In-Class, Nov. 6th: How to Write Introduction

Today, we are composing the Introduction and Conclusion, and then, our papers are finished - yay!!!

Below are the guidelines for how to compose the

Introduction

• don't use the words FACT, PROVE, and TRUTH!!!!
• don't use, "the writer brings his point across." Say directly what the message is.
  
• stay general
• no quotes
• no personal opinions (non-evaluative)
• some facts and the status quo of your topic in society today
• can (not: must!) include statistics (%) that you got from the Internet. If you use statistics, you need to mention who found them out, and in which year, so that we know if they're still valid. Example: "According to a study of the Ministry of Health Education from 2006, 80% of the U.S. women who get an abortion are white...."
• if it is "common knowledge," you don't need to cite your sources. That means, if you get ideas from the Internet that could be common knowledge (i.e., could have been your own perception), then it suffices to say, "according to many students' view, the drinking age in the U.S. should be lowered because...", and then you list reasons you find on the Internet.
• last sentence: justify why your research was needed, and what GAP in existing research literature it filled. (Example: all your three sources were from the 1940s-1960s. Your research is from 2009 and gives an up-date on the situation. Another example: your three sources only talked about English students. Your research talks about other content areas, like History, as well.....)
• Stay in passive voice; no personal pronouns!!!