how to start a introduction in essay

How to write an Essay Introduction (5-Step Formula)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

One of my friends – a high-up professor in an English university – told me he can tell the grade a student will get within the first 90 seconds of reading a paper.

This makes the introduction the most important paragraph in your whole paper.

The introduction orients your reader to how well you understand academic writing, your skills in critical thinking, your ability to write professionally with minimal errors, and the depth of knowledge you have on the topic.

All in one fantastic paragraph! No pressure.

No wonder introductions are so difficult to write. If you’re like me, you find that you can sit and stare at a blank page as the moments tick by. You’re just not sure how to write an introduction!

After reading the top 30 online articles on how to write an essay introduction, I synthesized the five most common steps that universities give on how to write an introduction.

The five steps I am going to introduce to you in this paragraph are from my I.N.T.R.O. method. The intro method provides an easy-to-use acronym for how to write an introduction that the top universities recommend.

The INTRO method’s steps are:

• [I] Interest: Provide an opening sentence that shows why the topic is of interest to everyday human beings
• [N] Notify: Notify the reader of background or contextual information
• [T] Translate: Translate the essay topic or question by paraphrasing it
• [R] Report: Report on your position or argument
• [O] Outline: Provide an outline of the essay structure

Below, I go through each step one by one. Each step is designed to be written in order, although you may feel free to mix them up after you’ve written each sentence to make it feel and read just the way you like.

Use the INTRO method as a guide for how to write an introduction and get words down on paper. As I often argue on this website, just writing something is often the hardest part .

You may also find that some essay introductions work better without one or more of these 5 steps. That is okay, too. Use these 5 steps as advice on points to include in an introduction and adjust them as you need. You may find in your specific area of study you need to add or remove other sentences. Play around with your introduction until you feel comfortable with it.

So don’t be too hard on yourself: have a go at a draft of your introduction with no pressure to use it in the end. You’ll find by the time you’ve written these five sentences you’ll have the creative juices flowing and a compelling introduction will be down on paper in no time.

1. Interest

Provide an opening sentence that shows why the topic is interesting to everyday human beings

Nearly every source on how to write an introduction that I found online recommended that your first sentence be an engaging ‘hook’ . Most sources highlight that the ‘hook’ sentence should draw in the reader’s interest in order to make your piece stand out.

The marker wants to see if you understand why this topic is of interest is in the first place. They want to see if you ‘get it’ from the very start.

I also recommend that you view the hook as an opportunity to show why the topic is interesting to everyday human beings . This makes it relevant to your reader.

To show you understand why the topic is of interest in the first place, aim to do one of the following things:

• Show what makes the topic worth discussing. Your ‘Interest’ sentence might help show why someone should care about the topic. Will it affect our livelihoods? Will it harm us? Make our work lives easier? The more relatable this point is to real human lives, the better.
• Highlight the single most interesting point in the essay. You might notice that you have already pointed out this interesting ‘hook’ somewhere in your essay. Find that interesting, relatable point and make it the opening sentence of your introduction.
• Use an interesting fact or figure to show the topic’s importance. Percentages or real numbers about how many people are or would be impacted by the issue help to show the topic’s importance. This will create reader interest with a ‘wow’ factor.
• Show how the essay topic is relevant to today’s world. If you’re struggling to identify this interesting ‘hook’, go onto google and find news reports related to your topic. How has the topic made it into the news recently? The news report will help you to brainstorm why this topic is of interest to the everyday lives of real human beings.

However, do not overstate the issue. You should provide a clear, reasonable perspective in this first sentence rather than an over-the-top claim. For example, aim to avoid hyperbolic or overly emotional phrases:

To find out more about retracting over-the-top emotion and hyperbole, we have put together a guide on academic language that you may like to read.

To summarize, I recommend that your first step in how to write an introduction is to write a ‘hook’ sentence that focuses on why the topic is interesting to everyday human beings . Use sober, clear facts about the importance of the topic to real human lives to get yourself started.

Read Also: My Suggested Best Words to Start a Paragraph

Notify the reader of background or contextual information

Nearly every source I found also recommended that you provide brief ‘background’ or ‘contextual’ information.

‘Background’ or ‘contextual’ information shows your depth of knowledge and understanding of the topic.

Here are some examples of ‘context’ for a few topics:

Hopefully, you can see here that giving ‘context’ is a way of showing that you have a really strong or deep knowledge of the history or background story of the topic. This is your chance to differentiate your depth of knowledge from other students. A sentence or two giving some of this context also helps to show off your knowledge right from the start.

Most sources recommend only providing one or two sentences of background information. This will help you to show off your knowledge without stealing content from the body of your essay. The body of the essay will add depth and detail to your points in the introduction, so feel free to leave out examples and explanations beyond your engaging sentence or two: you will have time in the body of the essay to elaborate.

3. Translate

Translate the essay topic or question

This point was mentioned by more than half the websites I found giving advice on how to write an introduction.

Many universities recommend re-stating the essay topic or question in your own words. This helps your marker to see that you understand the topic and are directly addressing it.

Here are some examples of essay questions and ways you can re-state the essay question in your introduction:

Something to keep in mind is that you do not want to appear to be re-stating the essay question simply to take up extra words. We call this ‘padding’. An example of padding is when a student drops the essay question in as a question, word-for-word:

• How can knowledge about history help us to improve our lives in the future? This is the question that will be answered in this essay.
• This essay will answer the question “What is the lasting impact of European Colonisation in the 21 st Century?”

Do not drop the essay question into the introduction without paraphrasing or surrounding explanation. If you do this, your marker will think you’re just trying to add words to the introduction because you’re not sure of anything interesting to say

Report your position or argument

Most essays do not require you to take a stance on an issue.

Essays that do require you to take a stance are called either ‘argumentative essays’ or ‘persuasive essays’.

If you are writing a persuasive essay, you will need to include Step 4: Report. For this step, you’ll need to state where you stand on the issue:

Keep in mind that essays should never leave a reader confused. Essay writing is not like creative writing: your reader must always know what’s going to be said right from the start. When reading to gather information, readers don’t like to be surprised. They want the facts up-front. Therefore, your marker will expect to know what your stance is on the issue right from the introduction onwards.

Provide an outline of the Essay Structure

This last point on how to write an introduction is important and separates average students from top students.

Introductions should always highlight the key points that will be made in an essay. Academic writing should never surprise the reader.

The fact that steps 4 and 5 both highlight that you should orient your marker reinforces the importance of this. Always, always, guide your marker’s reading experience.

Your essay should signpost all key concepts, theories, and main sections that make up your essay. If an important point is made in the essay but not signposted in the introduction, you are likely to confuse your marker. A confused marker very rapidly lowers your mark.

Too often, students fail to outline key points of their essays in the introduction. Make a habit of signposting your key ideas, points, theories, or concepts you will cover in the introduction in order to gain marks.

It is always easier to write this outline once the essay plan is written. You will then be able to gather together the key points that you listed in your essay plan and include them in the introduction.

The outline of the essay structure can only be one or two sentences long. You can state as your last sentence in your introduction:

• “Firstly, this essay … then, …, and finally …”
• “The essay opens with …, then, …, and then closes with …”
• “After exploring …, … and …, this essay will conclude with …”

Try to outline the issues you will cover in order. Providing an orderly outline of your essay is very helpful for your reader.

Now, I know that some people don’t like this method. Let me reassure you with this study from Theresa Thonney in 2016. Thonney examined 600 top-ranking articles in fields including Literature, Music, Environmental Sciences, Nutrition, Inter-Cultural Studies, and more to see how many articles used this method. In other words, she completed a comprehensive study of whether professional, published authors use this method of orientating the reader to the structure of the article.

Thonney found that 100% of top-ranking articles she looked at in the Astronomy field used this method. 98% of articles in Sociology journals used this method. In fact, the field with the lowest amount of authors who use this method is Art, which had 76% of authors use this method. In other words, even the lowest result she found showed that three in every four professional authors use this method.

So, you should too.

Let’s sum point 5 up by reinforcing this very important rule: your marker should always be very clear about what they will read, and in what order, to improve their reading experience.

A short list of things to Avoid in Introductions

I want to conclude this post with an outline of some of the worst things you can do in an introduction. The introduction sets the scene, so you want to make a good impression. You don’t want your marker taking away marks due to one of these top mistakes:

• Rhetorical Questions.
• Vague padding.
• Dictionary definitions.

Sometimes, teachers also recommend avoiding referencing in introductions. I have colleagues who absolutely refuse to let students include references in their introductions. Personally, I think that’s absurd – if a reference is required, include it! However, check with your teacher on their personal preferences here as I know this is a point of contention in faculty lounges.

The introduction is important for creating a strong first impression, especially since markers often make up their mind about your grade very early on in the marking process.

Introductions are best written last. That way, you will be able to include all the signposting you need to do (step 5), have a good understanding of the context (step 2), and be more certain about what your stance is on the issue (step 4).

Here’s the five INTRO steps I’d encourage you to use every time:

Once you have written your introduction, it is a good idea to put it away for a few days and then come back to edit it with fresh eyes . Remember that grammar and punctuation are important in the introduction. You want to leave a good impression.

If you have a friend who can read the draft for you and give you tips, or if your teacher has drop-in hours, use them to get some tips on how to write an introduction, what sounds right, want sounds off, and how you might be able to improve your introduction.

Once you have written your introduction, you might want to have a look at our guidance on how to write conclusions in order to end your piece as strongly as you started! People often think conclusions are just like introductions. That’s not true. Conclusions are unique paragraphs, so head over to our guidance on conclusions now to get the support you need on writing the best conclusion you can.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 19 Top Cognitive Psychology Theories (Explained)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 119 Bloom’s Taxonomy Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ All 6 Levels of Understanding (on Bloom’s Taxonomy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Introductions

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain the functions of introductions, offer strategies for creating effective introductions, and provide some examples of less effective introductions to avoid.

The role of introductions

Introductions and conclusions can be the most difficult parts of papers to write. Usually when you sit down to respond to an assignment, you have at least some sense of what you want to say in the body of your paper. You might have chosen a few examples you want to use or have an idea that will help you answer the main question of your assignment; these sections, therefore, may not be as hard to write. And it’s fine to write them first! But in your final draft, these middle parts of the paper can’t just come out of thin air; they need to be introduced and concluded in a way that makes sense to your reader.

Your introduction and conclusion act as bridges that transport your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis. If your readers pick up your paper about education in the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, for example, they need a transition to help them leave behind the world of Chapel Hill, television, e-mail, and The Daily Tar Heel and to help them temporarily enter the world of nineteenth-century American slavery. By providing an introduction that helps your readers make a transition between their own world and the issues you will be writing about, you give your readers the tools they need to get into your topic and care about what you are saying. Similarly, once you’ve hooked your readers with the introduction and offered evidence to prove your thesis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. (See our handout on conclusions .)

Note that what constitutes a good introduction may vary widely based on the kind of paper you are writing and the academic discipline in which you are writing it. If you are uncertain what kind of introduction is expected, ask your instructor.

Why bother writing a good introduction?

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The opening paragraph of your paper will provide your readers with their initial impressions of your argument, your writing style, and the overall quality of your work. A vague, disorganized, error-filled, off-the-wall, or boring introduction will probably create a negative impression. On the other hand, a concise, engaging, and well-written introduction will start your readers off thinking highly of you, your analytical skills, your writing, and your paper.

Your introduction is an important road map for the rest of your paper. Your introduction conveys a lot of information to your readers. You can let them know what your topic is, why it is important, and how you plan to proceed with your discussion. In many academic disciplines, your introduction should contain a thesis that will assert your main argument. Your introduction should also give the reader a sense of the kinds of information you will use to make that argument and the general organization of the paragraphs and pages that will follow. After reading your introduction, your readers should not have any major surprises in store when they read the main body of your paper.

Ideally, your introduction will make your readers want to read your paper. The introduction should capture your readers’ interest, making them want to read the rest of your paper. Opening with a compelling story, an interesting question, or a vivid example can get your readers to see why your topic matters and serve as an invitation for them to join you for an engaging intellectual conversation (remember, though, that these strategies may not be suitable for all papers and disciplines).

Strategies for writing an effective introduction

Start by thinking about the question (or questions) you are trying to answer. Your entire essay will be a response to this question, and your introduction is the first step toward that end. Your direct answer to the assigned question will be your thesis, and your thesis will likely be included in your introduction, so it is a good idea to use the question as a jumping off point. Imagine that you are assigned the following question:

Drawing on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , discuss the relationship between education and slavery in 19th-century America. Consider the following: How did white control of education reinforce slavery? How did Douglass and other enslaved African Americans view education while they endured slavery? And what role did education play in the acquisition of freedom? Most importantly, consider the degree to which education was or was not a major force for social change with regard to slavery.

You will probably refer back to your assignment extensively as you prepare your complete essay, and the prompt itself can also give you some clues about how to approach the introduction. Notice that it starts with a broad statement and then narrows to focus on specific questions from the book. One strategy might be to use a similar model in your own introduction—start off with a big picture sentence or two and then focus in on the details of your argument about Douglass. Of course, a different approach could also be very successful, but looking at the way the professor set up the question can sometimes give you some ideas for how you might answer it. (See our handout on understanding assignments for additional information on the hidden clues in assignments.)

Decide how general or broad your opening should be. Keep in mind that even a “big picture” opening needs to be clearly related to your topic; an opening sentence that said “Human beings, more than any other creatures on earth, are capable of learning” would be too broad for our sample assignment about slavery and education. If you have ever used Google Maps or similar programs, that experience can provide a helpful way of thinking about how broad your opening should be. Imagine that you’re researching Chapel Hill. If what you want to find out is whether Chapel Hill is at roughly the same latitude as Rome, it might make sense to hit that little “minus” sign on the online map until it has zoomed all the way out and you can see the whole globe. If you’re trying to figure out how to get from Chapel Hill to Wrightsville Beach, it might make more sense to zoom in to the level where you can see most of North Carolina (but not the rest of the world, or even the rest of the United States). And if you are looking for the intersection of Ridge Road and Manning Drive so that you can find the Writing Center’s main office, you may need to zoom all the way in. The question you are asking determines how “broad” your view should be. In the sample assignment above, the questions are probably at the “state” or “city” level of generality. When writing, you need to place your ideas in context—but that context doesn’t generally have to be as big as the whole galaxy!

Try writing your introduction last. You may think that you have to write your introduction first, but that isn’t necessarily true, and it isn’t always the most effective way to craft a good introduction. You may find that you don’t know precisely what you are going to argue at the beginning of the writing process. It is perfectly fine to start out thinking that you want to argue a particular point but wind up arguing something slightly or even dramatically different by the time you’ve written most of the paper. The writing process can be an important way to organize your ideas, think through complicated issues, refine your thoughts, and develop a sophisticated argument. However, an introduction written at the beginning of that discovery process will not necessarily reflect what you wind up with at the end. You will need to revise your paper to make sure that the introduction, all of the evidence, and the conclusion reflect the argument you intend. Sometimes it’s easiest to just write up all of your evidence first and then write the introduction last—that way you can be sure that the introduction will match the body of the paper.

Don’t be afraid to write a tentative introduction first and then change it later. Some people find that they need to write some kind of introduction in order to get the writing process started. That’s fine, but if you are one of those people, be sure to return to your initial introduction later and rewrite if necessary.

Open with something that will draw readers in. Consider these options (remembering that they may not be suitable for all kinds of papers):

• an intriguing example —for example, Douglass writes about a mistress who initially teaches him but then ceases her instruction as she learns more about slavery.
• a provocative quotation that is closely related to your argument —for example, Douglass writes that “education and slavery were incompatible with each other.” (Quotes from famous people, inspirational quotes, etc. may not work well for an academic paper; in this example, the quote is from the author himself.)
• a puzzling scenario —for example, Frederick Douglass says of slaves that “[N]othing has been left undone to cripple their intellects, darken their minds, debase their moral nature, obliterate all traces of their relationship to mankind; and yet how wonderfully they have sustained the mighty load of a most frightful bondage, under which they have been groaning for centuries!” Douglass clearly asserts that slave owners went to great lengths to destroy the mental capacities of slaves, yet his own life story proves that these efforts could be unsuccessful.
• a vivid and perhaps unexpected anecdote —for example, “Learning about slavery in the American history course at Frederick Douglass High School, students studied the work slaves did, the impact of slavery on their families, and the rules that governed their lives. We didn’t discuss education, however, until one student, Mary, raised her hand and asked, ‘But when did they go to school?’ That modern high school students could not conceive of an American childhood devoid of formal education speaks volumes about the centrality of education to American youth today and also suggests the significance of the deprivation of education in past generations.”
• a thought-provoking question —for example, given all of the freedoms that were denied enslaved individuals in the American South, why does Frederick Douglass focus his attentions so squarely on education and literacy?

Pay special attention to your first sentence. Start off on the right foot with your readers by making sure that the first sentence actually says something useful and that it does so in an interesting and polished way.

How to evaluate your introduction draft

Ask a friend to read your introduction and then tell you what they expect the paper will discuss, what kinds of evidence the paper will use, and what the tone of the paper will be. If your friend is able to predict the rest of your paper accurately, you probably have a good introduction.

Five kinds of less effective introductions

1. The placeholder introduction. When you don’t have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don’t really say much. They exist just to take up the “introduction space” in your paper. If you had something more effective to say, you would probably say it, but in the meantime this paragraph is just a place holder.

Example: Slavery was one of the greatest tragedies in American history. There were many different aspects of slavery. Each created different kinds of problems for enslaved people.

2. The restated question introduction. Restating the question can sometimes be an effective strategy, but it can be easy to stop at JUST restating the question instead of offering a more specific, interesting introduction to your paper. The professor or teaching assistant wrote your question and will be reading many essays in response to it—they do not need to read a whole paragraph that simply restates the question.

Example: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass discusses the relationship between education and slavery in 19th century America, showing how white control of education reinforced slavery and how Douglass and other enslaved African Americans viewed education while they endured. Moreover, the book discusses the role that education played in the acquisition of freedom. Education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.

3. The Webster’s Dictionary introduction. This introduction begins by giving the dictionary definition of one or more of the words in the assigned question. Anyone can look a word up in the dictionary and copy down what Webster says. If you want to open with a discussion of an important term, it may be far more interesting for you (and your reader) if you develop your own definition of the term in the specific context of your class and assignment. You may also be able to use a definition from one of the sources you’ve been reading for class. Also recognize that the dictionary is also not a particularly authoritative work—it doesn’t take into account the context of your course and doesn’t offer particularly detailed information. If you feel that you must seek out an authority, try to find one that is very relevant and specific. Perhaps a quotation from a source reading might prove better? Dictionary introductions are also ineffective simply because they are so overused. Instructors may see a great many papers that begin in this way, greatly decreasing the dramatic impact that any one of those papers will have.

Example: Webster’s dictionary defines slavery as “the state of being a slave,” as “the practice of owning slaves,” and as “a condition of hard work and subjection.”

4. The “dawn of man” introduction. This kind of introduction generally makes broad, sweeping statements about the relevance of this topic since the beginning of time, throughout the world, etc. It is usually very general (similar to the placeholder introduction) and fails to connect to the thesis. It may employ cliches—the phrases “the dawn of man” and “throughout human history” are examples, and it’s hard to imagine a time when starting with one of these would work. Instructors often find them extremely annoying.

Example: Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a problem in human history.

5. The book report introduction. This introduction is what you had to do for your elementary school book reports. It gives the name and author of the book you are writing about, tells what the book is about, and offers other basic facts about the book. You might resort to this sort of introduction when you are trying to fill space because it’s a familiar, comfortable format. It is ineffective because it offers details that your reader probably already knows and that are irrelevant to the thesis.

Example: Frederick Douglass wrote his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave , in the 1840s. It was published in 1986 by Penguin Books. In it, he tells the story of his life.

And now for the conclusion…

Writing an effective introduction can be tough. Try playing around with several different options and choose the one that ends up sounding best to you!

Just as your introduction helps readers make the transition to your topic, your conclusion needs to help them return to their daily lives–but with a lasting sense of how what they have just read is useful or meaningful. Check out our handout on  conclusions for tips on ending your paper as effectively as you began it!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself . New York: Dover.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Writing Lab

Parts of the paper, writing the introduction, example of an introduction.

• Body Paragraphs
• Conclusion Paragraph

The development of your introduction can make or break your paper. Once you have determined the purpose of your writing and have a topic in mind, you can begin writing the introduction. Three main parts must be included to establish a well-written introduction: introduce your topic, interest the reader, and make the last sentence your thesis statement. Watch the following video to see an introduction come together.

Introduce the topic

When introducing your topic, you want to grab the reader's attention. Here are some ways to do:

• A bold statement: George Washington was the most significant American president.
• Use a rhetorical question: Will America spiral into the depths of Hell because of the 2010 health reform?
• Define the problem: The problem with women is men because …
• A personal experience: Last year, I went on a trip to Washington, D.C. While there, I took a tour of the White House. It was beautiful. …
• An interesting quote: “The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher
• Start with a statistic: In 2009, nearly 1 in 5 children were considered obese.

Look at the following example of grabbing the reader's attention:

How important is an attachment? It is said that without a secure attachment, human development can be severely impaired, and in extreme cases death can occur (Huffman, 2009).  Different aspects of attachment have been studied by many researchers, like John Bowlby, and Mary Ainsworth, and through their research and an experiment of my own I will show how important attachment is to human development.

Why is the topic important?

How will the topic develop (thesis statement).

The purpose of the thesis statement is to inform the audience, in one sentence, how the chosen topic will develop throughout the entire paper. If you list three points that will support your thesis, you will address each of those three points in your paper in the same order you listed them. (If you find that after you start writing the paper, you have added ideas that were not stated in your thesis, you will have to revise your thesis to mirror your paper.)

Let's look at an example. The bolded sentence is the thesis. 

How important is an attachment? It is said that without a secure attachment, human development can be severely impaired, and in extreme cases death can occur (Huffman, 2009).  Different aspects of attachment have been studied by many researchers, like John Bowlby, and Mary Ainsworth, and through their research and an experiment of my  own I will show how important attachment is to human development.

• Next: Thesis >>
• Last Updated: Jun 14, 2024 9:43 AM
• URL: https://guides.rasmussen.edu/parts-of-the-paper

Daily Writing Tips

How to write an essay for a scholarship: a step-by-step guide.

Crafting an essay for a scholarship is your chance to show why you’re a worthy investment. It’s not just another essay; it’s a personal narrative that embodies your aspirations and showcases your potential.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll lead you through each part of the scholarship essay process: understanding the prompt, outlining your thoughts, engaging introductions, strong body paragraphs, impactful conclusions, and essential revisions. Plus, we’ll touch on those final checks before you hit submit.

Ready to turn your educational dreams into a compelling story? Let’s begin the journey of writing an essay that might just change the course of your future.

What Is a Scholarship Essay and Why Is It Important?

A scholarship essay is a written piece you submit as part of your college or university scholarship application. It’s your opportunity to demonstrate to the scholarship committee why you are the best candidate for the award.

The scholarship essay is important because it allows the committee to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. It lets you share your personal story, accomplishments, and future plans.

What Are Scholarship Essay Prompts Asking For?

Scholarship essay prompts typically ask you to discuss your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community service, leadership roles, or any challenges you’ve overcome. The prompt will guide you in showcasing your unique qualifications. For example, a prompt might ask you to describe a time when you demonstrated leadership or to explain how a particular experience has shaped your academic and career goals.

How Can You Plan Your Scholarship Essay Effectively?

Effective planning is the key to writing a strong scholarship essay. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Read the prompt carefully: Start by thoroughly reviewing to understand the requirements and instructions of the essay prompt. Make sure you know exactly what the prompt is asking you to do.

2. Brainstorm experiences and accomplishments: Reflect on your academic, extracurricular, and personal experiences that might help explain the prompt. Think about your achievements, the challenges you’ve overcome, and how you’ve made a difference in your community.

3. Develop a thesis or central theme: Based on your brainstorming, determine a thesis or central theme that will help focus your essay. This statement should explain the main point you want the scholarship committee to understand.

4. Create an outline: Organize your essay by making an outline. Include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This will help you write a structured and coherent essay.

5. Do additional research: Depending on the prompt, you may need to research relevant information to support your essay. For example, if the prompt asks you to discuss a social issue, you may need to research facts and statistics to support your points.

6. Allow time for writing and revising: Don’t wait until the last minute to write your essay. Give yourself enough time to write a draft, get feedback, and make revisions . Rushing through the process can result in a weaker essay.

How Do You Create a Compelling Introduction for Your Scholarship Essay?

The introduction is the first thing the scholarship committee will read, so making a strong impression is important. Here are the steps to create a compelling introduction:

1. Hook the reader: Start your introduction with a captivating hook , such as a quote, anecdote, or intriguing statement. This will immediately engage the reader and make them want to continue reading.

2. Provide context: Offer relevant background information to give the reader context about who you are and your experiences. This could include details about your academic background, extracurricular activities, or personal interests.

3. State your central thesis : Clearly articulate your essay’s main point or argument, aligning it with the scholarship prompt. This thesis statement should be a concise and clear statement of the key idea you will explore in your essay.

4. Outline your approach: Give the reader a sense of how you will develop your essay’s central theme throughout the body paragraphs. This can be a brief overview of the main points you will cover.

5. Express your passion: Convey your enthusiasm, motivation, and personal investment in the topic and your pursuit of the scholarship. This will help the committee understand why this scholarship is important to you.

6. Keep it concise: Aim for 3-5 engaging sentences that introduce your essay in a manner that is easy to understand and compelling. The introduction should be long enough to capture the reader’s attention but not so long that it becomes overwhelming.

What Makes a Strong Body for Your Scholarship Essay?

The body of your scholarship essay is where you will expand on your central theme and provide evidence to support your points. Provide specific examples and evidence from your experiences to support your arguments. This could include details about your academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, or personal challenges you’ve overcome.

Use the body paragraphs to showcase your unique qualities and how they make you a strong candidate for the scholarship. This could include your leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, creativity, or dedication to your studies. Keep your essay logically organized and focused on the main point you want to make, with each paragraph building on the previous one and contributing to the overall argument you’re making.

Vary your sentence structure to keep your writing engaging and easy to read. Alternate between shorter and longer sentences, and help guide the reader through your essay. Back up your claims and arguments with relevant facts, statistics, or expert opinions to strengthen the credibility of your essay.

How Should You Conclude Your Scholarship Essay?

The conclusion of your scholarship essay is your final opportunity to make an impression on the committee. In the conclusion, restate your thesis or central theme in a clear and understandable way. This will remind the reader of the main point you’ve been focused on throughout your essay.

Briefly summarize the key points and arguments you made in the body of your essay. This will help reinforce your main ideas and leave a lasting impression on the reader. Explain why the scholarship is important to you and how it will help you achieve your academic and career goals. Demonstrate your passion and commitment to making the most of the scholarship opportunity.

Conclude your essay with a strong, memorable statement that leaves the reader with a positive impression of you as a candidate. This could be a call to action, an inspirational quote, or a final reflection on the significance of the scholarship.

How Can You Revise Your Scholarship Essay for Maximum Impact?

After you’ve written your first draft, it’s important to revise and edit your essay so it’s as strong as it can be. Carefully read through your essay to catch any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Even small mistakes can ruin the overall quality of your essay.

Ask someone you trust, such as a teacher, mentor, or family member, to review your essay and provide feedback. They may be able to locate areas for improvement or offer a fresh perspective. Ask them to review your essay’s organization to ensure your introduction, body, and conclusion flow logically. Don’t be afraid to rearrange or add/remove paragraphs to strengthen the overall structure.

Examine your essay’s central arguments and claims. Are they supported with sufficient evidence and examples? Look for ways to develop your points further. Review your writing style and make adjustments to improve clarity, concision, and engagement. This could involve varying sentence structure, eliminating unnecessary words, or using more vivid and descriptive language.

Double-check that your essay fully addresses the scholarship prompt and showcases your qualifications in a way that aligns with the committee’s expectations. Don’t be afraid to make multiple rounds of revisions. The more you refine your essay, the stronger it will be.

What Are the Final Steps Before Submitting Your Scholarship Essay?

Once you’ve completed your revisions, there are a few final steps to take before submitting your scholarship essay. Take advantage of sources that provide essay and paper help to add to and ensure the quality you have written is up to the scholarship committee’s standards. Also, always be sure to review everything 

1. Follow instructions: Carefully review the scholarship guidelines and instructions to ensure you’ve followed all the requirements, including formatting, length, and submission procedures.

2. Double-check formatting: Ensure your essay is properly formatted according to the scholarship guidelines, including margins, font size, and spacing.

3. Proofread again : Do one final proofread to catch any lingering errors or typos. It’s easy to miss mistakes when you’ve been working on the essay for a long time.

4. Submit before the deadline: Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your essay. Allow plenty of time to complete the application process and submit your materials before the deadline. 5. Make copies: Keep a copy of your final essay for your records. This can be helpful if you need to refer back to it or make adjustments for future scholarship applications.

Here are some dos and don’ts for effective scholarship essay writing

• Understand the Prompt: Carefully read and analyze the scholarship prompt to ensure your essay directly addresses the requested topic or criteria.
• Showcase Your Unique Qualities: Use the essay as an opportunity to highlight your distinctive experiences, skills, goals, and passions that make you a standout candidate.
• Organize Your Essay Logically: Craft a clear and well-structured essay with an engaging introduction, cohesive body paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion.
• Support Your Claims: Back up your key points and arguments with specific examples, anecdotes, and evidence from your experiences.
• Maintain a Positive and Enthusiastic Tone**: Convey your enthusiasm for the scholarship and your commitment to making the most of the opportunity.
• Proofread and Edit Carefully: Review your essay multiple times to catch any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.
• Follow All Formatting Requirements: Adhere to the prescribed page limits, font sizes, and other formatting guidelines specified by the scholarship provider.

Don’ts

• Don’t Repeat the Prompt: Avoid simply restating the prompt in your essay. Instead, use your unique voice and perspective.
• Don’t Make Broad, Unsupported Statements: Avoid making claims or generalizations without providing concrete evidence or examples to support them.
• Don’t Use Clichés or Overly Formal Language: Steer clear of overused phrases and maintain a natural, conversational tone throughout your essay.
• Don’t Exaggerate or Embellish: Be honest and authentic in your writing . Avoid making claims that you cannot substantiate.
• Don’t Neglect the Conclusion: Don’t treat the conclusion as an afterthought. Use it to leave a lasting, positive impression on the reader.
• Don’t Miss Deadlines or Requirements: Ensure you submit your essay by the specified deadline and adhere to all other requirements outlined by the scholarship provider.
• Don’t Plagiarize: Ensure that your essay is entirely your own work and that you properly cite any external sources you use.

Following these dos and don’ts can help you craft a compelling scholarship essay that stands out from the competition.

Writing a good scholarship essay is important to get the funding you need for your education and career goals. By following the steps in this guide – understanding the prompt, brainstorming your experiences, writing a strong introduction and body, and leaving a lasting conclusion – you can create an essay that makes you stand out as an excellent candidate.

The essay is not just about listing your accomplishments – it’s about showing who you are as a person and why you are the ideal recipient. Infuse it with enthusiasm, personal stories, and a vision for your future. This will help you craft an essay that leaves a lasting impression.

As you prepare to submit your scholarship essay, be proud of your work and confident that you’ve presented your best self.

Stop making those embarrassing mistakes! Subscribe to Daily Writing Tips today!

You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed!

Each newsletter contains a writing tip, word of the day, and exercise!

You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free!

Leave a Comment

Table of contents

How To Write An Introduction For Your Bachelor Thesis

How do you write the perfect introduction to a Bachelor's thesis? Learn everything you need to know to set the ideal tone for your thesis. From the main question to describing the structure – we'll help you find the right words.

The introduction lays the foundation for your Bachelor's thesis. It is meant to express the central theme and is usually the first thing your reviewers will read. So don't leave anything to chance! A poorly written, unclear introduction can affect the comprehensibility of the entire thesis and cost you valuable points. To avoid this, we'll show you quickly and clearly how to write an introduction that has an impact. Discover the most important elements of a bachelor thesis introduction, inspiring practical examples and convince from the first to the last line.  

Crafting An Engaging Introduction For Your Dissertation 

Understanding how to write an introduction is essential for setting a strong foundation for your bachelor thesis. But first things first. Before we delve into the ingredients of an introduction, let’s take a quick look at what an introduction is all about and its optimal length.

Purpose Of The Introduction 

The introduction serves as a critical opening chapter that lays the foundation for the entire thesis. It is designed to guide the reader through the initial understanding of your study, providing the necessary background and context for your research. It sets up the research problem, allowing readers to understand the issue your thesis addresses. Additionally, it outlines the objectives and aims of your study, highlighting the importance and relevance of your research.

What’s The Ideal Length Of An Introduction? 

The length of the introduction should be proportional to the overall length of your thesis, typically around 10% of the total word count . This ensures that the introduction is comprehensive yet concise. It should provide enough detail to introduce the reader to the research without overwhelming them by delving into too much detail. The idea is to the stage and provide the reader with a roadmap for the rest of the thesis. Given that bachelor's theses typically range in length from 7,500 to 15,000 words, the introduction would generally be between 750 and 1,500 words.  

Discover The Key Elements Of An Introduction For Your Dissertation 

To learn how to write an introduction that meets academic standards, you have to be aware of its key elements, each of which plays a crucial role in framing your study. Here is a concise overview of what an effective introduction is composed of:  

1.    Approaching The Topic 

Providing context is essential for helping readers understand the significance of your Bachelor thesis topic , i.e. how it relates to current scientific, social, economic or technological issues. Start by offering a contextual framework that sets up the background information leading to your research problem. For instance, if your dissertation examines renewable energy solutions, you can begin with providing some historical context of energy consumption and the evolution of sustainable technologies, then state the relevance of the study.

"In recent years, the use of renewable energies has increased worldwide. Solar energy in particular has emerged as one of the most promising technologies. Cities play a crucial role in implementing sustainable energy practices as they account for a large share of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, researching the efficiency of solar panels in urban environments is of great importance to develop sustainable urban energy solutions. This thesis investigates the efficiency of solar panels in urban environments."

To create a strong opening that engages readers and pique their interest, you might alternatively consider to start with a surprising fact, a quote, or a provocative question directly related to your topic. For example, you could begin with,  

"Who knew that cities account for 70% of global carbon emissions?"

Ensure that this opening is relevant and sets a clear direction for your thesis. Tie your opening sentence directly to your research problem, such as,

"This fact underscores the urgent need for effective renewable energy solutions in urban areas."

2.    Problem Definition 

Defining the research problem is fundamental for setting the focus and preparing the reader for the central topic. Formulate a clear and precise problem that highlights the core issue your thesis addresses and directly leads to the objective and research question of your thesis. For instance,  

“Despite the many benefits of solar energy, there are specific challenges when installing solar panels in urban areas. One of the biggest challenges is the reduction in efficiency due to shading and pollution.“

3.    Research Objectives & Research Questions 

The purpose of this part of the introduction is to clearly define the framework and direction of the research. These components are crucial to guide both the reader and yourself through the research process.

You should describe the main and secondary objectives of your thesis in a clear, precise and specific manner, giving the reader a clear impression of what you want to achieve with your research. For instance:

“The main objective of this thesis is to evaluate the efficiency of solar modules in urban environments. In particular, it will investigate how shading from buildings and pollution from dust affect the performance of the modules. A further objective is to identify measures that can optimize efficiency under these conditions.“

Research questions serve to clarify the direction and focus of the investigation. They should be derived directly from the objective and have a clear reference to the research goal. The idea is to specify the main objective by breaking it down into concrete, investigable sub-questions. Formulate the questions in such a way that they can be answered by your research. They should be specific, not too broad, abstract or imprecise.  

“This thesis therefore investigates two central research questions: First, how do shading by urban structures and pollution by environmental factors influence the efficiency of solar modules? Secondly, what measures can be taken to minimize these negative influences and thus increase the performance of solar modules in urban environments?“

4.    Defining The Scope & Limitations 

Clearly defining the scope of your study is setting boundaries and expectations. Specify what your research will cover and acknowledge any limitations or constraints that may affect the study, such as time constraints, limited access to resources, or specific geographic boundaries. Indicate which topics or questions are deliberately not covered and why. This serves to clearly communicate the limitations of the work and avoid misunderstandings.

For example:  

“The scope of this work includes the investigation of solar module efficiency on selected buildings in a specific urban region. The focus is on the effects of shading from surrounding buildings and pollution from urban environmental conditions.

Limitations include time-limited data collection over a six-month period and the use of specific measurement techniques to measure solar panel performance.

No detailed comparisons are made between different solar technologies as the work focuses on one specific solar module technology. Long-term maintenance strategies and their effects on the efficiency of the solar modules are also not discussed, as this would go beyond the scope of this study. Furthermore, the study is limited to an urban region and does not consider rural or industrial areas.“

5.    Method Description 

To explain how you intend to answer your research questions and achieve your research goal, you have to describe the methods you use in the next step. You should link them directly to the research questions or objectives and show how each method contributes to answering the questions. Your description It should be short, concise and logically structured in order to set the framework for the more detailed discussion of methods in later chapters.

“To answer these research question, a quantitative methodology is used. First, data on the performance of solar modules is collected at several building locations in the city. These measurements will include testing energy production under different shading and soiling conditions.

In addition, questionnaires are distributed to building managers and residents to record their experiences with cleaning and maintaining the solar modules. The data collected will then be statistically analyzed to identify the main factors influencing the efficiency of the solar panels and to develop possible improvement strategies.“

6.    Description Of The Thesis Structure 

The description of the structure of your bachelor thesis in the introduction is important to give the reader a clear overview of how the thesis is structured and which main chapters or sections are included.

Describe how the chapters are linked to each other and what purpose they serve within the overall structure of the thesis. Show how the sequence of chapters contributes to answering the research questions or addressing the topic.

"The thesis is structured as follows: Chapter 2 provides the theoretical background on solar energy and environmental factors in order to provide an understanding of the complexity of influences on solar module performance.

To ensure the validity and comparability of the data collected, Chapter 3 describes the methodology used to collect and analyze the data.

Chapter 4 then presents and discusses the results of the empirical study so as to evaluate the effects of shading and soiling on solar energy production.

Based on the results of the previous chapters, chapter 5 summarizes the conclusions and gives an outlook on possible practical applications and further research areas."

To sum up, we have put all the elements together in a table:  

Learn How To Write An Introduction From Expert Writers

Still feeling insecure? No need to be ashamed. To write the perfect bachelor thesis introduction, experience is of course an advantage. The good news: you can take advantage of the do-how of experienced science professionals and secure the ultimate advantage for success – quickly & easily. 

Benefit from a 100% customized introduction sample & find the right words in no time!

Here’s why it's worth it:  

✔  More time : Put an end to long deliberations and tedious structuring. You can get started straight away and save valuable time.

✔ Professional touch : Learn from the experts! With a professional text sample, you'll stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of getting the grade you want!

✔ Quality guarantee : Avoid typical beginner mistakes and impress with clarity & precision.

Contact us now and experience academic coaching with an aha effect.

← Previous

Next →.

How To Formulate A Research Proposal: 8 Steps To Follow

How To Write A Business Plan In 4 Steps

How To Write An Essay That Stands Out In 6 Steps

Required cookies, functional cookies, tracking and marketing cookies.

ghostwriting.com - Texts that keep their word ©

• TERMS & CONDITIONS
• DATA PROTECTION

© EXCELLENT Business LTD. All rights reserved.

• Useful tips for scientists

How to Write a Scientific Introduction for a Research Paper?

What is an introduction of a research paper, why is this section important, structure of the introduction section., what should you do before writing (a preparatory step), a step-by-step guide on writing a strong scientific introduction (with examples)., what should be avoided, closing remarks..

The introduction in a research article is the first section which is seen by readers. It sets the tone for the whole article. This section should effectively communicate the relevance and significance of your research. Concise, engaging and clear introduction will indicate key points covered in the paper and provide an outline for the readers. The section is usually brief. The recommended length is approximately 500-1000 words or 10 per cent from the whole manuscript planned to be published in Scopus and Web of Science journals.

Introduction grabs an attention of your potential reader and captures their interest. It answers the question: Is this article worth reading? Effective introduction of the article for Scopus and Web of Science provides background information, highlights the gaps and clearly specifies research objectives.

This section helps you demonstrate your profound knowledge and high level of expertise in a certain scientific area. Clear introduction will let your readers smoothly follow the rest parts of your article without being confused and understand its general structure.

Any effective introduction of the research paper consists of the following parts:

• Research background (a brief description of existing knowledge)
• Literature review ( optional ) (a comprehensive overview of bibliography related to the research topic; please refer to the journal guidelines regarding the formatting of the in-text citation and bibliography)
• Identified gaps in the current knowledge (missing knowledge you are going to introduce)
• Determined aims, tasks and objects (primary goals you are going to achieve, materials you use, and steps to follow)
• Hypotheses or research questions ( optional ) (something you are going to test in your article)
• Overview of the paper’s structure ( optional ) (structure of your article for guidance; refer to the journal guidelines as many do not require the structure overview)

* Journal guidelines sometimes do not have separate introduction and literature review sections. Therefore, if not indicated by journal requirements, you may make a more in-depth literature investigation in the introduction section.

When preparing for writing an introduction, do not be afraid of a blank page. It is always hard to start. That is why we highly recommend you to familiarize yourself with the current literature. This will help you understand what is known and what is only yet to know. The latter point is what you need. You are going to show that there is a gap and you can cover it with your study. Answer the questions: what am I going to write about? What is my main topic? What is the main idea I wish to convey? Then, you may sketch a short plan of your introduction section and go further to the main steps to compose the section worthy of publication in Scopus and Web of Science.

Here we would like to highlight the main steps you can follow to write an effective introduction to your research.

STEP 1. Start with a capturing idea.

Begin with a statement that grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read more about the indicated problem. This could be a question related to the topic or a thoughtful fact. Start broadly and then narrow down.

Ex. 1: In line with the UNFCCC and the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Union (EU) has committed itself to significantly reducing its human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions influenced in order to mitigate global climate change. This is expected to lead to an increase in the price of CO2 through, inter alia, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the tightening of carbon/energy taxation. A pivotal question, both for the climate and for the economy, is, do rising prices lead to carbon leakage, i.e., the transfer of polluting production to countries that are not committed to strong mitigation measures?…

Ex. 2: The building sector is one of the cornerstones of achieving the European Union’s energy and environmental goals. Between 2008 and 2018, household electricity consumption rose by 1.3% in the EU, and in 2019, buildings accounted for nearly 40% of EU energy consumption (Eurostat, 2023) … However, despite these numerous measures, the energy-saving targets are still far below the objectives: in 2018, European GHG emissions had only fallen by 23% since 1990, while the target is a 40% reduction by 2030…

STEP 2. Provide background information.

Introduce the topic and provide some context and background information to help the reader understand the problem you’re addressing. Despite the fact that you should cite literature sources and show the current state of knowledge, try to be brief because you have a separate section for an in-depth analysis of references (if required by a journal). Please refer to the journal guidelines regarding the formatting of the in-text citation and bibliography.

Ex. 1: Tsunami waveforms in nearshore areas have been occasionally observed using tide gauges (tide gauge data) since the late 1800s (e.g., Kusumoto et al. 2020). Satake (1987) used tide gauge data rather than offshore observational data for linear inversion. When using tide gauge data for linear inversion, two factors require careful consideration: tide gauge response and nonlinear tsunami effects. Following Satake (1987), subsequent studies were conducted to investigate the effects of tide gauge responses and correct tsunami waveforms observed by tide gauges (e.g., Satake et al. 1988 and 2010; Namegaya et al. 2009). Furthermore, …

Ex. 2: A radiographic radiolucency indicating apical periodontitis is a common feature, seen with a frequency of 39% in root- filled teeth (Tibúrcio- Machado et al., 2021). However, only a fraction (approximately 5%) of the root- filled teeth are symptomatic (Jonsson Sjögren et al., 2019). Longitudinal studies based on repeated radiological examinations suggest that a majority of root- filled teeth, also those with radiological periapical radiolucency, do not receive any additional treatment over time (Kirkevang et al., 2006, 2014; Petersson et al., 2016). Nevertheless, the presence of a periapical radiolucency increases the risk of extraction over time (Razdan et al., 2023). The clinical management of asymptomatic root- filled teeth with persistent disease has been studied in case- scenario studies, showing low inter- individual agreement among clinicians (Aryanpour et al., 2000; Hülsmann, 1994; Kvist et al., 2004; Reit & Gröndahl, 1988) probably due to uncertainty and complexity involved in the decision- making process (Kvist & Hofmann, 2023) …

STEP 3. Briefly review the literature.

Once the focus of your study is narrowed to the specific topic, you should cover the most recent and relevant literature (over the last 3-5 years) related to your research.

Ex. 1: Another important factor in inflation expectations is the oil price, which substantially impacts energy costs and wages, raising inflation (Baba and Lee, 2022 ). The effect of energy shocks on the United States has recently been discussed in the academic literature on finance and economics (e.g., Kilian and Zhou, 2022 ; Oloko et al., 2021 ; Pham et al., 2020 ).

Ex. 2: The main reason behind lack of using any latest technology in any organization is the backward mindedness of the leadership (Asif et al., 2021a ) at the same time technological turbulence also influence the impact of factors that promotes adoption of blockchain technology (Hammami et al., 2021 ; Ullah, et al., 2021a , 2021b ). Therefore, ignoring the use of these technologies, Islamic banks are lagging far behind in real competition with traditional banks (Hasan et al., 2020 ).

STEP 4. Highlight the gaps.

Identify areas where existing studies have not fully addressed the research methodology, variables, samples, or other factors. It will help you emphasize the need for your own study and contribute to filling in these missing pieces of knowledge.

Ex. 1: … However, there is currently a lack of studies that allow us to compare the effectiveness of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy responses to energy crises before and after the adoption of an explicit ITR.

Ex. 2: However, the pre-eruptive thermal precursors have not yet been thoroughly investigated at Aso volcano… The use of multiple methods to monitor long-term thermal activity (i.e. on the scale of years) has not yet been fully addressed …

STEP 5. Specify the objectives and significance.

Omission of research aims and importance can be strong reasons for paper rejection. Therefore, clearly state them in the introduction. Now, you are aware of the previous and current state of the studied topic. It’s time to determine the objectives and significance of your research. You may use the following phrases: The main aim of the present research is to … . It is of high importance as it will lead to… .

Ex. 1: Previous research has highlighted the importance of vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension and also the importance of reading experience to building this vocabulary knowledge. The key aims of the current study were to create a corpus of a sample of the texts used in the new exams to (1) identify vocabulary that is typical of the exam texts and (2) identify in which types of reading this vocabulary is most likely to be found.

Ex. 2: To address these limitations in the current literature , using a 15-year prospective longitudinal design, the present study had two broad objectives : (1) Examine the stability of ADHD symptomatology across a 15-year period from emerging adulthood (i.e., 18–25 years old) to early middle adulthood (i.e., 33–40 years old); and (2) evaluate the relative importance of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms as predictors of various life outcomes (e.g., relationship quality, employment outcomes, and mental health outcomes). Both of these objectives were examined with particular attention to potential gender differences.

STEP (optional). Clearly state your hypotheses or research questions

This part is optional to the introduction section. You are likely to meet it after the careful literature review. If the section about the theoretical background is absent or the structure of your paper allows, you should indicate your hypotheses / research questions here. These are central components of a study which provide an accurate direction for your investigation. This helps establish the rationale for your study, clearly frame your paper for the reader and make your research well-conceived.

Ex. 1: …we uncover varying impacts of homeownership on SWB by location, age and income. We set out four hypotheses below …

Ex. 2: SAS was delivered either through surface electrical stimulation of the DGN, or through electrodes implanted on the sacral afferent nerves. We hypothesise that SAS can suppress acute spasm of the lower limbs and reduce muscle stiffness in people with SCI.

STEP 6. Finish with a strong conclusion

Summarize the key points of your introduction. Besides, you might also consider giving a section-by-section overview of the paper (if it does not contradict the journal requirements).

Ex. 1: Here, we explore this particular refiner pattern and its family of related constructions by drawing analogies with two paradigmatic features of linguistic structure: distance dependencies and anaphora. We will first describe the constructs involved with these sequences, then show across three experiments that constraints operating on visual narrative sequencing share architectural and neurocognitive analogous to those in structures of language .

Ex. 2: The remainder of this paper is structured into six core sections. The second section provides a brief literature review, while the third section offers an outline of our econometric modeling strategy and provides insights into the employed dataset. Subsequently, the fourth section dissects the obtained results, while the fifth section provides a discussion of the results. The final segment offers a conclusive summary of key findings, discussing the policy implications of the study’s outcomes. …

Ex. 3: The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the model. Sections 3 and 4 characterize equilibrium and its welfare properties. Sections 5–8 analyze trade policy, competition policy, subsidies to storage, and long term contracts. Section 9 concludes. Proofs are collected in Appendix A. A list of all symbols used is in Appendix B .

There are some typical mistakes which should be avoided while writing the introduction section.

• Wordiness –> avoid adding too much general information despite the fact that firstly, you should introduce the broad context and then make your data more specific.
• Bulky text –> the text you are composing should be readable and easy to understand by any reader. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to simplify your research. This involves inclusion of relevant information, clear and understandable language.
• Overciting -> use no more than 3 references per a piece of text. Overciting is often discouraged by the journal.
• Absence of identified gaps and clear aims –> without clearly shown gaps it would be impossible to understand the obvious: what your research is written for; what novel ideas it contributes.
• Figures and tables –> introduction section does not imply showing results or methods and materials. Try not to put any visual materials unless it is approved by the editorial office.
• Numerous subsections –> an introduction should not be similar to a long-read. Instead, it should be quite brief and concise that is why avoid subsections. If you feel that this section can be much easier to perceive if divided into several parts, then format your text with sub-headings.

Writing a strong scientific introduction of the article for Scopus and Web of Science is a tough but realistic task. Our step-by-step guide on how to write a scientific introduction for a research paper will definitely help you to create an effective lead-in to your study. Writing of this section may be time-consuming, therefore, we recommend you to have “coffee breaks” or maybe even write it after all essential sections are ready and you have a comprehensive and consistent view of your article. A well-written introduction can increase the chances of getting your paper published in a reputable journal.

• What is the difference between the introduction and literature review sections?

An introduction is a beginning to the study which demonstrates that the author is aware of the previous published works and, thus, sets the scene of their research and overview what the reader is going to learn from the article. A literature review section implies the scrutinized analysis of the previous studies to provide a theoretical context for the research topic.

• What is the length of the introduction?

The length of the article introduction can vary across journals and research areas. Please refer to the guidelines. Typically, a good introduction should not be long (approximately 500-1000 words or 10 per cent from the whole manuscript length, i.e. if you have a 6000-word paper, your introduction (preferably) should be no more than 600 words).

• What should be included in the section?

To sum up, this section should include the introduced topic, problem statement and research background; identified gaps you are going to cover; your goals and research significance; hypotheses or research questions and paper structure (optional).

• May I include sub-headings in my introduction?

Yes, you may if there are no restrictions from the journal. However, try to avoid using them. This section should be brief. If you feel that your introduction can be much easier to perceive if divided into several parts, then format your text with sub-headings.

• Should I write about the findings and conclusions in the section?

You should not describe the results you obtained during your research (you have another section for it). You may just hypothetically suggest what can you find after conducting your research.

Enter Your Information Details

Need to publish an article in a journal indexed in the scientometric database:

Web of Science

Attach article

Application Comments

You will receive a response within 1-2 days.

Thank you for your interest in our company.

Unfortunately, we are not hiring writers now due to low season.

We will be glad to review your application in the future.

Custom paper and essay writing service

Your best grade guarantee. Any subject, any deadline.

Zero AI involvement, only human experts. Try EduBirdie

No AI, powered by human ingenuity

Top essay writers ready to help you

Check out 900+ writers who always follow instructions

Want to discuss your paper? Chat with our writers for FREE.

327 completed orders

• 14 more subjects

61 completed orders

• 16 more subjects

173 completed orders

• 10 more subjects

142 completed orders

• Criminology
• 8 more subjects

3356 completed orders

• Business and Entrepreneurship
• 43 more subjects

255 completed orders

• Law and Legal Issues
• 23 more subjects

722 completed orders

• 34 more subjects

74 completed orders

• 11 more subjects

422 completed orders

• 20 more subjects

76 completed orders

• 12 more subjects

Benefits and guarantees

Instructions are followed

Money-back is guaranteed

Deadlines are met

Confidentiality is ensured

Original content is provided

Support is available 24/7

Prices and services

Prices start at $13.99/page and depend on the page count, deadline, and writer's level

Included services

You’ll always get them for free

Reference page

Unlimited revisions

Additional services

You can add them for an extra payment

Early draft

+15% to the price

1-Page abstract

from $13.99

VIP support

Detailed outline

Fill out the form to see prices

Thousands of reviews from happy students

200K+ students have entrusted their papers to us

I used the services of Edubirdie for the first time. And I am very upset that I did not know about them earlier. Low prices and friendly writers. Good job, guys!

Outstanding! This was my first order and I am beyond satisfied. I was very leery because of a bad experience with a different group. I was referred to Edubirdie and wish I had been sooner.

The best academic writing service out there! Their writers are knowledgeable and deliver high-quality work that meets all requirements. Their customer service team is also responsive.

The platform offers excellent academic assistance, with proficient writers and a smooth experience. Highly recommended for everyone who is seeking real support with education.

I'm satisfied with the service quality. The writers exhibited expertise, delivering my paper on time. A reliable option for all students.

I placed an order for an admission essay and received it the same day. Thank you so much.

Overall the whole experience was nice, the person I worked with did a great job at following the instructions & made things easier for me. Very much happy

My experience using EduBirdie has been smooth and I would definitely recommend this service.

Quick and Easy to process my needs. Selecting writers and reviewing their profiles before paying to see if they had prior writing experience in a certain degree field was amazing.

Prompt and speedy assistance with all my essay needs

Outstanding! last-minute paper was needed and was done before the deadline. Thank you so much!

It was a big project, so I requested a few rough drafts. I received 270 out of 300 points for my assignment. The writer stayed in contact with me and delivered! I would hire again.

The writer followed instructions to the letter and even asked for clarification to ensure a job well done. Exceptional experience.

Delivery of essay was fast. I had a timeline for 4 days and he delivered in 1 day!! Phenomenal!

Excellent service and very punctual. Highly recommended

Excellent essay went above and beyond!

Great experience, great essay. I’m amazed at how quick and easy this was. Thanks so much!

This was my first time ever using a service like this, very satisfied with writer and the service provided.

Your EduBirdie journey

1. Create an order

Fill out our order form to be matched with the best writers.

2. Choose a writer

Chat with the writers, compare prices, and make a choice.

3. Make a payment

The deposit will stay on your balance until the order is ready.

4. Get your paper

Read through your paper to make sure it’s just as you want it.

• 10K+ orders are completed monthly
• 86% of customers have improved their grades
• 9/10 of orders are delivered before their deadlines

EduBirdie: the paper writing service you can trust

Sometimes things just don't go as planned. You miss deadlines, spend much time on research, cannot come up with an interesting topic, or have no time to properly edit the text before submission. EduBirdie online essay writing service was created to eliminate such issues and help students with their academic performance! We have gathered only the most skilled essay writers for our essay service who provide original, custom papers for any educational level. Experienced proofreaders team will ensure the essay is plagiarism-free.

Types of essay service types we do at our essay paper writing service

Professional team of experts on our essay writing service deals with the various subjects can handle any academic essay, including but not limited to analytical, compare & contrast, narrative, expository, argumentative, persuasive, descriptive, and so on. On top of that, there are professionals who’ll gladly work on your law case study, nursing report, or history presentation. Our paper writing service can handle every write my paper request!

Do not hesitate to request help from an essay writer as we have experts for a variety of subjects who are prepared to work on your essay for Geography, International Law, Sociology, Philosophy, Culture, Ethics, and other classes. Our essay writer service can cover all of your needs and various essay types, depending on your grading rubric and discipline.

How our essay writing service will write your essay

Basically, anyone can apply for a position to become a writer in our custom essay writing service, but first of all, all future essay writers should pass all hiring steps which help prove their knowledge and skills. Most editors are native speakers who hold Masters and Ph.D. degrees from American universities. They all were students at some point in their life and understand all struggles of keeping up with a schedule. Being experts in different subjects as we offer online writing, they create only free-from-plagiarism content and are aware of relevant academic rules.

EduBirdie aims at keeping the bar of excellence high and stand by acquired standards. To achieve it, we hire writers who possess the following qualities:

• Excellent written & spoken English
• Punctuality & discipline by every essay writer
• Professional writing services include editing and proofreading.
• Native professional essay writers
• Ability to follow guidelines to the dot
• Good interpersonal communication skills by every writer at our essay service
• Experienced in academic writing, editing, formatting

Our best academic help service provides every client with a unique opportunity to choose a preferred writer. All of them have their own profiles with descriptions of their skills, education, number of completed orders, and client’s feedback. Another peculiarity that is not often met at the other essay writing services is communication with the writer directly, as we believe cooperation helps in achieving better results.

How to place an order with our essay writing service

EduBirdie is a professional essay writing service that cares about the quality of each paper delivered to our clients. If you strive for excellent results, provide as much information about your paper as possible in order to receive the best writing services. Tell us the paper title, number of pages, deadline, formatting style, and number of sources for citation. Be attentive, attach full requirements from your college professor or copy and paste them into the order form. It will help your essay writer to assist you the best way possible. Preferably, send your scoring rubric, lecture notes or presentations, textbooks, or any other useful materials. At this stage, a lot depends on you as well as cooperation with your personal writing assistant. Don’t hesitate over sending guidelines to your essay writer after the order was placed. Better late than never!

Writing process in a nutshell as you contact your essay writer

Writers at EduBirdie paper writing service are devoted to what they do and have an inbuilt process of completing any order. Here’s how the writing process is usually organized:

• After accepting your project, the writer at our paper writing service checks all instructions, ensuring nothing valuable is missed.
• They get familiar with the topic - do research on the Internet, find scholarly sources from credible databases, read them thoroughly, and make notes.
• Writers create an outline along with the thesis for themselves so that the final paper is organized, smooth, and has a flow.
• The next step is drafting a paper from scratch, implementing sources, and incorporating evidence. You may ask for a draft by messaging an expert, checking it or providing some comments for improvement, so your essay writer can revise and edit things accordingly.
• At the end, the essay writer produces the final variant, cites all used sources, proofreads, and edits the text before delivering it. If you are not satisfied with your assignment for some reason, there is an opportunity to request free unlimited revisions or ask another editor for improvements. Alternatively, in accordance with our customer satisfaction policy, you may request a refund from our paper writing service if you think instructions were not followed.

Affordable prices at our essay writing service

In comparison with other essay writing services, our company cares about its clients and provides top services that’ll fit any budget. We know how difficult it may be for a student to earn or save money, so prices start at only $13.99 per page. That is why our essay writers have many regular customers who use our help constantly as they seek essay writing services. EduBirdie’s mission is to make online essay service affordable.

How we achieve quality by offering writing services

Customer satisfaction is our priority, and we work each day on the improvement of custom essay writing. We guarantee that only the most suitable and experienced essay writer will work on your order. Your instructions will be followed to the letter by your essay writer, all details included. Our essay writing help editors will proofread every sentence, fix typos, and correct grammar or lexical mistakes.

Have no doubts as only most high-tech tools are used to scan all texts for plagiarism to ensure 100% originality of each assignment. Our essay service utilizes only credible scholarly materials for supporting arguments in the paper. In addition, in-house experts double-check the paper’s compliance with initial guidelines, formatting, along with in-text citations. Every order is under the strict control of our professional essay writing service team. Our essay writers know what is expected! When you approach our essay writing service, you will meet the highest quality and plagiarism-free work!

Order any essay or paper

• Research paper
• Essay (any type)
• Admission essay
• Scholarship essay
• Annotated bibliography
• Research proposal
• Presentation
• Capstone project
• Dissertation
• Personal statement
• Nursing paper

Join our student community

EduBirdie is more than just a writing platform

subscribers

Of course! We worked very hard to find the best essay writers experienced in any subject, even the most complicated like Physics, Engineering, or Informational Technologies.

Our service is legal and is used by hundreds of students day by day. You can read reviews about our custom essay writing service.

You should not worry about safety, as all payments are protected. We are MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discovery verified. EduBirdie essay service has no access to your personal data. In addition, there is a money-back guarantee.

Writers need at least 3 hours to complete a short essay. If you need help with a more complicated, lengthy paper, contact us beforehand. Your writing assistant will have more time for analysis and will produce an excellent piece.

Pricing starts at $13.99 per page and depends on the type of services requested, paper length, and deadline. Also, we use a bidding system where writers offer their own prices, so there is a chance to communicate with them directly and get a good deal.

Absolutely! Every paper is completed by EduBirdie writers from scratch and is double-checked with our plagiarism tool. We will never deliver pre-written essays or papers with copied text in it.

Our writers are freelancers, and since writing essays is their job, they charge for it. There is always an opportunity to lower the price by choosing a longer deadline, ordering fewer pages, or requesting editing instead of writing.

Have more questions?

Mary , Head of Support

As featured in

Join our 150K of happy users

• Get original papers written according to your instructions
• Save time for what matters most

Get matched with your perfect student accommodation today

How to Write an Introduction for a Dissertation

Table of contents

Understanding the importance of a dissertation introduction.

A dissertation introduction serves multiple purposes. Firstly, it establishes the context and background of your research. It offers a brief overview of the topic and provides a rationale for why it is worth investigating. Additionally, it sets the tone for the rest of your dissertation by giving readers a glimpse of the research question and the overall structure of your work. The introduction also helps readers understand the significance of your research and the potential implications it may have in your field of study.

The Role of an Introduction in Your Dissertation

The introduction plays a crucial role in capturing the reader's attention and generating interest in your research. It should provide a clear and concise overview of your dissertation's objectives, research question, and methodology. By setting the stage early on, you create a strong foundation for the rest of your work, ensuring that your readers are engaged and motivated to delve further into your research.

Key Elements to Include in Your Introduction

An effective dissertation introduction should include several key elements. Firstly, provide a succinct background of the topic, highlighting the gaps or challenges in existing literature that your research aims to address. Next, clearly state your research question or hypothesis, outlining its relevance and potential impact. It is also crucial to provide an overview of your research methodology, explaining how you plan to gather and analyze data. Lastly, briefly outline the structure of your dissertation, indicating what each chapter will cover.

Furthermore, it is important to consider the significance of your research within the broader academic landscape. By highlighting the potential contributions your work can make to the field, you demonstrate its relevance and value. This can be achieved by discussing any practical applications or theoretical advancements that may arise from your research findings.

Moreover, it is worth mentioning the limitations of your study. Acknowledging the boundaries and constraints of your research helps to establish a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. This transparency adds credibility to your work and allows readers to assess the validity and reliability of your findings.

Preparing to Write Your Dissertation Introduction

Before diving into writing your introduction, it is essential to adequately prepare yourself. Start by conducting preliminary research on your topic to familiarize yourself with existing studies and identify the research gaps. This will help you understand the context and significance of your own research. Once you have a clear understanding of your topic, consider outlining your introduction, noting down the key points you want to cover. This outline will serve as a roadmap for your writing process, ensuring that you address each element of a compelling introduction.

Conducting Preliminary Research

To conduct preliminary research, begin by exploring academic databases, journals, and books relevant to your field. Familiarize yourself with the key theories, concepts, and research findings that are relevant to your topic. This background knowledge will not only enhance the credibility of your research but also enable you to situate your work within the existing literature.

Moreover, when conducting preliminary research, it is crucial to critically evaluate the sources you come across. Assess the credibility and reliability of the information presented, considering factors such as the author's expertise, the publication's reputation, and the methodology employed. By engaging in this rigorous evaluation process, you can ensure that you base your dissertation introduction on trustworthy and robust evidence.

Outlining Your Introduction

Creating an outline for your introduction can help you organize your thoughts and ensure that you cover all the essential elements. Start by clearly defining your research question or hypothesis. Next, outline the background and context of your research, highlighting the existing gaps or limitations in current literature. Then, briefly describe your research methodology, including the methods and techniques you will use to collect and analyze data. Lastly, outline the structure of your dissertation, indicating what each chapter will aim to achieve.

When outlining your introduction, it is worth considering the significance of your research in the broader academic and practical context. Reflect on how your study contributes to the existing body of knowledge and how it may have real-world implications. By highlighting the potential impact of your research, you can generate interest and engagement from readers, making your dissertation introduction even more compelling.

Writing the Dissertation Introduction

With your research and outline in place, it's time to take the plunge and start writing your dissertation introduction. The opening statement is a critical component that captures the reader's attention and sets the tone for the rest of your work.

Before delving into the intricacies of crafting a compelling opening statement, it is essential to acknowledge the significance of this section in setting the stage for your dissertation. The introduction serves as the gateway to your research, offering a glimpse into the depth and relevance of your study. It is your opportunity to engage your audience from the outset and establish the foundation upon which your arguments will be built.

Crafting a Compelling Opening Statement

Your opening statement should hook the reader and make them eager to explore your research. Consider using a thought-provoking question, a startling statistic, or a captivating anecdote related to your topic. By creating an emotional or intellectual connection , you can grab the reader's attention and make them curious about your research.

Furthermore, the art of crafting a compelling opening statement lies not only in its ability to intrigue but also in its capacity to provide a glimpse of the journey that lies ahead. By offering a tantalising preview of the key themes and findings that will be explored in your dissertation, you can pique the reader's interest and motivate them to delve deeper into your work.

Presenting Your Research Question

After grabbing the reader's attention, clearly state your research question or hypothesis. Make sure it is concise, specific, and aligned with the objectives of your study. Highlight the novelty or significance of your research question, explaining why it is worth investigating.

Outlining Your Research Methodology

In this section, provide an overview of your research methodology. Explain the methods and techniques you will use to collect and analyze data, ensuring that they are appropriate for your research question. This will help the reader understand the rigor and validity of your research approach.

Tips for Refining Your Dissertation Introduction

Once you have written your first draft of the introduction, it is crucial to review and refine it to enhance its clarity and impact. Consider the following tips to make your introduction shine:

When refining your dissertation introduction, it is important to delve deeper into the key concepts and arguments you are introducing to your readers. Providing a clear and concise overview of the research aims and objectives will help set the tone for the rest of your dissertation. Consider outlining the structure of your introduction to guide your readers through the upcoming sections.

Reviewing and Revising Your Introduction

Take the time to review your introduction critically. Ensure that each sentence contributes to the overall flow of ideas. Check for any grammatical errors, awkward phrasings, or unnecessary jargon. A well-written and polished introduction will create a positive impression and set the stage for a successful dissertation.

Moreover, pay attention to the coherence and logical progression of your ideas within the introduction. Make sure that each paragraph smoothly transitions to the next, building a strong foundation for the reader to engage with your research. By maintaining a clear and logical structure, you can effectively convey the significance of your study and capture the reader's interest from the outset.

Seeking Feedback on Your Introduction

While you may have invested significant time and effort in writing your introduction, it is always helpful to seek feedback from peers, colleagues, or your supervisor. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement, helping you refine your ideas and make your introduction even stronger.

Additionally, consider presenting your introduction to individuals outside your field of study to gain a fresh perspective. This diverse feedback can highlight areas that may require further clarification or refinement, ensuring that your introduction resonates with a broader audience. Embracing constructive criticism will ultimately strengthen your introduction and elevate the overall quality of your dissertation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Dissertation Introduction

Overloading your introduction with information.

While it is essential to provide relevant background information and context, be mindful of overwhelming the reader with an excessive amount of detail. Focus on the key points that directly contribute to your research objectives and avoid digressions or unnecessary tangents.

Neglecting to Highlight the Significance of Your Research

Ensure that your introduction clearly emphasizes the significance of your research. Highlight why your study is important and how it contributes to the existing knowledge in your field. By emphasizing the value of your research, you create a compelling case for its relevance and impact.

Writing an effective introduction for a dissertation is a vital step in the research process. By understanding the importance of the introduction, preparing adequately, and following the tips provided, you can create an engaging and impactful opening chapter for your dissertation. Remember, a well-crafted introduction sets the stage for the rest of your work, captivating the reader and guiding them through your research journey.

Blog categories

Featured posts.

Affordable Student Halls in London

Top Student Summer Jobs for 2024

Discover the Best Private Student Halls in London

Get new property updates to your inbox, we'll use your university email to contact you about relevant homes and news..

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.

Associated Schools

Harvard Faculty of Arts & Sciences

What you'll learn.

When and how to employ a variety of rhetorical devices in writing and speaking

How to differentiate between argument and rhetorical technique

How to write a persuasive opinion editorial and short speech

How to evaluate the strength of an argument

How to identify logical fallacies in arguments

Course description

We are living in a contentious time in history. Fundamental disagreements on critical political issues make it essential to learn how to make an argument and analyze the arguments of others. This ability will help you engage in civil discourse and make effective changes in society. Even outside the political sphere, conveying a convincing message can benefit you throughout your personal, public, and professional lives.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of rhetoric, the art of persuasive writing and speech. In it, you will learn to construct and defend compelling arguments, an essential skill in many settings. We will be using selected addresses from prominent twentieth-century Americans — including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Margaret Chase Smith, Ronald Reagan, and more — to explore and analyze rhetorical structure and style. Through this analysis, you will learn how speakers and writers persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.

Built around Harvard Professor James Engell’s on-campus course, “Elements of Rhetoric,” this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and style, appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own life, and understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!

Course Outline

Introduction to Rhetoric

• Define the term "rhetoric."
• Articulate the importance of effective communication.
• Summarize the history of rhetorical study, from the ancient Greeks to the modern-day.
• Identify the parts of discourse.
• Define the three modes of appeal.
• Identify tropes and schemes, and explain their use in composition.
• Compose an opinion editorial on a topic of your choice.

Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech
• Define inductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of inductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Define deductive reasoning and some of its associated topics
• Identify instances of deductive reasoning in writing and speech
• Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument's refutation
• Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far into the final draft of your op-ed

Gun Control - Sarah Brady and Charlton Heston

• Analyze Sarah Brady’s Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech.
• Analyze Charlton Heston’s speech on the Second Amendment.
• Define “inductive reasoning” and some of its associated topics
• Define “deductive reasoning” and some of its associated topics
• Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument’s refutation
• Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far in the final draft of your op-ed

Introduction to Oratory

• Describe the origins of the practice of oratory.
• Recognize ways in which orators tailor their writing for the spoken word.
• Describe techniques for effective public speaking, both prepared and extemporaneous.
• Brainstorm ideas for your own short speech.

The Red Scare - Joseph McCarthy and Margaret Chase Smith

• Analyze Joseph McCarthy’s “Enemies Within” speech.
• Analyze Margaret Chase Smith’s "A Declaration of Conscience" speech.
• Identify the modes of appeal and the logical reasoning of the featured speeches.
• Identify both common and special topics used in these speeches, like cause and effect, testimony, justice and injustice, and comparison, and begin to recognize their use in other speeches.
• Identify examples from these speeches of logical fallacies including the either/or fallacy, the fallacy of affirming the consequent, the argument ad hominem, the argument ad populum, begging the question, the complex question, and the use of imprecise language.
• Discuss the importance of winning and keeping an audience’s trust and the pros and cons of attempting to tear down their confidence in an opponent.
• Define for yourself the definition of "extremist rhetoric," debate its use as a political tool.
• Consider the moral responsibilities of those who would seek to persuade others through language.

Presidential Rhetoric - John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan

• Discuss how the audience and the desired tone for a speech can influence diction (word choice).
• Compare the effects of using passive vs. active voice, and first-person vs. other tenses in a speech.
• Discuss the effectiveness of the use of symbolism in writing and speech.
• Define hyperbole, antimetabole, and polysyndeton, and identify when these devices might be appropriate and useful in terms of persuasion.
• Describe techniques for connecting with your audience, including storytelling and drawing on shared experience.

Instructors

James Engell

You may also like.

Masterpieces of World Literature

Embark on a global journey to explore the past, present, and future of world literature.

Modern Masterpieces of World Literature

Examine how great modern writers capture the intricacies of our globalized world and how their works circulate within that world to find their own audiences.

Sikhism Through Its Scriptures

This course examines the Sikh scripture from a doctrinal and historical perspective by providing an overview of Sikh teachings as well as the historical context within which the scripture evolved and became canonized.

Join our list to learn more

ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to hyper-charge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth used by more than 92% of Fortune 500 companies .

That growth has propelled OpenAI itself into becoming one of the most-hyped companies in recent memory. And its latest partnership with Apple for its upcoming generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, has given the company another significant bump in the AI race.

2024 also saw the release of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s new flagship omni model for ChatGPT. GPT-4o is now the default free model, complete with voice and vision capabilities. But after demoing GPT-4o, OpenAI paused one of its voices , Sky, after allegations that it was mimicking Scarlett Johansson’s voice in “Her.”

OpenAI is facing internal drama, including the sizable exit of co-founder and longtime chief scientist Ilya Sutskever as the company dissolved its Superalignment team. OpenAI is also facing a lawsuit from Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers , including the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune, for alleged copyright infringement, following a similar suit filed by The New York Times last year.

Here’s a timeline of ChatGPT product updates and releases, starting with the latest, which we’ve been updating throughout the year. And if you have any other questions, check out our ChatGPT FAQ here.

Timeline of the most recent ChatGPT updates

February 2024, january 2024.

• ChatGPT FAQs

Apple brings ChatGPT to its apps, including Siri

Apple announced at WWDC 2024 that it is bringing ChatGPT to Siri and other first-party apps and capabilities across its operating systems. The ChatGPT integrations, powered by GPT-4o, will arrive on iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia later this year, and will be free without the need to create a ChatGPT or OpenAI account. Features exclusive to paying ChatGPT users will also be available through Apple devices .

Apple is bringing ChatGPT to Siri and other first-party apps and capabilities across its operating systems #WWDC24 Read more: https://t.co/0NJipSNJoS pic.twitter.com/EjQdPBuyy4 — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) June 10, 2024

House Oversight subcommittee invites Scarlett Johansson to testify about ‘Sky’ controversy

Scarlett Johansson has been invited to testify about the controversy surrounding OpenAI’s Sky voice at a hearing for the House Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation. In a letter, Rep. Nancy Mace said Johansson’s testimony could “provide a platform” for concerns around deepfakes.

ChatGPT experiences two outages in a single day

ChatGPT was down twice in one day: one multi-hour outage in the early hours of the morning Tuesday and another outage later in the day that is still ongoing. Anthropic’s Claude and Perplexity also experienced some issues.

You're not alone, ChatGPT is down once again. pic.twitter.com/Ydk2vNOOK6 — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) June 4, 2024

The Atlantic and Vox Media ink content deals with OpenAI

The Atlantic and Vox Media have announced licensing and product partnerships with OpenAI . Both agreements allow OpenAI to use the publishers’ current content to generate responses in ChatGPT, which will feature citations to relevant articles. Vox Media says it will use OpenAI’s technology to build “audience-facing and internal applications,” while The Atlantic will build a new experimental product called Atlantic Labs .

I am delighted that @theatlantic now has a strategic content & product partnership with @openai . Our stories will be discoverable in their new products and we'll be working with them to figure out new ways that AI can help serious, independent media : https://t.co/nfSVXW9KpB — nxthompson (@nxthompson) May 29, 2024

OpenAI signs 100K PwC workers to ChatGPT’s enterprise tier

OpenAI announced a new deal with management consulting giant PwC . The company will become OpenAI’s biggest customer to date, covering 100,000 users, and will become OpenAI’s first partner for selling its enterprise offerings to other businesses.

OpenAI says it is training its GPT-4 successor

OpenAI announced in a blog post that it has recently begun training its next flagship model to succeed GPT-4. The news came in an announcement of its new safety and security committee, which is responsible for informing safety and security decisions across OpenAI’s products.

Former OpenAI director claims the board found out about ChatGPT on Twitter

On the The TED AI Show podcast, former OpenAI board member Helen Toner revealed that the board did not know about ChatGPT until its launch in November 2022. Toner also said that Sam Altman gave the board inaccurate information about the safety processes the company had in place and that he didn’t disclose his involvement in the OpenAI Startup Fund.

Sharing this, recorded a few weeks ago. Most of the episode is about AI policy more broadly, but this was my first longform interview since the OpenAI investigation closed, so we also talked a bit about November. Thanks to @bilawalsidhu for a fun conversation! https://t.co/h0PtK06T0K — Helen Toner (@hlntnr) May 28, 2024

ChatGPT’s mobile app revenue saw biggest spike yet following GPT-4o launch

The launch of GPT-4o has driven the company’s biggest-ever spike in revenue on mobile , despite the model being freely available on the web. Mobile users are being pushed to upgrade to its $19.99 monthly subscription, ChatGPT Plus, if they want to experiment with OpenAI’s most recent launch.

OpenAI to remove ChatGPT’s Scarlett Johansson-like voice

After demoing its new GPT-4o model last week, OpenAI announced it is pausing one of its voices , Sky, after users found that it sounded similar to Scarlett Johansson in “Her.”

OpenAI explained in a blog post that Sky’s voice is “not an imitation” of the actress and that AI voices should not intentionally mimic the voice of a celebrity. The blog post went on to explain how the company chose its voices: Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper and Sky.

We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky. We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them. Read more about how we chose these voices: https://t.co/R8wwZjU36L — OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 20, 2024

ChatGPT lets you add files from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive

OpenAI announced new updates for easier data analysis within ChatGPT . Users can now upload files directly from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, interact with tables and charts, and export customized charts for presentations. The company says these improvements will be added to GPT-4o in the coming weeks.

We're rolling out interactive tables and charts along with the ability to add files directly from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive into ChatGPT. Available to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users over the coming weeks. https://t.co/Fu2bgMChXt pic.twitter.com/M9AHLx5BKr — OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 16, 2024

OpenAI inks deal to train AI on Reddit data

OpenAI announced a partnership with Reddit that will give the company access to “real-time, structured and unique content” from the social network. Content from Reddit will be incorporated into ChatGPT, and the companies will work together to bring new AI-powered features to Reddit users and moderators.

We’re partnering with Reddit to bring its content to ChatGPT and new products: https://t.co/xHgBZ8ptOE — OpenAI (@OpenAI) May 16, 2024

OpenAI debuts GPT-4o “omni” model now powering ChatGPT

OpenAI’s spring update event saw the reveal of its new omni model, GPT-4o, which has a black hole-like interface , as well as voice and vision capabilities that feel eerily like something out of “Her.” GPT-4o is set to roll out “iteratively” across its developer and consumer-facing products over the next few weeks.

OpenAI demos real-time language translation with its latest GPT-4o model. pic.twitter.com/pXtHQ9mKGc — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 13, 2024

OpenAI to build a tool that lets content creators opt out of AI training

The company announced it’s building a tool, Media Manager, that will allow creators to better control how their content is being used to train generative AI models — and give them an option to opt out. The goal is to have the new tool in place and ready to use by 2025.

OpenAI explores allowing AI porn

In a new peek behind the curtain of its AI’s secret instructions , OpenAI also released a new NSFW policy . Though it’s intended to start a conversation about how it might allow explicit images and text in its AI products, it raises questions about whether OpenAI — or any generative AI vendor — can be trusted to handle sensitive content ethically.

OpenAI and Stack Overflow announce partnership

In a new partnership, OpenAI will get access to developer platform Stack Overflow’s API and will get feedback from developers to improve the performance of their AI models. In return, OpenAI will include attributions to Stack Overflow in ChatGPT. However, the deal was not favorable to some Stack Overflow users — leading to some sabotaging their answer in protest .

U.S. newspapers file copyright lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft

Alden Global Capital-owned newspapers, including the New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, and the Denver Post, are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges that the companies stole millions of copyrighted articles “without permission and without payment” to bolster ChatGPT and Copilot.

OpenAI inks content licensing deal with Financial Times

OpenAI has partnered with another news publisher in Europe, London’s Financial Times , that the company will be paying for content access. “Through the partnership, ChatGPT users will be able to see select attributed summaries, quotes and rich links to FT journalism in response to relevant queries,” the FT wrote in a press release.

OpenAI opens Tokyo hub, adds GPT-4 model optimized for Japanese

OpenAI is opening a new office in Tokyo and has plans for a GPT-4 model optimized specifically for the Japanese language. The move underscores how OpenAI will likely need to localize its technology to different languages as it expands.

Sam Altman pitches ChatGPT Enterprise to Fortune 500 companies

According to Reuters, OpenAI’s Sam Altman hosted hundreds of executives from Fortune 500 companies across several cities in April, pitching versions of its AI services intended for corporate use.

OpenAI releases “more direct, less verbose” version of GPT-4 Turbo

Premium ChatGPT users — customers paying for ChatGPT Plus, Team or Enterprise — can now use an updated and enhanced version of GPT-4 Turbo . The new model brings with it improvements in writing, math, logical reasoning and coding, OpenAI claims, as well as a more up-to-date knowledge base.

Our new GPT-4 Turbo is now available to paid ChatGPT users. We’ve improved capabilities in writing, math, logical reasoning, and coding. Source: https://t.co/fjoXDCOnPr pic.twitter.com/I4fg4aDq1T — OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 12, 2024

ChatGPT no longer requires an account — but there’s a catch

You can now use ChatGPT without signing up for an account , but it won’t be quite the same experience. You won’t be able to save or share chats, use custom instructions, or other features associated with a persistent account. This version of ChatGPT will have “slightly more restrictive content policies,” according to OpenAI. When TechCrunch asked for more details, however, the response was unclear:

“The signed out experience will benefit from the existing safety mitigations that are already built into the model, such as refusing to generate harmful content. In addition to these existing mitigations, we are also implementing additional safeguards specifically designed to address other forms of content that may be inappropriate for a signed out experience,” a spokesperson said.

OpenAI’s chatbot store is filling up with spam

TechCrunch found that the OpenAI’s GPT Store is flooded with bizarre, potentially copyright-infringing GPTs . A cursory search pulls up GPTs that claim to generate art in the style of Disney and Marvel properties, but serve as little more than funnels to third-party paid services and advertise themselves as being able to bypass AI content detection tools.

The New York Times responds to OpenAI’s claims that it “hacked” ChatGPT for its copyright lawsuit

In a court filing opposing OpenAI’s motion to dismiss The New York Times’ lawsuit alleging copyright infringement, the newspaper asserted that “OpenAI’s attention-grabbing claim that The Times ‘hacked’ its products is as irrelevant as it is false.” The New York Times also claimed that some users of ChatGPT used the tool to bypass its paywalls.

OpenAI VP doesn’t say whether artists should be paid for training data

At a SXSW 2024 panel, Peter Deng, OpenAI’s VP of consumer product dodged a question on whether artists whose work was used to train generative AI models should be compensated . While OpenAI lets artists “opt out” of and remove their work from the datasets that the company uses to train its image-generating models, some artists have described the tool as onerous.

A new report estimates that ChatGPT uses more than half a million kilowatt-hours of electricity per day

ChatGPT’s environmental impact appears to be massive. According to a report from The New Yorker , ChatGPT uses an estimated 17,000 times the amount of electricity than the average U.S. household to respond to roughly 200 million requests each day.

ChatGPT can now read its answers aloud

OpenAI released a new Read Aloud feature for the web version of ChatGPT as well as the iOS and Android apps. The feature allows ChatGPT to read its responses to queries in one of five voice options and can speak 37 languages, according to the company. Read aloud is available on both GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 models.

ChatGPT can now read responses to you. On iOS or Android, tap and hold the message and then tap “Read Aloud”. We’ve also started rolling on web – click the "Read Aloud" button below the message. pic.twitter.com/KevIkgAFbG — OpenAI (@OpenAI) March 4, 2024

OpenAI partners with Dublin City Council to use GPT-4 for tourism

As part of a new partnership with OpenAI, the Dublin City Council will use GPT-4 to craft personalized itineraries for travelers, including recommendations of unique and cultural destinations, in an effort to support tourism across Europe.

A law firm used ChatGPT to justify a six-figure bill for legal services

New York-based law firm Cuddy Law was criticized by a judge for using ChatGPT to calculate their hourly billing rate . The firm submitted a $113,500 bill to the court, which was then halved by District Judge Paul Engelmayer, who called the figure “well above” reasonable demands.

ChatGPT experienced a bizarre bug for several hours

ChatGPT users found that ChatGPT was giving nonsensical answers for several hours , prompting OpenAI to investigate the issue. Incidents varied from repetitive phrases to confusing and incorrect answers to queries. The issue was resolved by OpenAI the following morning.

Match Group announced deal with OpenAI with a press release co-written by ChatGPT

The dating app giant home to Tinder, Match and OkCupid announced an enterprise agreement with OpenAI in an enthusiastic press release written with the help of ChatGPT . The AI tech will be used to help employees with work-related tasks and come as part of Match’s $20 million-plus bet on AI in 2024.

ChatGPT will now remember — and forget — things you tell it to

As part of a test, OpenAI began rolling out new “memory” controls for a small portion of ChatGPT free and paid users, with a broader rollout to follow. The controls let you tell ChatGPT explicitly to remember something, see what it remembers or turn off its memory altogether. Note that deleting a chat from chat history won’t erase ChatGPT’s or a custom GPT’s memories — you must delete the memory itself.

We’re testing ChatGPT's ability to remember things you discuss to make future chats more helpful. This feature is being rolled out to a small portion of Free and Plus users, and it's easy to turn on or off. https://t.co/1Tv355oa7V pic.twitter.com/BsFinBSTbs — OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 13, 2024

OpenAI begins rolling out “Temporary Chat” feature

Initially limited to a small subset of free and subscription users, Temporary Chat lets you have a dialogue with a blank slate. With Temporary Chat, ChatGPT won’t be aware of previous conversations or access memories but will follow custom instructions if they’re enabled.

But, OpenAI says it may keep a copy of Temporary Chat conversations for up to 30 days for “safety reasons.”

Use temporary chat for conversations in which you don’t want to use memory or appear in history. pic.twitter.com/H1U82zoXyC — OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 13, 2024

ChatGPT users can now invoke GPTs directly in chats

Paid users of ChatGPT can now bring GPTs into a conversation by typing “@” and selecting a GPT from the list. The chosen GPT will have an understanding of the full conversation, and different GPTs can be “tagged in” for different use cases and needs.

You can now bring GPTs into any conversation in ChatGPT – simply type @ and select the GPT. This allows you to add relevant GPTs with the full context of the conversation. pic.twitter.com/Pjn5uIy9NF — OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 30, 2024

ChatGPT is reportedly leaking usernames and passwords from users’ private conversations

Screenshots provided to Ars Technica found that ChatGPT is potentially leaking unpublished research papers, login credentials and private information from its users. An OpenAI representative told Ars Technica that the company was investigating the report.

ChatGPT is violating Europe’s privacy laws, Italian DPA tells OpenAI

OpenAI has been told it’s suspected of violating European Union privacy , following a multi-month investigation of ChatGPT by Italy’s data protection authority. Details of the draft findings haven’t been disclosed, but in a response, OpenAI said: “We want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals.”

OpenAI partners with Common Sense Media to collaborate on AI guidelines

In an effort to win the trust of parents and policymakers, OpenAI announced it’s partnering with Common Sense Media to collaborate on AI guidelines and education materials for parents, educators and young adults. The organization works to identify and minimize tech harms to young people and previously flagged ChatGPT as lacking in transparency and privacy .

OpenAI responds to Congressional Black Caucus about lack of diversity on its board

After a letter from the Congressional Black Caucus questioned the lack of diversity in OpenAI’s board, the company responded . The response, signed by CEO Sam Altman and Chairman of the Board Bret Taylor, said building a complete and diverse board was one of the company’s top priorities and that it was working with an executive search firm to assist it in finding talent. 

OpenAI drops prices and fixes ‘lazy’ GPT-4 that refused to work

In a blog post , OpenAI announced price drops for GPT-3.5’s API, with input prices dropping to 50% and output by 25%, to $0.0005 per thousand tokens in, and $0.0015 per thousand tokens out. GPT-4 Turbo also got a new preview model for API use, which includes an interesting fix that aims to reduce “laziness” that users have experienced.

Expanding the platform for @OpenAIDevs : new generation of embedding models, updated GPT-4 Turbo, and lower pricing on GPT-3.5 Turbo. https://t.co/7wzCLwB1ax — OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 25, 2024

OpenAI bans developer of a bot impersonating a presidential candidate

OpenAI has suspended AI startup Delphi, which developed a bot impersonating Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) to help bolster his presidential campaign. The ban comes just weeks after OpenAI published a plan to combat election misinformation, which listed “chatbots impersonating candidates” as against its policy.

OpenAI announces partnership with Arizona State University

Beginning in February, Arizona State University will have full access to ChatGPT’s Enterprise tier , which the university plans to use to build a personalized AI tutor, develop AI avatars, bolster their prompt engineering course and more. It marks OpenAI’s first partnership with a higher education institution.

Winner of a literary prize reveals around 5% her novel was written by ChatGPT

After receiving the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for her novel The Tokyo Tower of Sympathy, author Rie Kudan admitted that around 5% of the book quoted ChatGPT-generated sentences “verbatim.” Interestingly enough, the novel revolves around a futuristic world with a pervasive presence of AI.

Sam Altman teases video capabilities for ChatGPT and the release of GPT-5

In a conversation with Bill Gates on the Unconfuse Me podcast, Sam Altman confirmed an upcoming release of GPT-5 that will be “fully multimodal with speech, image, code, and video support.” Altman said users can expect to see GPT-5 drop sometime in 2024.

OpenAI announces team to build ‘crowdsourced’ governance ideas into its models

OpenAI is forming a Collective Alignment team of researchers and engineers to create a system for collecting and “encoding” public input on its models’ behaviors into OpenAI products and services. This comes as a part of OpenAI’s public program to award grants to fund experiments in setting up a “democratic process” for determining the rules AI systems follow.

OpenAI unveils plan to combat election misinformation

In a blog post, OpenAI announced users will not be allowed to build applications for political campaigning and lobbying until the company works out how effective their tools are for “personalized persuasion.”

Users will also be banned from creating chatbots that impersonate candidates or government institutions, and from using OpenAI tools to misrepresent the voting process or otherwise discourage voting.

The company is also testing out a tool that detects DALL-E generated images and will incorporate access to real-time news, with attribution, in ChatGPT.

Snapshot of how we’re preparing for 2024’s worldwide elections: • Working to prevent abuse, including misleading deepfakes • Providing transparency on AI-generated content • Improving access to authoritative voting information https://t.co/qsysYy5l0L — OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 15, 2024

OpenAI changes policy to allow military applications

In an unannounced update to its usage policy , OpenAI removed language previously prohibiting the use of its products for the purposes of “military and warfare.” In an additional statement, OpenAI confirmed that the language was changed in order to accommodate military customers and projects that do not violate their ban on efforts to use their tools to “harm people, develop weapons, for communications surveillance, or to injure others or destroy property.”

ChatGPT subscription aimed at small teams debuts

Aptly called ChatGPT Team , the new plan provides a dedicated workspace for teams of up to 149 people using ChatGPT as well as admin tools for team management. In addition to gaining access to GPT-4, GPT-4 with Vision and DALL-E3, ChatGPT Team lets teams build and share GPTs for their business needs.

OpenAI’s GPT store officially launches

After some back and forth over the last few months, OpenAI’s GPT Store is finally here . The feature lives in a new tab in the ChatGPT web client, and includes a range of GPTs developed both by OpenAI’s partners and the wider dev community.

To access the GPT Store, users must be subscribed to one of OpenAI’s premium ChatGPT plans — ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Enterprise or the newly launched ChatGPT Team.

the GPT store is live! https://t.co/AKg1mjlvo2 fun speculation last night about which GPTs will be doing the best by the end of today. — Sam Altman (@sama) January 10, 2024

Developing AI models would be “impossible” without copyrighted materials, OpenAI claims

Following a proposed ban on using news publications and books to train AI chatbots in the U.K., OpenAI submitted a plea to the House of Lords communications and digital committee. OpenAI argued that it would be “impossible” to train AI models without using copyrighted materials, and that they believe copyright law “does not forbid training.”

OpenAI claims The New York Times’ copyright lawsuit is without merit

OpenAI published a public response to The New York Times’s lawsuit against them and Microsoft for allegedly violating copyright law, claiming that the case is without merit.

In the response , OpenAI reiterates its view that training AI models using publicly available data from the web is fair use. It also makes the case that regurgitation is less likely to occur with training data from a single source and places the onus on users to “act responsibly.”

We build AI to empower people, including journalists. Our position on the @nytimes lawsuit: • Training is fair use, but we provide an opt-out • "Regurgitation" is a rare bug we're driving to zero • The New York Times is not telling the full story https://t.co/S6fSaDsfKb — OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 8, 2024

OpenAI’s app store for GPTs planned to launch next week

After being delayed in December , OpenAI plans to launch its GPT Store sometime in the coming week, according to an email viewed by TechCrunch. OpenAI says developers building GPTs will have to review the company’s updated usage policies and GPT brand guidelines to ensure their GPTs are compliant before they’re eligible for listing in the GPT Store. OpenAI’s update notably didn’t include any information on the expected monetization opportunities for developers listing their apps on the storefront.

GPT Store launching next week – OpenAI pic.twitter.com/I6mkZKtgZG — Manish Singh (@refsrc) January 4, 2024

OpenAI moves to shrink regulatory risk in EU around data privacy

In an email, OpenAI detailed an incoming update to its terms, including changing the OpenAI entity providing services to EEA and Swiss residents to OpenAI Ireland Limited. The move appears to be intended to shrink its regulatory risk in the European Union, where the company has been under scrutiny over ChatGPT’s impact on people’s privacy.

What is ChatGPT? How does it work?

ChatGPT is a general-purpose chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate text after a user enters a prompt, developed by tech startup OpenAI . The chatbot uses GPT-4, a large language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text.

When did ChatGPT get released?

November 30, 2022 is when ChatGPT was released for public use.

What is the latest version of ChatGPT?

Both the free version of ChatGPT and the paid ChatGPT Plus are regularly updated with new GPT models. The most recent model is GPT-4o .

Can I use ChatGPT for free?

There is a free version of ChatGPT that only requires a sign-in in addition to the paid version, ChatGPT Plus .

Who uses ChatGPT?

Anyone can use ChatGPT! More and more tech companies and search engines are utilizing the chatbot to automate text or quickly answer user questions/concerns.

What companies use ChatGPT?

Multiple enterprises utilize ChatGPT, although others may limit the use of the AI-powered tool .

Most recently, Microsoft announced at it’s 2023 Build conference that it is integrating it ChatGPT-based Bing experience into Windows 11. A Brooklyn-based 3D display startup Looking Glass utilizes ChatGPT to produce holograms you can communicate with by using ChatGPT.  And nonprofit organization Solana officially integrated the chatbot into its network with a ChatGPT plug-in geared toward end users to help onboard into the web3 space.

What does GPT mean in ChatGPT?

GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.

What is the difference between ChatGPT and a chatbot?

A chatbot can be any software/system that holds dialogue with you/a person but doesn’t necessarily have to be AI-powered. For example, there are chatbots that are rules-based in the sense that they’ll give canned responses to questions.

ChatGPT is AI-powered and utilizes LLM technology to generate text after a prompt.

Can ChatGPT write essays?

Can chatgpt commit libel.

Due to the nature of how these models work , they don’t know or care whether something is true, only that it looks true. That’s a problem when you’re using it to do your homework, sure, but when it accuses you of a crime you didn’t commit, that may well at this point be libel.

We will see how handling troubling statements produced by ChatGPT will play out over the next few months as tech and legal experts attempt to tackle the fastest moving target in the industry.

Does ChatGPT have an app?

Yes, there is a free ChatGPT mobile app for iOS and Android users.

What is the ChatGPT character limit?

It’s not documented anywhere that ChatGPT has a character limit. However, users have noted that there are some character limitations after around 500 words.

Does ChatGPT have an API?

Yes, it was released March 1, 2023.

What are some sample everyday uses for ChatGPT?

Everyday examples include programing, scripts, email replies, listicles, blog ideas, summarization, etc.

What are some advanced uses for ChatGPT?

Advanced use examples include debugging code, programming languages, scientific concepts, complex problem solving, etc.

How good is ChatGPT at writing code?

It depends on the nature of the program. While ChatGPT can write workable Python code, it can’t necessarily program an entire app’s worth of code. That’s because ChatGPT lacks context awareness — in other words, the generated code isn’t always appropriate for the specific context in which it’s being used.

Can you save a ChatGPT chat?

Yes. OpenAI allows users to save chats in the ChatGPT interface, stored in the sidebar of the screen. There are no built-in sharing features yet.

Are there alternatives to ChatGPT?

Yes. There are multiple AI-powered chatbot competitors such as Together , Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude , and developers are creating open source alternatives .

How does ChatGPT handle data privacy?

OpenAI has said that individuals in “certain jurisdictions” (such as the EU) can object to the processing of their personal information by its AI models by filling out  this form . This includes the ability to make requests for deletion of AI-generated references about you. Although OpenAI notes it may not grant every request since it must balance privacy requests against freedom of expression “in accordance with applicable laws”.

The web form for making a deletion of data about you request is entitled “ OpenAI Personal Data Removal Request ”.

In its privacy policy, the ChatGPT maker makes a passing acknowledgement of the objection requirements attached to relying on “legitimate interest” (LI), pointing users towards more information about requesting an opt out — when it writes: “See here  for instructions on how you can opt out of our use of your information to train our models.”

What controversies have surrounded ChatGPT?

Recently, Discord announced that it had integrated OpenAI’s technology into its bot named Clyde where two users tricked Clyde into providing them with instructions for making the illegal drug methamphetamine (meth) and the incendiary mixture napalm.

An Australian mayor has publicly announced he may sue OpenAI for defamation due to ChatGPT’s false claims that he had served time in prison for bribery. This would be the first defamation lawsuit against the text-generating service.

CNET found itself in the midst of controversy after Futurism reported the publication was publishing articles under a mysterious byline completely generated by AI. The private equity company that owns CNET, Red Ventures, was accused of using ChatGPT for SEO farming, even if the information was incorrect.

Several major school systems and colleges, including New York City Public Schools , have banned ChatGPT from their networks and devices. They claim that the AI impedes the learning process by promoting plagiarism and misinformation, a claim that not every educator agrees with .

There have also been cases of ChatGPT accusing individuals of false crimes .

Where can I find examples of ChatGPT prompts?

Several marketplaces host and provide ChatGPT prompts, either for free or for a nominal fee. One is PromptBase . Another is ChatX . More launch every day.

Can ChatGPT be detected?

Poorly. Several tools claim to detect ChatGPT-generated text, but in our tests , they’re inconsistent at best.

Are ChatGPT chats public?

No. But OpenAI recently disclosed a bug, since fixed, that exposed the titles of some users’ conversations to other people on the service.

What lawsuits are there surrounding ChatGPT?

None specifically targeting ChatGPT. But OpenAI is involved in at least one lawsuit that has implications for AI systems trained on publicly available data, which would touch on ChatGPT.

Are there issues regarding plagiarism with ChatGPT?

Yes. Text-generating AI models like ChatGPT have a tendency to regurgitate content from their training data.

More TechCrunch

Get the industry’s biggest tech news, techcrunch daily news.

Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.

Startups Weekly

Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.

TechCrunch Fintech

The latest Fintech news and analysis, delivered every Tuesday.

TechCrunch Mobility

TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

SpaceX debuts portable Starlink Mini for $599

SpaceX unveiled Starlink Mini, a more portable version of its satellite internet product that is small enough to fit inside a backpack.  Early Starlink customers were invited to purchase the…

Brex’s compliance head has left the fintech startup to join Andreessen Horowitz as a partner

Ali Rathod-Papier has stepped down from her role as global head of compliance at corporate card expense management startup Brex to join venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) as a partner…

US bans sale of Kaspersky software citing security risk from Russia 

U.S. officials imposed the “first of its kind” ban arguing that Kaspersky threatens U.S. national security because of its links to Russia.

Apple releases Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 and Final Cut Camera

Apple has released Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 and Final Cut Camera, the company announced on Thursday. Both apps were previously announced during the company’s iPad event in May.…

Poolside is raising $400M+ at a $2B valuation to build a supercharged coding co-pilot

Paris has quickly established itself as a major European center for AI startups, and now another big deal is in the works.

Gravitics prepares a testing gauntlet for a new generation of giant spacecraft

The space industry is all abuzz about how SpaceX’s Starship, Blue Origin’s New Glenn, and other heavy-lift rockets will change just about everything. One likely consequence is that spacecraft will…

Influencer shopping app LTK gets an automatic direct message tool

LTK (formerly LiketoKnow.it and RewardStyle), the influencer shopping app with 40 million monthly users, announced on Thursday the launch of a free direct message tool for creators to instantly share…

YouTube confirms crackdown on VPN users accessing cheaper Premium plans 

YouTube appears to be taking a firm stance against Premium subscribers who attempt to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access cheaper subscription prices in other countries. This week,…

Why Fisker failed 

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! I’m back…

EU Member States remain divided on controversial CSAM-scanning plan — but for how long?

Opponents also contend the EU plan will fail at its claimed aim of protecting children, suggesting law enforcement will instead be swamped by millions of false positives.

Labor shortages are still fueling growth at automation firms like GrayMatter

GrayMatter self-reports that its systems currently produce “a 2~4x improvement in production line productivity [and a] 30% or more reduction in consumable waste.”

Boeing’s Starliner capsule took astronauts to space — now it needs to bring them back

The delays are not over for Boeing’s Starliner capsule. After years of delays, the aerospace giant finally launched the spacecraft earlier this month, but the two-person crew is currently due…

US car dealerships face ongoing outage after CDK cyberattacks

CDK said it “does not have an estimated time frame” for recovery, as car dealerships and auto shops face continued outages.

Instagram now lets users livestream exclusively to their Close Friends list

Instagram is introducing the ability for users to broadcast live to just their Close Friends list, the company announced on Thursday. The new “Close Friends on Live” feature allows users…

Announcing the agenda for the Space Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

We’re out-of-this-world excited to announce that we’ve added a dedicated Space Stage to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. It joins Fintech, SaaS and AI as the other industry-focused stages — all under…

PayPal Ventures leads $20M round into Gynger, which offers companies ‘buy now, pay later’ for technology purchases

Gynger, a platform that lends capital to companies for technology purchases, has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by PayPal Ventures, it told TechCrunch exclusively. The financing…

Pocket FM partners with ElevenLabs to convert scripts into audio content quickly

Lightspeed Ventures-backed audio platform Pocket FM announced it has partnered with voice-cloning company ElevenLabs to quickly convert text content, such as script, into audio series using AI. Pocket FM, which…

Anthropic claims its latest model is best-in-class

Claude 3.5 Sonnet can analyze both text and images as well as generate text, and it’s Anthropic’s best-performing model yet — at least on paper.

Roots introduces a screen time app for tracking ‘digital dopamine’

Roots is designed to help people get a better handle on what sort of apps are worth spending time on and which are not.

Materia looks to make accountants more efficient with AI 

The U.S. is facing an accountant shortage. Fewer first-time candidates took the CPA exam in 2022 than in 2006, according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. One possible…

Ex-HubSpot exec builds an AI-powered CRM that learns for you, with $4M seed led by Sequoia

Christopher O’Donnell has hobbies. He likes music and playing guitar, but above all, he loves building software. Which is why three years after leaving HubSpot, he built Day.ai, a CRM…

Semperis, a specialist in Active Directory security now worth more than $1B, raises $125M

Active Directory, the Microsoft directory service for connecting users with network resources, is used by more than 90% of all Fortune 1000 companies and many more besides. So it’s no…

Daydream rakes in $50M seed funding to build an AI-powered search engine suited for e-commerce

Online shopping trends are expected to stay strong this year, but e-commerce is more fragmented than ever. With brands selling on so many platforms — from TikTok Shop, to established…

Spotify quietly lets all podcasters upload videos, surpasses 250K shows

Non-hosted podcasters can now upload videos to Spotify. Over 250K video podcasts are on the platform.

Cadana, an emerging markets payroll services provider for global hiring platforms, banks $7.1M seed

The global freelancer market, a $1.3 trillion industry fueled by more than 200 million knowledge workers, drives demand for solutions that automate payroll and streamline employment and tax regulations worldwide.…

Amazon extends generative AI-powered product listings to Europe

Amazon is bringing its generative AI listing smarts to more sellers, revealing today that those in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. can now access tools designed to improve…

Kenya closes its probe of Worldcoin, opening the door to a relaunch of its orbs after a year-long suspension

Worldcoin — the crypto “proof of personhood” startup co-founded by OpenAI’s Sam Altman — has been given the green light to resume iris-scanning and other operations in Kenya after a…

Paris-based VC Breega hits first close of $75M Africa fund to back pre-seed and seed startups

Paris-based VC firm Breega has observed Africa’s tech ecosystem mature over the years. From receiving less than a billion dollars in venture capital per year to a record-high $6 billion,…

PQShield secures $37M more for ‘quantum resistant’ cryptography

Malicious hacking is getting increasingly sophisticated, and that’s leading to a very clear trend in security technology. To keep people and organizations safe, security also has to continue improving.  Security…

Hero wants to save the day for companies facing a working capital crunch

Hero, a new fintech startup based in Paris, is announcing an €11.3 million all-equity funding round led by Valar Ventures ($12.2 million at today’s exchange rate). For the past couple…

How to Introduce Yourself in an Email (With Examples!)

Learn all the most important tricks and tools to introduce yourself in an email so the recipient gets back to you.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

The average professional spends over two hours a day 1 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-social-economy responding to emails. If you are introducing yourself to someone in an email, there is a reasonable chance they won’t open it or will delete it before responding. But if you take the proper steps, you can significantly increase your likelihood of getting a response.

In this article, we’ll go over how to write a masterful introduction email that can help the relationship start on a positive note. 

What Is a Self-Introduction Email?

A self-introduction email is a way to meet someone virtually. Think of it as the email version of shaking someone’s hand and telling them a few sentences about yourself. Often, people send self-introduction emails when they want to ask for something—to apply for a job, offer a service, get feedback, etc. Here is a template of a typical self-introduction email:

Subject: Pleasure to meet you!

It’s so great to meet you virtually. My name is ___. I specialize in / My role is ___.

I want to reach out because ___.

My goal is for us to grab coffee / hop on zoom / connect on LinkedIn.

Next step is ___.

[Your name]

Depending on the person you’re “meeting,” you would probably mention different details. For example, if you’re meeting a new team member, you might tell them a bit about your role and how long you’ve been at the Company, whereas if you are meeting a potential client, you might focus on the product you represent and how you believe it could benefit them. 

Just like an in-person meeting, keep the introduction short and to the point. You don’t need to say everything in the first minute—more details can emerge as the conversation progresses. 

Watch our video below to learn 7 tips for better emails:

Here is a quick 9-step guide for introducing yourself in an email.

• Seek to build a connection; don’t just ask for something 
• Make the subject line clear 
• Set the tone with a friendly email greeting 
• Open with a genuine compliment
• Be clear and upfront about what you want
• Share something valuable
• Give a (non-pushy) call to action
• End with a pleasant signoff
• Always proofread the email

Now, let’s dive into each tip with more detail and go over some example scripts.

10 Tips for Writing a Great Introduction Email 

Introducing yourself can be stressful, no matter the context. One nice aspect of doing it via email is that you can take the time to reread and edit as much as needed to make sure it sounds exactly how you envision it. 

Use it to demonstrate your competence and charisma (yes, you can show appeal via email!) even if you feel like Anne Hathaway when she first walks into the office in The Devil Wears Prada . 

#1 Build a connection; don’t just ask for something

This is a mindset to write from. The rest of the tips are more practical, but if you approach the email as trying to create a connection with a new person, it’s more likely to feel good to both of you and to bear mutual fruit in the future.

I’ve received plenty of emails from people who pasted my name into a pre-written template. When I get emails like this, they feel insincere and unprofessional. Like the other person just wants something from me.

Don’t write emails like that! Come from a place of connection.

A generic email to avoid might be:

“Hi, Mike! I came across your website and thought you had some great content. Do you think I might be able to write a guest post?”

A more personal email might look like:

“ Hi, Mike! I just finished your article on the meaning of love, and I was thoroughly impressed! Especially when you went into the Greek ideas about love—that gave me a lot to think about. I actually enjoy writing about similar topics, and I was wondering if you accept guest posts on your site?”

With that said, let’s get into some more specific tips.

#2 Make the subject a specific one

Only 21.5% of all emails 2 https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/ get opened. So, a good subject line is crucial!

The subject of your email should give the email recipient a good idea of what to expect when they read your email. It should also be relatively concise. People read over 40% of emails 3 https://www.litmus.com/blog/email-client-market-share-august-2021/ on mobile devices, and it’ll help the reader if they can see the entire email subject line. 

Here are a few different subject lines you can use for an introduction email: 

• [Your name]: Letter of Introduction
• Hello from [your name] at [company name]
• Greetings from an English 201 Student
• Introducing: [Person one] to [Person two] 
• Confirming the Time and Location of our Interview

Pro Tip: If you’re having difficulty writing a compelling subject line, wait until the very end. Write the body of the email first, read through it, and think about what the core idea of your email is. 

And there you have it—your email subject! 

#3 Set the tone with your email greeting

The first sentence sets the tone of your email correspondence. For an introduction email, it’s best to err on being more formal. This is one way to show respect and create an excellent first impression. If you can, try to add a small positive word. This kicks off the email with some optimism.

Here are some email greetings you can use: 

• A pleasure to meet you, [name],
• Good morning/afternoon/evening,
• I hope this email finds you well, 
• Happy Monday, [name]
• [Mutual connection’s name] gave me your contact info and recommended I reach out. 

#4 Open with genuine compliments

While you’ll want to cut to the chase as soon as possible (which we’ll get to in the next tip), it can be helpful to open with a genuine appreciation for the other person’s work.

Maybe you resonated with a blog post they wrote or have long admired their marketing campaigns.

Starting with a personal touch can build trust and rapport from the get-go. If done well, the recipient will feel more open to the rest of your email.

But be careful because if you send a generic or insincere compliment, then you might come off as sleazy, and this can cause the recipient to put the guard up.

Here are a few examples of a genuine compliment that works:

Dear Steve,

First, I want to express gratitude. I took your online course Amplify last year, and it completely rewired how I think about creativity and productivity. I’ve recommended it to several friends.

Here’s another:

Dear Tanya,

I LOVED your recent webinar on negotiation. I legitimately had 5 or 6 lightbulb moments. So, I wanted to thank you for the work you’re putting out into the world and attest to your positive impact.

Pro Tip: If you already know this person’s work, share a specific way how it has impacted you. 

If you don’t yet know their work, take some time to research them online before sending your email, and then give a compliment that is specific and genuine enough to show that you’ve actually taken in what they’ve put out.

#5 Be clear and upfront about what you want

Take inspiration from the BLUF method (Bottom Line Up Front), which is how military personnel communicate. 

Very few people will thoroughly read a 2,000-word introduction email. In the best-case scenario, they might skim over it, but depending on how busy they are, they might not even have the time to do that. Writing a concise email demonstrates your respect for their time.

Try to keep the email to two or three paragraphs max. And clearly state the purpose of the email as soon as possible. In some cases, this will be right after you say hello, and in other cases, you might want to build rapport with a sentence or two first. 

Here are some non-BLUF method communication practices and how you can transform them to make the communication stronger.  

Don’t: “Hi Dan, I have a quick question. Do you have a minute?”

Don’t: “Hi Dan, could you send me the research you quoted in the meeting today?” 

Do: “Hi Dan, I was wondering if you would be willing to share the research on ABC you cited in the meeting today. I think it will be helpful to me with a project on XYZ that I’m working on. 

Why did that help? In the first instance, you’re creating extra work for you and the recipient by necessitating additional communication. There is no way for Dan to know if your question is quick or if you’ll end up calling him for 30 minutes. 

The second option is better, but still not great. Dan doesn’t know why you’re asking for the research, so he might get confused and send you the wrong files.

The third option is the strongest. Notice how it starts with the request followed by some context, all while staying short and sweet! 

Don’t: “Hi Anne, Jaimie and I were talking about you earlier today and were wondering if you would consider helping with a bake sale we are planning for next week. The proceeds would go to help refugees.”

Do: “Hi Anne, Would you like to participate in a bake sale next Saturday from 3-5 pm? All proceeds go towards helping refugee families acclimate to the US. If you’re willing, we could use a few gluten-free desserts.”

Why did that help? Notice how, in the first instance, Anne wouldn’t know what you’re talking about until the end of the message—the fact that you and Jaimie were talking about her is pretty irrelevant to the end goal of the correspondence. 

The second message gives her all the information she will need—the date, time, and type of baked goods you want her to bring. She would be able to respond to that message with a definitive yes or no response. 

#6 Share value

If you can do so in a way that doesn’t feel forced, consider sending something valuable to the recipient.

There are a few good reasons to do so.

• To support the other person. Being generous is always a good idea. If you are able to share something that could benefit another person (whether in this email or any email!), then why not?
• The reciprocity principle 4 https://news.wpcarey.asu.edu/20061206-gentle-science-persuasion-part-two-reciprocity . This is a psychological observation that states that when we receive something from another person (even if we don’t want the thing they give us), we feel compelled to give something back to them. 
• It shows you to be generous. Offering something valuable in a cold email demonstrates that the interaction isn’t just one-sided. It shows that you’re not only seeking help but also willing to provide something in return. 
• Differentiates your email. A cold email that offers something valuable stands out in a crowded inbox. It shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in creating a meaningful connection, not just asking for a favor.

So, with that said, here are a couple of things you could consider sending:

• Industry insights: Share a recent study, article, or trend report that is relevant to the recipient’s industry or field of interest. Make sure it’s something they might not have come across yet.
• Helpful tools: If you know of a tool, app, or resource that could benefit their work, mention it. But don’t send something they’ve probably already heard of.
• Offer an introduction: If there’s a contact you have where you think both parties could benefit from knowing each other, consider trying to connect the two people (if your other contact has already agreed, of course)
• Rate their book on Amazon:  You could try something like, “By the way, I loved your book and was happy to give it the 5-star Amazon review it deserved.”

If you send them something valuable in your email, do so with no strings attached.

If you choose to send something their way, make sure it feels like a natural part of the conversation, not a forced insertion. You don’t want it to feel like you’re offering a trade and that you’ll only do something nice if they fulfill your request first.

Make sure that you’re willing to provide value to them whether or not they give you anything in return.

#7 Give a (non-pushy) call to action

Finishing your email with a clear call to action ( CTA ) can help guide the recipient towards your desired response.  

The clearer you are on what you want in a response, the more likely you are to get it! Without a CTA, your email might be well-received but may not lead to action.

A good CTA is specific and easy to follow. It could be as simple as requesting a brief reply, scheduling a call, or asking for feedback on a specific question.

But make sure not to be pushy with your CTA! You don’t want to come off as demanding or entitled.

Pro Tip: Try to frame your CTA as a suggestion or invitation rather than a demand. Use phrases like: 

• “I’d appreciate your thoughts on…”
• “Would you be open to…”
• “I’d be honored if…”

#8 End with a memorable signoff

While the email greeting sets the tone of the conversation, the signoff determines the final tone you leave the email recipient with. 

“A race isn’t won until it’s over.” —Niki Lauda

So don’t write a great letter and let it flop at the last moment! 

Try a professional closing from the list below in your email:

• Thank you, 

Sincerely, 

• Kind regards, 
• Have a great rest of your week,

With gratitude, 

• Best regards,
• Let me know if you have any further questions about [topic discussed in the email], 
• Enjoy the snowy weekend! 

For more professional introduction emails, add your contact information, LinkedIn link, and job title at the end of the email. 

Here’s a template you can use to create a comprehensive email signature: 

[Email sign-off], 

[Your full name]

[Job title], [Company name]

[Phone number] 

[LinkedIn link]

[Personal portfolio website—if relevant] 

#9 Proofread before you send! 

Before you hit send, always take a moment to reread and spell-check what you’ve written. We all make mistakes! By reading through the email one more time, you can fix any typos or other errors.

Sending an email with typos, grammatical errors, or (possibly worst of all) a misspelled name can hurt your credibility or offend the email recipient.

Pro Tip: Read your email out loud. This can help you notice little errors that might slip by if you’re just reading it in your head. If you’re more tech-savvy, you can download a grammar checker like Grammarly to correct your errors in real-time.

Bonus Pro Tip: If the email doesn’t need to go out immediately, wait an hour or two after writing it to read through it again. Sometimes, fresh eyes can help you notice little mistakes that would otherwise slip past. 

#10 If you don’t succeed at first, try again!

If all you got back from your email were crickets, don’t be afraid to follow up!

After all, most corporate employees receive over 120 emails per day 1 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-social-economy . So it’s possible that you simply got lost in the sauce.

A follow-up serves as a gentle reminder and increases the likelihood that your email will get read and responded to.

And if they did read your first email but weren’t impressed, your follow-up could show both persistence and give you another chance to make your case. 

If you’re going to send a follow-up, wait a minimum of one week. And consider more time if you’re intersecting the holidays.

To write a follow-up email, consider these tips:

• Politely reference your first email: “Last week I mentioned…”
• Include a new piece of information that wasn’t in the first email
• Share your call to action again.
• Close on a positive, non-pushy note like: “hoping to connect soon” or “keeping the door open for future communication.”

Bonus #11 Professional development

Sending a good introduction email is a key skill in your professional toolbelt. And if you want to cultivate more skills and advance your career, you might appreciate this free training to help boost your professional development.  

Ready to start planning your professional development?

Use our free worksheet to get started on your Professional Development Plan.

Scripts, Templates, and Examples  of How to Introduce Yourself by Email for Any Situation

There can be so many different types of introduction emails. Here’s a range of settings you might find yourself in, with some tips and email templates for each!  

How to pitch your service

One of the most common introduction emails is if you are reaching out to a potential client to offer them your service or product. 

Try to work this template around your specific needs.

Subject: A crazy idea for [Company]

First, I want to tell you that I’ve been a fan of your personal brand for years. Your recent newsletter on growth tactics gave me a real ah-ha, so thank you 🙂

I’m working on an email productivity app that can save you 2.3 hours a week (that’s what we’ve found from our clients).

If you’d like to hear more, let me know, and I’d love to set up a time to share more. 

PS I was thinking a lot about [Company] recently and thought you might be interested in this tech development I just came across.

This email works because it creates a personal connection and gives a compliment to start. It then goes right into the ask with a CTA. And it closes with a value offer.

How to introduce yourself in an email for a job

Sending an introduction email to the hiring manager or recruiter for a job that you’re interested in can help you give an excellent first impression. 

If you have a mutual connection who told you about the job posting, mention that to the hiring manager. This can help you get your foot in the door. 

Here’s a template you can use to introduce yourself with a referral: 

Subject: [Michael Smith], a referral from [Margie Sullivan]

Good morning, Annette, 

I hope your week is going well. 

I am a recent graduate from [UCLA] with a degree in [business marketing]. I was speaking with my friend, [Maggie], who works in the [IT department] at [this Company]. She told me you might be looking for a few new team members to join the [marketing department]. 

She recommended that I reach out to you to learn more specifics about the position to see if I’m a good fit for it. 

Thank you for your time. I appreciate any insight and direction you can offer me. 

It’s common to send a job application without a mutual acquaintance—that’s okay!

You can still make a great first impression by sending a quick introductory email to either the head of the department or the hiring manager.

It’s typically best to address the email to a specific individual, but sometimes it’s hard to find that information. 

If you don’t know who will be handling the interview process, try checking LinkedIn. If you can’t find the information there, try using one of the following formal email greetings that don’t require a name: 

Greetings, 

• Hello, 
• Good morning/afternoon/evening

Here’s a template you can use to introduce yourself for a potential job if you don’t have a shared contact:

Subject: Introduction from [Caroline Oliveros], [Creative Director Applicant]

I hope this email finds you well. 

I just completed my application for the [Creative Director] position you are looking to fill at [company name]. I believe my past work experience has prepared me well for this position, and I would be honored if you consider me for it. Although I already submitted it in the application process, I am attaching a copy of my resume to this email as well. 

This position would be an excellent fit for me because I love working in teams, have strong time-management skills, and have experience using all relevant software. I enjoy the products you all create and would love to work alongside you. 

Thank you for your time, and please let me know of any next steps in this process. 

How to introduce yourself in an email to clients

When you’re introducing yourself to a new client, they likely fall into one of three categories: 

• Someone who has already been working with your Company but is working with you for the first time
• Someone who has reached out to your Company
• Someone you are cold emailing in hopes of working with them

Let’s say your coworker is retiring, and as a result, they will pass some of their clients to you. That’s awesome! In this instance, you’ll be introducing yourself to a client who has already been working with your Company for some time but is working with you for the first time. 

You want to start this new client relationship off on a good foot. 

Think about how they may be feeling. They could be feeling: 

• Nervous 
• Disoriented
• Or otherwise! 

Use the introduction email to put their nerves at ease. Tell them a little about you, mention your retiring coworker, and let them know that you’ve been briefed on their file and look forward to working with them. 

Here’s an example of what that could look like: 

Subject: [Janice], your new point person at [company name]

Dear [Javier], 

We haven’t had the privilege of meeting yet, but I’m one of [Ryan’s] coworkers. My name is [Janice], and I will be the new point person working with you now that [Ryan] is retiring. 

I have been working with [company name] for three years now, and throughout that time, I have helped out on several projects for your Company. We have a very collaborative office environment, which helps us serve our clients to the best of our ability.

I have just finished reading through your file and think it would be nice if we could arrange a time to chat on the phone so that I can answer any questions you may have about this transition. 

I look forward to working together. 

In the second instance, when you’re introducing yourself to someone who has reached out to your Company, you have the benefit that you don’t need to convince them that they need your service or product. 

Use your email to show them why you’re the person they want to work with. After all, they may have also reached out to your competitor!

Subject: [Billie], responding to [SEO] request

Dear [Annalise], 

I’m writing in response to your request about [optimizing your website for SEO]. You’re right—optimizing your website can make a huge difference and help to increase sales. 

I’ve had over [five years] of experience in this space and have optimized around [100 websites]. I am proud to say that my clients are happy with the work I provide for them. I am attaching a link to my portfolio to look at some of the fantastic businesses I’ve had the privilege to work with. 

If you’re interested in discussing what working together could look like, I’d be happy to arrange a call sometime later this week. Let me know what works for you. 

Warm regards, 

When sending a cold email introduction to a prospective client, try to tailor the email specifically to them! 

Remember that this will be a professional introduction email, so lean towards more formal language. Also, where relevant, include industry-specific jargon to demonstrate that you know what you’re talking about. 

Subject: [Adam] from [Company name] 

Hello [Lyzette], 

I am writing to you to discuss the possibility of working together. 

I work as part of a [data analyst] organization that takes pride in seeing our clients’ businesses grow as they reach more of their ideal clients. I’m attaching a link to my portfolio to see some of the fantastic people I’ve had the privilege to work with.

I love what you at [their Company] are doing with [product/service they provide] to help people better [specific aspect of their product]. 

I hope to hear from you soon. 

Best, 

Pro Tip: You may not know much about someone’s product or service before you begin working with them. It’s still good to name something specific that you notice about their work—it helps the reader know that you took the time to personalize the email. 

Go to the Company’s “About” page and read up on its mission and vision. This should give you an idea of the heart of their Company and will help you know what to say. 

How to introduce yourself in an email to a professor

Before you send your professor an email, take a moment to look them up in the school directory or through LinkedIn and see if they have their doctorate or not. If they do, address the email to “Dr. [last name];” if not, stick with “Professor [last name].”

Earning a doctorate takes a lot of time, effort, and investment. It’s good to start the email off by acknowledging their expertise! 

Let’s say you’ll be taking their Anatomy 101 class that starts in a few weeks, and you want to check in and introduce yourself. 

Here’s one way that you can go about that: 

Subject: Greetings from a new student

Hello, [Dr. Howard], 

I have enrolled in the [Anatomy 101] class that you will be teaching [this fall] and wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I took a [Anatomy] class in high school that helped me see how interesting the human body is. I am currently deciding whether I should major in [Pre-Med] or [Kinesiology]—I love [the idea of being able to help people who are sick or injured]. 

I am looking forward to learning from you this term. Is there any reading you recommend I do before class begins in a few weeks? 

Thank you for your time. 

All the best, 

[Anne] 

How to introduce yourself in an email to a new team

Woohoo—you landed a new job! 

How should you present yourself to the team you’re working with? 

Depending on the industry, this can be slightly less formal than other introductory emails. But you can keep things professional by leaving out conjunctions and slang terms. 

Also, include a few fun facts about yourself. That way, when you meet your teammates, they’ll know what conversations to strike up with you. 

Here’s a template you can use for emailing your new team: 

Subject: Excited to be joining the team

Hello all, 

My name is [Luca]. I am very excited to work with a team of hard-working and creative people! I look forward to getting to know each of you better over the coming weeks. 

When I am not at work, I love [spending time with my family (wife and two kids)], [going for runs], and [traveling to new corners of the world]. I am currently [working on Spanish and am hoping to visit Guatemala in the next year to see some of my wife’s family]. 

I am looking forward to meeting you in person on Monday. 

Have a great weekend,

Final Takeaways

Introducing yourself by email can be a great way to start a new professional relationship. Whether you’re writing to a hiring manager, a professor, a new team, or a prospective client, sending a friendly and professional email can be a great way to start the relationship off on a positive note. 

Here are a few things to remember:

• Build a connection, don’t just ask for something: Approaching your email with the intent to create a connection, rather than just asking for something, increases the likelihood of a mutually beneficial relationship.
• Make the subject line clear: This will make it easier for the recipient to know what to expect when they open your email. It can also help them reference back to your email in their inbox later. 
• Set the tone with a friendly email greeting: The first line of an email will set the tone for how the reader “hears” the rest of the message. 
• Open with genuine compliments: Starting your email with a sincere compliment can build trust and rapport, making the recipient more receptive to your message.
• Be clear and upfront about what you want: Using a direct approach like the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) method shows respect for the recipient’s time and makes your intentions clear.
• Share value: Offering something of value in your email, like industry insights or helpful tools, can demonstrate generosity and set your email apart.
• Give a (non-pushy) call to action: A clear, specific, and respectful call to action guides the recipient toward your desired response without coming off as demanding.
• End with a pleasant signoff: Leave your reader with a pleasant well-wish at the end of the email. 
• Always proofread the email: Before you hit “send,” make sure you don’t have any spelling or grammatical errors and are saying what you want to say in the email. Double-check that you’ve spelled the recipient’s name and company name correctly. 
• Consider reading it out loud or waiting and rereading it after an hour or two has passed. This can help you catch any mistakes that you might otherwise skim over. 

Writing an introduction email can be stressful, but you’ve got this! 

Are you looking to up your communication skills (and not just by email)? Check out these Communication Skills Training Tips .

Article sources

Popular guides, how to deal with difficult people at work.

Do you have a difficult boss? Colleague? Client? Learn how to transform your difficult relationship. I’ll show you my science-based approach to building a strong, productive relationship with even the most difficult people.

Related Articles

Science of People offers over 1000+ articles on people skills and nonverbal behavior.

Get our latest insights and advice delivered to your inbox.

It’s a privilege to be in your inbox. We promise only to send the good stuff.

What you create your outline you need to decide the order in which the will appear?

supporting paragraphs

Add your answer:

Why did Johannes Vermeer use glazing and underpainting?

Johannes Vermeer used glazing and under painting in order to create realistic light.

What can a painter do in order to create an aerial perspective?

reduce the size of objects in the background to make them seem farther away.

How does one write an artist statement?

There is usually a procedure for just about everything. So there is no doubt that there is a procedure to writing an artist statement. After putting the finishing touches on a masterpiece, it is common for someone to write a few words describing the emotions that they had creating it. In order to create a good artist statement, someone needs to; collect their thoughts, jot them down in a 3 paragraph form, weed out the un-necessary parts, edit and correct, print and publish.

What are the distinctinve characteristics of renaissance art and architecture?

renaissance art consisted of alot of temple like characteristics such as domes. pillars were also very common. There were five pillars, or orders, that were used in the rnaissance. the tuscan order, the doric order, ionic order, corinthean order, and composite order. early renaissance architects used the ornate the most, then moved on to the simple doric during high renaissance. also, colours such as re, and beige became very prevelant.

What are the steps of the art critique in order?

Describe Identify Interpret Judge

Top Categories

Hello,everyone! The following is an essay dicussing the roles that the teacher needs to play in teaching .Can anyone do me a fever and provide me with your possible advice on the structure,improper expressions,content,etc. ? Your prompt attention to my question would be highly appreciated. Teacher's role in English teaching Since a growing number of people regard Teacher’s role as important part of efficient classroom management and teaching design these days, a high-level standard requirement has been given to many teachers to improve their awareness and responsibility to take on their various roles in teaching process. Although different approaches define different roles ,there are some common ones that teachers need to play in education. These main roles are described in detail as follows. Firstly ,before the class, teachers act as planners. As task-based activities are significantly advocated nowadays, it is necessary for teachers to think out several activities that students can perform in the class while panning their lesson. In addition, teachers also need to focus their attention on what to teach, how to conduct the activities, and the results they expect to achieve at the end of the day. Secondly ,during the class, there are a range of roles undertaken by teachers according to Harmer: controller, participant ,organizer ,resource-provider, assessor .First ,Being a controller means teachers need to implement an appropriate degree of control so that the activities will run smoothly and efficiently. For example, when the students do scanning and skimming ,it is very important for the teacher to control time. Second, after the teacher articulates the introduction and rules of the task to be performed, there is no point that he has nothing to do. Rather ,the teacher needs to walk around the classroom and participates in the students. It is essential for teachers to bear in mind that they should not dominate or pretend to be authoritative when they put on the role of participant. Third, becoming an organizer may be the most important and difficult role that the teacher should assume. It is where the teacher can exert their creativeness in an unlimited way. Before organizing the class ,the teacher is supposed to envisage activities as well as anticipate possible problems that may occur when the activities are being carried out. Before students start the activity ,the teacher should give instruction clearly or make demonstration if necessary which can help students know how to do what .Besides ,during the activity ,the teacher needs to overhear what the students are saying and rectify mistakes of the learners. Taking a note in mind can help the teacher make appropriate feedback later on. Fourth ,although the jug-and-mug method has been widely criticized, the teacher is considered a convenient resource to the learners. However, when the students need to work on the task themselves ,the teacher needs to withhold his readiness to provide resources. Fifth, as to be an assessor, the major principle that teacher need to mind is that do not make a fuss about the mistakes but try to be gentle, which means just indicating the mistakes politely without being too critical. Thirdly, after the class, the role that the teacher should bear is evaluator. Not only should he evaluate the students performance but also he should reflect how the teaching activities have been conducted Apart from what have been mentioned above, the new curriculum has stipulated other roles such as facilitator, prompter, researcher that teachers should take on in teaching. All in all ,there is no doubt in saying that only when teachers improve their responsibility and strive for their professional development throughout their career can they deal with the challenges of complex and diverse roles.

• Report copyright infringement

I made some corrections to your essay. Since a growing number of people regard a teacher’s role as an important part of efficient classroom management and teaching design these days, a high-level standard requirement has been given. Allowing many teachers to improve their awareness and responsibility in taking on various roles through the teaching process. Although different approaches define different roles, there are some common ones that teachers need to play in education. These main roles are described in detail as follows. Essentially, before class, teachers should act as planners. As task-based activities are significantly advocated today, it is necessary for teachers to plan out several activities that students can perform in the class while creating their lesson plans. In addition, teachers also need to focus their attention on what to teach, how to conduct the activities, and the results they expect to achieve at the end of the day. Next, the class, there's also a range of roles undertaken by teachers according to Harmer: controller, participant, organizer, resource-provider, and assessor. The first is controller, which means teachers need to implement an appropriate degree of control so that the activities will run smoothly and efficiently. For example, when the students do scanning and skimming, it is very important for the teacher to manage time. Second, after the teacher articulates the introduction and rules of the task to be performed, there isn't a reason for he/she having nothing to do. The teacher needs to assume the role of participant by walking around the classroom and working with the students. It is essential for teachers to bear in mind that they should not dominate or pretend to be authoritative. Third, becoming an organizer may be the most important and difficult role that the teacher should take on. It is where the teacher can exert their creativeness in an unlimited way. Before organizing the class, the teacher is supposed to envisage activities as well as anticipate possible problems that may occur when the activities are being carried out. Before students start the activity, it's necessary to give clear instructions or make demonstrations so students aren't confused. Besides, during the activity, the teacher needs to overhear what the students are saying and rectify mistakes of the learners anyhow. Taking a note in mind can help the teacher make appropriate feedback later on. Fourthly, although the jug-and-mug method has been widely criticized, the teacher is considered a convenient resource to the learners. However, when the students need to work on the task themselves, the teacher needs to withhold their readiness to provide resources. Fifth, for being an assessor, the major principle that teachers need to mind is to not fuss about the mistakes but try to be gentle, which means indicating the mistakes politely without being too critical. Lastly, after the class is over, the role that the teacher should bear is evaluator. Not only should they evaluate the students performance but also reflect how the teaching activities were conducted. Apart from what's been mentioned above, the new curriculum has also stipulated other roles such as facilitator, prompter, and researcher. All in all, there is no doubt in saying that only when teachers improve their responsibilities and strive for their professional development throughout their career, can they deal with the challenges of complex and diverse positions.

• 您为什么回答“嗯...”？
• 您的反馈不会向其他用户显示。

@Alisa10 You're welcome

• The grammar good ? In the future ,I want to be a math teacher.Why do I want to be a teacher B...
• Hi guys, can you please help me correct this text? Thank you 40. What are the attractions and ...
• Teaching a language is not an easy task as it requires a well-skilled teacher who would be able t...
• ‎"The Role of the Teacher" (When I say this sentence in an interview, does it sound natural? I ...
• everyone 和 everybody 和有什么不一样？
• Not everyone who dresses like a rich people isn't rich.
• I find it interesting to capture though it might not be alluring to everyone. 听起来自然吗？
• What does "handsomely" mean in this context?
• what does induction training mean for a job? does it mean I am hired?
• What does "grass clippings" mean?
• Do both sound natural? 1. I took a bus to the dermatology clinic this afternoon, but it was close...
• Is this expression common? "I'm busy this week but there might be a window on Friday."
• 那个更正确? 有没有表达错误? 要注意用词准确,无明显 语法错误,表达流畅,自然连贯。 主题突出,思路清晰。整体效果良 好,感情真挚,富有感染力等; **原文**： 大家好！ 我是婉妍。 我是...
• 那你可要做好准备哦~^^ Does it sound natural?
• does this sentence seems correct ? I want to say "did you know that Gong was not living here ?" ...
• 投喂同事など投喂の対象は人でも良いのですか?動物のみに使い人に使うと失礼だと思ってました。
• 这个句子表达自然吗？ 男生一知道她有四个孩子，就和她破裂关系，因为没有人想承担这么大的责任
• Does “今天是几月几号？” sound natural? Or is there a better way to ask? Is this okay to use?
• 用“热成狗”这个说法的时候，主语可以是“天气”吗？还是一定要是人？比如，可以不可以说“这天气热成狗”？
• “本来我以前是不爱吃碳水的”，这个“碳水”啥意思？
• What's the function of 了 after 跑步 in this dialogue? 男：我们下午一起去运动吧。 女：好啊，我最喜欢跑步了。
• 请修改一下错误的地方，谢谢。 这张纸上面画着黄色的一条鱼。这张图指着，这里禁止钓鱼的意思。你可以在公园里等有池塘的地方看到这种标志。为了保存环境，我们必须遵守这些规则。你千万不要做自私的行为。
• I want to experience a new environment 这个在 韩语 里怎么说？
• 聽不懂 这个在 日语 里怎么说？

这个语言水平的标志表示您有兴趣的语言的水平。如果设置您的语言水平，其他用户会参照您的语言水平来对您的提问进行回答。

使用这个语言回答可能无法被理解

可以提出简单的问题并且理解比较简单的回答内容

可以提出各种一般性的问题并且理解较长的回答

可以理解长而且复杂的回答

比起点赞和贴图更能体现您的感激之情

赠送礼物会让你更容易收到回答！

如果你在赠送礼物之后提问， 你的问题将出现在对方的问题列表的显著位置。

用这个应用程序轻易解决问题！

• 在4500万个登记答案中找到你想要的答案！
• 搜索答案是可享受自动翻译服务！

• Hello,everyone! The fol...

• Iniciar sessão

• Chinês Simplificado (China)

Quality Point(s)

Número de joinhas

• Inglês (EUA)

Hello,everyone! The following is an essay dicussing the roles that the teacher needs to play in teaching .Can anyone do me a fever and provide me with your possible advice on the structure,improper expressions,content,etc. ? Your prompt attention to my question would be highly appreciated. Teacher's role in English teaching Since a growing number of people regard Teacher’s role as important part of efficient classroom management and teaching design these days, a high-level standard requirement has been given to many teachers to improve their awareness and responsibility to take on their various roles in teaching process. Although different approaches define different roles ,there are some common ones that teachers need to play in education. These main roles are described in detail as follows. Firstly ,before the class, teachers act as planners. As task-based activities are significantly advocated nowadays, it is necessary for teachers to think out several activities that students can perform in the class while panning their lesson. In addition, teachers also need to focus their attention on what to teach, how to conduct the activities, and the results they expect to achieve at the end of the day. Secondly ,during the class, there are a range of roles undertaken by teachers according to Harmer: controller, participant ,organizer ,resource-provider, assessor .First ,Being a controller means teachers need to implement an appropriate degree of control so that the activities will run smoothly and efficiently. For example, when the students do scanning and skimming ,it is very important for the teacher to control time. Second, after the teacher articulates the introduction and rules of the task to be performed, there is no point that he has nothing to do. Rather ,the teacher needs to walk around the classroom and participates in the students. It is essential for teachers to bear in mind that they should not dominate or pretend to be authoritative when they put on the role of participant. Third, becoming an organizer may be the most important and difficult role that the teacher should assume. It is where the teacher can exert their creativeness in an unlimited way. Before organizing the class ,the teacher is supposed to envisage activities as well as anticipate possible problems that may occur when the activities are being carried out. Before students start the activity ,the teacher should give instruction clearly or make demonstration if necessary which can help students know how to do what .Besides ,during the activity ,the teacher needs to overhear what the students are saying and rectify mistakes of the learners. Taking a note in mind can help the teacher make appropriate feedback later on. Fourth ,although the jug-and-mug method has been widely criticized, the teacher is considered a convenient resource to the learners. However, when the students need to work on the task themselves ,the teacher needs to withhold his readiness to provide resources. Fifth, as to be an assessor, the major principle that teacher need to mind is that do not make a fuss about the mistakes but try to be gentle, which means just indicating the mistakes politely without being too critical. Thirdly, after the class, the role that the teacher should bear is evaluator. Not only should he evaluate the students performance but also he should reflect how the teaching activities have been conducted Apart from what have been mentioned above, the new curriculum has stipulated other roles such as facilitator, prompter, researcher that teachers should take on in teaching. All in all ,there is no doubt in saying that only when teachers improve their responsibility and strive for their professional development throughout their career can they deal with the challenges of complex and diverse roles.

• Report copyright infringement

I made some corrections to your essay. Since a growing number of people regard a teacher’s role as an important part of efficient classroom management and teaching design these days, a high-level standard requirement has been given. Allowing many teachers to improve their awareness and responsibility in taking on various roles through the teaching process. Although different approaches define different roles, there are some common ones that teachers need to play in education. These main roles are described in detail as follows. Essentially, before class, teachers should act as planners. As task-based activities are significantly advocated today, it is necessary for teachers to plan out several activities that students can perform in the class while creating their lesson plans. In addition, teachers also need to focus their attention on what to teach, how to conduct the activities, and the results they expect to achieve at the end of the day. Next, the class, there's also a range of roles undertaken by teachers according to Harmer: controller, participant, organizer, resource-provider, and assessor. The first is controller, which means teachers need to implement an appropriate degree of control so that the activities will run smoothly and efficiently. For example, when the students do scanning and skimming, it is very important for the teacher to manage time. Second, after the teacher articulates the introduction and rules of the task to be performed, there isn't a reason for he/she having nothing to do. The teacher needs to assume the role of participant by walking around the classroom and working with the students. It is essential for teachers to bear in mind that they should not dominate or pretend to be authoritative. Third, becoming an organizer may be the most important and difficult role that the teacher should take on. It is where the teacher can exert their creativeness in an unlimited way. Before organizing the class, the teacher is supposed to envisage activities as well as anticipate possible problems that may occur when the activities are being carried out. Before students start the activity, it's necessary to give clear instructions or make demonstrations so students aren't confused. Besides, during the activity, the teacher needs to overhear what the students are saying and rectify mistakes of the learners anyhow. Taking a note in mind can help the teacher make appropriate feedback later on. Fourthly, although the jug-and-mug method has been widely criticized, the teacher is considered a convenient resource to the learners. However, when the students need to work on the task themselves, the teacher needs to withhold their readiness to provide resources. Fifth, for being an assessor, the major principle that teachers need to mind is to not fuss about the mistakes but try to be gentle, which means indicating the mistakes politely without being too critical. Lastly, after the class is over, the role that the teacher should bear is evaluator. Not only should they evaluate the students performance but also reflect how the teaching activities were conducted. Apart from what's been mentioned above, the new curriculum has also stipulated other roles such as facilitator, prompter, and researcher. All in all, there is no doubt in saying that only when teachers improve their responsibilities and strive for their professional development throughout their career, can they deal with the challenges of complex and diverse positions.

Esta resposta foi útil?

• Por que você respondeu com "Hmm..."?
• O seu comentário não será exibido a outros usuários.

@Alisa10 You're welcome

• The grammar good ? In the future ,I want to be a math teacher.Why do I want to be a teacher B...
• Hi guys, can you please help me correct this text? Thank you 40. What are the attractions and ...
• Teaching a language is not an easy task as it requires a well-skilled teacher who would be able t...
• ‎"The Role of the Teacher" (When I say this sentence in an interview, does it sound natural? I ...
• Qual é a diferença entre everyone e everybody ?
• Not everyone who dresses like a rich people isn't rich.
• I find it interesting to capture though it might not be alluring to everyone. soa natural?
• What does "handsomely" mean in this context?
• what does induction training mean for a job? does it mean I am hired?
• What does "grass clippings" mean?
• Do both sound natural? 1. I took a bus to the dermatology clinic this afternoon, but it was close...
• Is this expression common? "I'm busy this week but there might be a window on Friday."
• O uso de "uma" que está antes da "comida japonesa" serve para enfatizar a palavra da comida japon...
• Essas duas frases são corretas? 1 Os brasileiros são contrários ao decreto do presidente Jair Bo...
• The poem bellow is written correcly and make sense?
• When I come up to a stranger should I say Oi or Olá
• Qual é mais falada entre Que e Qual? Que fruta você come? Qual fruta você come? Que fruta voc...
• is this sentence right? "desde que eu conheci-o, fiquei feliz
• How to use de. I know that de means of in English but sometimes I see de being used in sentences ...
• Oi! Tô procurando alguém pra praticar, possivelmente alguém na minha faixa etária (24). A gente p...
• Como é que se diz isto em Coreano? I want to experience a new environment
• Como é que se diz isto em Japonês? 聽不懂

O símbolo de Nível de Língua se refere a sua proficiência na língua na qual você está interessado(a). Definir o Nível de Língua ajuda os outros usuários a lhe enviar respostas mais completas e de fácil compreensão.

Dificuldade em compreender respostas a perguntas na língua indicada.

Capaz de fazer perguntas simples. Compreende respostas simples.

Capaz de fazer todo o tipo de perguntas genéricas. Capaz de compreender respostas longas.

Capaz de compreender respostas longas e complexas.

Show your appreciation in a way that likes and stamps can't.

By sending a gift to someone, they will be more likely to answer your questions again!

If you post a question after sending a gift to someone, your question will be displayed in a special section on that person’s feed.

Pergunte a falantes nativos gratuitamente

Resolva seus problemas de forma mais fácil com o app!

• Encontre a resposta que você procura dente as mais de 45 milhões de respostas registradas!
• Aproveite o recurso de tradução automática ao procurar as respostas!
• It’s FREE!!

• Hello,everyone! The fol...

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

How To Introduce Yourself Professionally (With Examples)

• How To Introduce Yourself Professionally
• Welcome New Employee Announcement
• Welcome Letter
• Thank You Note To Colleague
• 30/60/90 Plan
• Getting To Know You Questions
• Job Satisfaction
• Team Building Activities
• At Will Employment
• Company Culture
• Corporate Culture
• How To Succeed At Your New Remote Job
• How To Prepare For New Job Orientation
• How To Create An Employee Handbook

Find a Job You Really Want In

It’s important to know how to introduce yourself professionally, as a solid introduction leads to further connection. Whether you’re preparing for a career fair, interview, or sales call, it’s important to practice your self-introduction.

In this article, we’ll cover how to introduce yourself professionally, and we’ll give examples of introductions. We’ll also explain why it’s essential to have a professional introduction ready to go.

Key Takeaways:

Whether you’re sitting down for an interview, meeting a new coworker, or giving a presentation, your self-introduction is the first glimpse into the kind of person that you are.

When introducing yourself, you need to consider the context of the meeting.

Make sure you are using positive body language such as eye contact and smiling and are being an active listener.

When introducing yourself, make sure you are confident because confidence draws people into what you have to say.

How to introduce yourself professionally

How to introduce yourself examples, why are professional introductions important, tips for introducing yourself, job interview self-introduction tips, introducing yourself professionally faqs, expert opinion on introducing yourself professionally.

• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

To introduce yourself professionally, you need to consider the situation you’re in, use positive body language, and briefly provide information about who you are. If appropriate, ask questions of the person or people you’re introducing yourself to as well.

Consider the context of the introduction. Adapting your self-introduction to the situation you’re in is imperative. An introduction that is professional at a presentation will seem strange at a job interview .

Additionally, speaking as casually as you might on a first date is inappropriate when interviewing for an open position.

Before speaking, the first step is to understand the context of the scenario you’ll be introducing yourself in and adjust your approach accordingly.

Job interviews The first day of a college class Welcoming new co-workers Meeting people at a job fair or conference Giving a presentation to a large group Conducting a sales call

Use positive body language. People are strongly influenced by body language , even if they don’t realize it consciously. Using positive body language draws the other party into what you have to say and who you are.

Eye contact Shaking hands Smiling Nodding Standing upright Arms uncrossed

Give a little information about who you are. The thing about an effective introduction is that it’s a push-and-pull in exchange for information. Spend equal time speaking and listening .

In the case of a job interview, this means briefly explaining your professional background while highlighting your responsibilities and achievements . Explain what jobs you’ve worked in previously and what the responsibilities in those roles entailed.

When you’re introducing yourself in a social situation, it’s okay to include some career-related information, but try to extend the description past that to give a more well-rounded depiction of who you are.

Ask questions. It’s not an attractive quality to be self-absorbed, whether in a professional or social setting. One way to avoid this perception is by asking the other person questions about themselves, the position you’re applying for, or the company you hope to work for.

Questions demonstrate a genuine interest in the other person or professional role, and that makes them respond more positively.

Asking questions also helps the interaction flow naturally from an introduction to a relaxed conversation .

What do you like about working here? What are the biggest challenges I’d be facing in this position? What are you most looking forward to about this conference? What do you do?

Presenting yourself professionally and politely is important no matter the context. Here are some examples of how to do this in a wide variety of situations:

How to introduce yourself in an interview for a job

“Hello, it’s nice to finally meet you in person. Even though we spoke over email, I wanted to formally introduce myself. My name is Sally Jones, and I’m a passionate social media manager . “I’ve been a professional social media manager for the past five years after graduating with my bachelor’s degree in communications from New York University. I’ve led teams that handled high-profile clients and improved their sales margins by upwards of 4%. “I’ve always admired your organization’s mission, and I’d love to be able to use my leadership skills and industry knowledge to further it.”

How to introduce yourself to a new employee

“Hi, my name is Connor. What’s your name? Nice to meet you, _____. I understand that you’ve recently been hired for the job of administrative assistant , which means that we’ll be working together a lot. “I just wanted to introduce myself and extend a warm welcome to the team. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with while you’re getting adjusted to the new role.”

How to introduce yourself in an email

Dear Mrs. Adams, How are you doing? I hope this email finds you well. My name is Jackson King, and I’m a school librarian . I have ten years of experience working as a librarian in the public schooling system, which has awarded me strengths in collaboration and patience. I’m emailing you today because I know that you are the hiring manager for Woodbridge City School District, and I wanted to pass my resume along in case any positions open up that fit my experience and skills. I’d love to have a further discussion about the education philosophies at Woodbridge City School District. I can be reached via [email protected] or (923-742-6336). Thank you for reading my email in full, and I hope to hear back soon. Sincerely, Jackson King [email protected]

How to introduce yourself at a hiring event

“Hi there, how are you? My name is Matthew Shelton. I’m a recent graduate from the University of Texas with a degree in engineering. While I haven’t had much paid professional experience, I participated in a competitive internship with Cisco Systems for six months. “I wanted to come over and introduce myself to you because I saw that you’re representing Flash Energy Solutions. I’ve heard incredible things about this company’s innovation, and I’m curious to find out more about their open positions. Are you available now to talk more about opportunities at Flash Energy Solutions?”

How to introduce yourself to a university professor

“Good afternoon, Professor Johnson. My name is Abigal Morris, and I’m a sophomore here at The University of Washington. I just wanted to formally introduce myself and say I’m looking forward to learning more in your course this semester.”

How to introduce yourself to your network

Hi, Samantha. How are you? I hope all is well. My name is Jessica Lane, and I’m a gallery director for Elegance Art Studios. I’m reaching out to you today because I recently came across some of your artwork online. Specifically, I saw a painting titled “Oblivion” that I thought was immaculate. I’d like to see your other work and speak further about the possibility of building a working relationship with Elegance Art Studios. If you’re interested, please email me at [email protected] or call me at (558)-292-6868. Thank you. Sincerely, Jessica Lane

How to introduce yourself on social media

Hello, Catherine, my name is Sadie Michaels, and I represent a clothing company called Free Air Designs as a marketing coordinator . I came across your Instagram profile while I was searching through my Top Posts page . I think you have a keen eye for social media development, and I enjoy your style. I was wondering if you’d be interested in collaborating on a few targeted posts involving Free Air Designs. Let me know if you’d be interested in talking more. Thanks! -Sadie

How to introduce yourself to a stranger on a plane

“Hello, I don’t mean to bother you, but since we’re going to be on this 12-hour flight, I figured I’d introduce myself. I’m Tom. What’s your name? It’s a pleasure, ____. What brings you on a flight to Milan?”

How to introduce yourself at an office party

“I don’t think we’ve met before. My name is Eric. I work in accounting. What’s your name? Awesome, it’s great to meet you, ____. How long have you been working here? Eight years? Wow, I’ve only been here for two. Have you been at this location all along?”

How to introduce yourself in class

“Hi everyone, my name’s Madeline Johnson. I’m a sophomore English major in the NEAG education program. I was interested in this class as a way of broadening my knowledge of teaching techniques for toddlers. When I’m not stuck in a book, I like to spend my time fishing at the Housatonic River.”

How to introduce yourself in a letter

Dear Mrs. Sels, “My name is John Buck and I’m a freelance writer with a background in e-commerce and the technical space. Naturally, I thought I’d be a good fit for XYZ Technica, an industry leader in technical e-commerce.”

How to introduce yourself to a group

“Hello everyone, my name’s Tim Thompson. I’ve been working in finance for 10 years, and what I specialize in is client support and education. Being able to bring some of this esoteric, but important, information from our field to more people is the most rewarding part of my job.”

How to introduce yourself in a meeting or presentation

“Hi everyone, my name is Riley Cooper and I’m the head of our content marketing team. What we excel at is making bespoke content calendars that match your brand’s voice, as well as monitoring the success of those campaigns.”

How to introduce yourself to a potential new client

Hello, my name is Chris Trager, and I’m a representative for Campbell Paper. I wanted to introduce myself and let you know about our 30% off sale happening throughout the month of August. We provide high-quality paper products and custom-printed materials to many schools like yours, and I’d love to discuss how we can meet your paper and printing needs. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for for an upcoming project? I really enjoy working with education-based clients like you, and I’d love to send you a sample book and help you find solutions at a price point that works for you. Please feel free to respond to this email or call or text me at 333-444-5555. I look forward to talking with you. Chris Traeger Sales Representative Campbell Paper

How to introduce yourself in a new company

Good morning, Ashley, We haven’t met yet, but I’m the new graphic designer working in the marketing department, and I was assigned your ESL class poster. Would you mind sending me the class times whenever you get the chance? Once I have those, I’ll be ready to send the poster to you to look over. I’m looking forward to working with you, and I hope to be able to meet you in person soon! Thanks, Caleb Olson Graphic Designer 222-333-4455

Professional introductions are important because how you demonstrate your character in the first moments of meeting another person dictates their perception of you moving forward, even if that doesn’t accurately describe who you are .

In situations where there is limited time to interact, such as a job interview, making a positive and professional first impression is crucial in achieving a desirable outcome. The confines of a 30-minute interview are all a candidate has to demonstrate themselves as the perfect choice for a job.

This is truly a test of first impressions as job-seekers are asked to perform well in a brief introduction before being hired.

Making a strong self-introduction is more complicated than simply stating your name and shaking hands. Consider the following tips for introducing yourself to leave a lasting positive impression on people you meet:

Dress well . Clothing is the first impression that a job interviewer or colleague has of you before you speak. Dressing well for a professional event ensures that you’re portraying yourself in a professional light.

Be confident. Refined confidence draws people into what you have to say. While sounding conceited repeals most people, a healthy dose of security in your ability to do a job establishes you as a dependable candidate.

Look for opportunities to further the conversation. An introduction that goes back and forth between two people only lasts a few minutes at most before it gets boring. To avoid a boring discussion, be on the lookout for opportunities to further the conversation.

Understand the culture. Before an interview or meeting, you should do research on the company to understand its culture. This will give you a better understanding of whether they are more straightforward or more casual.

If they are more casual, you can include some light humor in your introduction, just make sure it’s appropriate. If they are more straightforward and formal, keep a professional demeanor.

Prepare what you want to say. Practicing how you want to say something can help with stumbling over words and possibly saying something wrong. Try writing down what you want to say beforehand and practicing what you want to say. It may seem silly to be doing so at the time, but it could be helpful if you are nervous and have new meeting anxiety.

Introducing yourself at a job interview is a bit different than in most social contexts. You’ll want to pay special attention to the following in order to ensure the hiring manager likes you from the get-go:

Research the company. Before the interview, check out how the company presents itself to the public via social media. Are they casual and hip, or formal and serious? That’s your first clue for what sort of tone to strike.

Research the interviewer. Figure out whether the interviewer is an HR representative or someone who you’d be working under directly. You can also learn about their background to see what sort of information they’re most likely to appreciate in an introduction.

Plus, you might find an interesting connection that can be a nice segue out of your self-introduction into a shared, natural conversation.

Be hyper-relevant and brief. The job description is your ultimate cheat sheet for which qualifications to hype up as you introduce yourself at your job interview. Don’t go crazy trying to stuff the whole list into your intro, though.

Talk contributions. Introducing yourself shouldn’t be a laundry list of where you worked, when you graduated, etc. — that’s what your resume is for . Instead, get animated and share why you’re passionate about the field, interesting stories from your background, major milestones from your professional career, etc.

Don’t stop at your job title. When you simply give your name and job title, you’re basically saying, “There’s nothing more interesting about me than the function I can possibly fulfill” — not exactly a thrilling candidate.

Don’t try too hard to be funny. Humor is a great thing, but unless you’re a stand-up, you should wait until you’ve developed a bit of rapport before diving into too many jokes. No matter how much research you’ve done on your interviewer, you won’t know what they find funny or inappropriate, so it’s best to play it safe.

How do I introduce myself professionally?

Introduce yourself professionally with positive body language and relevant information about yourself. This relevant information about yourself should be related to the context of the situation. For example, if you are introducing yourself to someone once you have been referred, you may bring up your reference.

What is a unique way to introduce yourself?

To be unique, talk about your values in your introduction. Your values, even if they are common, define your personality. This helps you set the stage to talk about your goals and accomplishments, which should be tied to your values. Just make sure to keep them relevant and appropriate.

How do you introduce yourself in 3 lines?

To introduce yourself in 3 lines: state your name, why you are there, and ask an open-ended question about the other person. It is especially important to explain your purpose in a natural way, so tie it back to the context of the situation. Then, by using an open-ended question, you provide an opportunity for the other person to contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.

What is a good introduction?

A good introduction should gain attention and interest in a positive manner. You will have introduced yourself successfully because people will be curious to learn more about you. This creates a flow to whatever topic is at hand while keeping your presence relevant.

How do you start an introduction to introduce yourself?

To start an introduction when introducing yourself, greet the person, give your name, and share a little bit about yourself. This information will change depending on the context. In a job interview, for example, you’ll give a quick overview of your experience or skills, while at a professional conference, you’ll share your job title.

How To Introduce Yourself Professionally?

Amanda Halkiotis Owner and Chief Resume Writer

If you have a hard time thinking of ways to break the ice over email, you can always ask those close to you how you come across to others. Are you funny? Charming? Outgoing? Sincere? Good-natured and kind? Find a characteristic that resonates with you and use it to brand yourself. If you are looking for a financial services job at a fintech firm, for example, a great opening line might be something like, “I have been a math geek my whole life and I started building computers when I was in high school.”. The first line is key to getting the reader interested, so I cannot stress enough the importance of having a “hook” that makes you stand out as an individual.

When introducing yourself personally, manners and confidence matter. Make eye contact and stand up straight, but try to be relaxed and not too stiff. I also recommend being complimentary but a bit subtle about it, for example, saying, “Thank you so much for meeting with me today” followed by, “Your office is such a lovely building” or “I knew we would have a lot in common when we talked based on our email exchange”. A little flattery goes a long way! I like to have three to five points about myself memorized when meeting someone for the first time in an interview setting. Something biographical, something personal, and something professional. So, for me, if someone says, “ Tell me about yourself “, I can reply with, “I grew up in Connecticut and have been in New York City for 14 years, I’m a middle child, I love to travel, cooking, and hiking, I am not afraid of a challenge and I find that I do my best work when I get to work with clients and build relationships”. To sum it up, have an elevator pitch to go along with the brand you promoted over email!

For anyone who gets nervous meeting new people, I suggest practicing in front of a mirror or doing mock interviews with a friend or relative. For virtual interviews (so many are being done on Zoom these days), you can do a mock version by doing a video recording on your phone and looking it over. A few minutes before the actual interview, try a technique called box breathing to calm your nerves.

Lastly, one of my personal heroes who is a true master when it comes to this type of advice is Vanessa Van Edwards. She is a well-known human behaviorist who has been featured on the Today Show, has done a Ted Talk, and has a great YouTube channel. Trust me, you’ll love her.

Harvard Business Review – A Simple Way To Introduce Yourself

Western Michigan University – Introduce Yourself With A Personal Commercial

Yale University – Office of Career Strategy

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

How To Take Stress Leave At Work (With Examples)

13 Common Networking Mistakes (And How To Fix Them)

How To Boost Employee Morale (With Examples)

How To Get Along With Your Boss

• Career Advice >
• Life At Work >
• Introduce Yourself Professionally