The Introductory Paragraph

For your research essay, I will be requiring you to use an introductory paragraph conforming to the structure set out below. The introductory paragraph is the most important element of any essay: a good one sets the stage for a fruitful reading (and grading!) experience, while a bad one can set a negative tone that is difficult to overcome. In this handout, I suggest that a four-part introductory paragraph will benefit you (and your grade) on your research essay as well as on your exams. I proceed in three steps. First, I justify the imposition of the intro paragraph requirement. Second, I detail the elements of a good introduction. Third, I offer a sample intro paragraph as it might have looked on an introductory international relations essay. I conclude that the intro paragraph will benefit you both in this course and in your academic career more generally.

The intro paragraph can be justified on the basis of a cost-benefit calculation. The imposition of this device comes at a cost: loss of creative control on your part, and an increase in the "dryness" of your essay. However, I believe that its benefits are far more important. I see three related benefits. First, it tells your reader where you will go in your essay. Second, it will help you to answer in full the question that you have set for yourself. Third, it will help you to stay on target. The bottom line of this requirement is that it will help you in adhering to the following maxim of essay writing: tell the reader what you are going to say, say it, and tell him/her that you said it.

A good intro paragraph comprises four elements: mood music, thesis statement, plan, and allusion to conclusion. "Mood music" is simply a sentence or two that orients the reader to the themes of the essay. The thesis statement is your main argument, and it takes the form "in this essay I argue that …", or "the thesis of this essay is that …", or some similar construction. The plan simply lays out the road map that you will follow. It will take the form "First, … Second, … Third, …" and so forth. The allusion to your conclusion simply tells the reader where you will end up. (Note that this may largely recapitulate your thesis statement.) I like a conclusion that contains an "ouverture," i.e., that "opens" the discussion to some broader issue, suggests connections to other important phenomena, etc.

By way of example, I offer the following intro paragraph, designed to respond to a hypothetical introductory International Relations essay question.

While war and peace figure among the most important issues of international relations (IR), persistent differences between liberal and realist theories of IR have made complete and consistent explanation elusive. In this essay I will argue that, while important differences remain, combining the insights of liberal and realist theories yield the most promising explanations of war and peace. In developing this argument, I will first offer a general summary of these two paradigms of international politics. Second, I will compare and contrast liberalism and realism along four dimensions: the actors they emphasize, the levels of analysis at which they work, and their perspectives on international interdependence and institutions. Third, I will develop a synthetic approach to war and peace that combines the strengths of both approaches. I conclude that this synthetic approach both avoids problems inherent in each paradigm and offers the prospect of better explanations of politics in the changing international system.

To conclude, I have suggested that an introductory paragraph is the most critical part of any essay. I have justified this claim, developed the "nuts and bolts" of an intro paragraph, and offered one example. I believe that this exercise will benefit you in this class and throughout your academic career.