
The main purpose of your conclusion is to fully convince the reader that your paper was worth their time. The final sentences of your thesis should leave readers with a notion of new knowledge or ethical insight into the issues included.
Ideally, the conclusion should wrap up your points in a way that they resonate with the reader on a personal level and even change their mindset.
What an Effective Conclusion Should Contain
Here are some tips and tricks to turn your conclusion into the perfect gift to your reader:
- Full-circle strategy – By revisiting the themes stated in the introduction, you give your reader a sense of coherence. Reuse the same keywords from the introductory part and provide closure of the concepts you mentioned from the start.
- Synthetization instead of summarization – Don’t narrow down your conclusion to a simple repetition of the facts already included in your thesis, but rather end it on a personalized note – and stand by the points you made. Put all dots between your data and examples together, and add an interesting quote by an acclaimed name linked to the subject.
- Give appropriate closure – Solutions, answers, or thought-provoking questions – you decide what you leave your readers with. This is your chance to ensure that your paper stays with the readers for a longer time and has a deeper impact on their lives.
If you still struggle with finalizing your thesis, you can get adequate help from writing experts through a custom writing help.
A Final Say
While the essential products of your research go in the main body of your thesis, the introduction and conclusion provide the framing of that content.
This framing is essential for readers to grasp the message you’re trying to convey.
By following the tips and strategies shared in this article, you will never dread the usually tricky task of writing an introduction or conclusion.
