Chapter 1: Introduction and Background (2 – 3 pages)

Do keep in mind that you can use the background and other appropriate components of your Mini-Research for your Chapter 1.

CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION – the introduction serves as a ‘business card’ for the entire research report. The introduction must reflect the essence of the research and present the key issues of the topic being discussed. Here are suggestions on the structure of the introduction 

·         Relevance of the topic;

·         Research problem/goal/purpose/aim;

·        Research objectives/questions/hypothesis;

·         Practical value of the research;

·

The introduction must reveal the relevance of the topic being studied and its importance both in theoretical and practical terms in a very broad sense (for example, the whole economy) and/or in a very specific sense (for example, the analyzed company).

Following description of the topic relevance, the research problem/purpose must be clearly presented. The research problem/purpose is usually formulated as a statement or question. A purpose statement is a declarative statement that summarizes a research project’s main goal or goals. A purpose statement provides some guidance in establishing a research question and serves as an introduction to the resultant paper or dissertation chapter. It is helpful for the researcher to use a declarative sentence to state the main goal or goals of the project in specific terms. Statements that begin with the phrase “I wish to learn …” or “I plan to examine …” can be helpful insofar as they can move the topic’s abstract notions to a concrete research question, which is the springboard for the resultant research design.

 The introduction must include a clear research goal and questions/objectives. The research goal must be closely related to the title of the research and reflect the desired result. The research goal is then detailed by listing certain objectives/questions, which must reflect the stages for achieving the research goal.