A dissertation, also known as a thesis, is a research project that one has to complete in order to get a graduate or a post graduate degree. A dissertation is a lengthy paper which allows the student to present their findings on a particular field or subject. The main aim of this project is to carry out a thorough analysis and research. While this assignment contributes the most towards the final grade, constructing a dissertation is not an easy task.Many students struggle in the research  part while many face difficulties in the writing part.A dissertation is divided into a number of contents, however writing a good introduction is the most important aspect of a well structured dissertation. An introduction will organize your whole paper and the reader (your professor) will get an idea what to expect in the document. If an introduction is poorly written; there are high chances that your grade might get affected.

Here are a number of tips which you can follow to write a good dissertation.

You don’t have to write an introduction first

Although an introduction comes at the very starting of a dissertation; it is not necessary that you write it first. An introduction gives a very short summary of the whole paper. Thus, you can write a rough draft with the help of your research proposal. After completing all the chapters of your dissertation, come back to your introduction. If you feel that your draft has not covered all the points of the paper, re write or modify your introduction.

Don’t leave loose ends

Having already mentioned, an introduction covers everything that you will talk about in your research paper. Try adding small parts of the information that you will talk about in the dissertation; give the reader an idea that what should he expect. Similarly, don’t add irrelevant or extra information. If you add additional information, but don’t talk about it later in your paper, you are bound to loose marks. Thus, write an introduction that is relevant to the whole document and avoid leaving any loose ends.

Identify your audience

Apart from your professor, there are other readers who will look at your dissertation. That is why it is essential that you identify your audience. For example if your research revolves around any fashion trend; your audience will be models, magazine editors and even teenagers. Thus, your writing style should be informal. Similarly, if your research is of a medical drug; your target audience will be medical students or doctors. As a result , your writing style should be formal. Identifying your audience will help you as writing with them in mind will make the whole reading process enjoyable for the professor and the target audience.

Grad the reader’s attention

The first sentence of your introduction is critical. You want your first sentence to stand out; remember that your professor has a number of thesis to check. Thus, write the first sentence and the over all introduction in a way which will grab the reader’s attention. It should be interesting and leave the reader curious. This way the reader will be willing to read you dissertation, wanting to learn more.

Clearly define your objective

As previously mentioned, an introduction is a short summary of the whole dissertation. However, it should clearly state your objective. Don’t leave the reader wondering that what is he should expect in the whole paper. Define your objective, explain your main focus and aim that what exactly did you plan your research on.

Provide background information

A good introduction should always provide some relevant back ground information. This will help the audience in understanding your main argument and the reason behind your research. The amount of information that you mention depends on your research topic. For example, if your dissertation is based on a drug; provide information that mentions similar research already carried out. However, don’t provide a lot of back ground information as you might lose the reader’s attention.

Mention your research designs

Once again don’t mention a lot of information, but give a main idea in the introduction that what methods you used. Once again your research design and methods will vary with your dissertation topic. For example if you did a research on a chemical or a drug, you can state that you carried out various experiments and used the findings of various scientists. Similarly, if your research was on any marketing products, you can mention that you interviewed entrepreneurs and the general public. Thus, it’s always a better idea to include research methods and designs in your introduction.

Consider the length of your introduction

There are no strict requirements stating that what exact length of your introduction should be. Avoid writing everything in your introduction, stick to mentioning the same objectives. Having said this, your introduction shouldn’t be too long that it covers the aspects of the literature review as well. Similarly, it shouldn’t be too short either. Thus, after writing your introduction, proof read it and omits any irrelevant information.