POLS1009 Chap.4 Writing Introductions and Conclusions
Writing Introductions and Conclusions
The opening and closing sections of a paper do the most work with the fewest words, and the course treats them as a matched pair. This chapter begins with the six-section structure of an empirical paper and the advice to finish both bookend sections last, once the body has shown what the paper can actually claim.
It explains why the introduction carries so much weight: readers thin out from title to abstract to introduction, and only a few reach the end, so the first page has to persuade a reader who has not yet decided to stay. You then learn the course's seven-element recipe for an introduction and see how it lines up with Swales's three CARS moves of claiming a territory, exposing a gap and filling it.
The conclusion runs the funnel in reverse, through five elements from the restated answer to future research, and it never introduces new evidence. An introduction built from a blank page and a conclusion-ordering exercise put both recipes to use on topics far from any real case.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Six sections of an empirical paper and the question each answers
- 02
Why the introduction and conclusion are written last
- 03
The reader funnel from title to whole paper
- 04
The seven-element introduction recipe
- 05
Swales's CARS model and its three moves
- 06
The five-element conclusion and the bookend idea
- 07
Habits for writing better papers
Worked example · free
Drafting a conclusion that mirrors the reader funnel
- 1Restate question and answer. The paper asked why some councils livestream meetings; it argues that a recent public planning dispute pushes councils to open their proceedings.
- 1Findings, summarised. Across the 40 councils, livestreaming is concentrated among those with a recent dispute, and no new data are introduced at this point.
- 1Limitations. Records show timing but not motives, and one state may not represent others, so the claim is cautious.
- 1Implications. For scholars of local transparency, public conflict may be a trigger for openness that existing explanations overlook; for residents, disputes may open doors.
- 1Future research. Do councils keep livestreaming once the dispute fades, and does the pattern hold in other states?
Key terms
- Hook
- An opening sentence or two that captures the reader's attention and sets the context of a paper, usually leading into a brief review of key works.
- Research gap
- Something the existing literature has not yet explained or tested, which an introduction points to in order to justify asking its research question.
- Road map
- A short optional passage at the end of an introduction that tells readers what each later section will do, which the paper's actual section order should then follow.
- CARS model
- Swales's description of how research introductions work across disciplines, in three moves: establishing a territory, establishing a gap and filling that gap. CARS stands for Create a Research Space.
- Limitations section
- The part of a conclusion that states honestly what the research design cannot show, which builds the reader's trust in the claims that remain.
Writing Introductions and Conclusions FAQ
Should I write the introduction of a research essay first or last?
Last, or at least finish it last. You can draft a frame early, with a placeholder where the findings will go, but you cannot promise what the paper delivers until the body is written. The course suggests starting with any of the first three sections, since you do not have to begin with the introduction, and finalising the introduction and conclusion last.
What is the CARS model for writing introductions?
It is a model from the linguist John Swales, who studied published introductions in many disciplines. Writers first show that a topic matters and summarise what is known, then reveal what is missing and raise a question, and finally state their own contribution, argument and findings. The course's seven-element recipe follows the same three steps.
What should go in the conclusion of a research paper?
Five things in order: the research question and your answer, a summary of the findings, the limitations of your design, the implications for scholars, policymakers or citizens, and the questions your answer opens for future research. The structure mirrors the introduction, moving from the narrow answer back out to the wider field.
Can I add new evidence in my conclusion?
No. The conclusion summarises what the paper has already shown, so a new statistic, quotation or case belongs in the results section or should be cut. Introducing fresh material at the end also leaves the reader unable to judge it, because there is no space left to analyse it.
What is a road map in an essay introduction?
It is a short statement of what each later section does, such as which section reviews the literature and which presents the data. The course lists it as optional in the introduction recipe, but its submission checklist expects a brief one, and the sections you then write must appear in that order.
Exam move
Learn the two recipes by using them on papers you already have. Take an article from the course readings and label each sentence of its introduction with a recipe number from one to seven and a CARS move; note which elements are missing or merged. Do the same for its conclusion with the five elements.
Then turn to your own draft and write the conclusion skeleton first as five one-line notes, followed by the introduction frame with a placeholder for findings. Check that the opening question and the closing restatement match before you polish either section. Finally, read only your title, abstract and first page as a stranger would, and ask whether you would keep reading.
Working through Writing Introductions and Conclusions in POLS1009? Sia is AskSia’s AI Arts and Humanities tutor — ask any POLS1009 Writing Introductions and Conclusions question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how POLS1009 is taught and assessed. Read this chapter free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.