introductory chapter of a thesis

The introduction is the first section of your thesis or dissertation, appearing right after the table of contents. Your introduction draws your reader in, setting the stage for your research with a clear focus, purpose, and direction.

How long should a thesis introduction be?

The introduction to the whole thesis can make up roughly 10 per cent of the total word count. So if you are doing a PhD of 80,000 - 100,000 words, you may have a 8,000 - 10,000 word introduction. And if you are writing a Masters thesis of 15,000 - 20,000 words, your introduction could be 1,500 - 2,000 words long.

Stages in a thesis introduction

1. state the general topic and give some background.

2. provide a review of the literature related to the topic.

3. define the terms and scope of the topic.

4. outline the current situation.

5. evaluate the current situation (advantages/ disadvantages) and identify the gap.

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