background information for essay example

Background Information

Definition of background information, types of background information, examples of background information in literature, example #1: politics and english language (by george orwell).

“ Now , it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language.”

Example #2: I Twitter, Therefore I am (by Peggy Orenstein)

“I came late to Twitter. I might have skipped the phenomenon altogether, but I have a book coming out this winter , and publishers, scrambling to promote 360,000- character tomes in a 140-character world, push authors to rally their “tweeps” to the cause. Leaving aside the question of whether that actually boosts sales, I felt pressure to produce. I quickly mastered the Twitterati’s unnatural self-consciousness: processing my experience instantaneously, packaging life as I lived it.”

Example #3: Is Google Making Us Stupid (by Nicholas Carr)

“For me, as for others, the Net is becoming a universal medium, the conduit for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind. The advantages of having immediate access to such an incredibly rich store of information are many, and they’ve been widely described and duly applauded.”

Function of Background Information

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Background Information in an Essay: How to Write and Example

Background Information in an Essay

When assigned an essay, it is advisable to assume that your target audience does not know anything about your topic hence the reason why you should provide background information.

This enhances your audience’s understanding of the essay topic and subject matter. They will know what to expect in the body paragraphs of the essay.

Even though the essay has been assigned to you by your instructor and they already know the expectations, it is important to provide some background information in the introduction.

background information for essay example

What is the Background of an Essay?

A background in an essay is the part or point within the essay where you provide contextual knowledge or introductory information to the readers to help them understand the essay’s subject matter.

The background sets the stage for the main arguments or discussion that will be presented in the essay.

What is Background Information in an Essay?

“Background information” in an essay is the content that is provided within an essay’s background to provide the readers with introductory information or contextual knowledge.

The background information helps orient your readers and equip them with the relevant foundational knowledge and context to understand the main discussions and arguments that follow within the body paragraphs.

When you provide the background information within your essay, you are establishing to your readers the relevance of your topic. This gives them the relevant information to engage with the content of your essay.

Also Read : Can a Literature Review have Pictures, Diagrams or Charts?

How to Write Background Information in an Essay

1. identify the key elements.

When writing background information in an essay, it is important to determine the key aspects of your topic that need to be addressed within the section.

Normally, the background information of an essay includes elements like a brief introduction of your topic, key definitions and concepts, historical context, relevant data or facts, and an overview of the existing research relating to your topic.

2. Conduct Research and Gather Relevant Information

Before writing the background information of your essay, ensure that you have conducted thorough research so that you can gather the relevant information and sources that are related to your topic.

It would be difficult to briefly introduce the topic and provide a brief historical context without understanding your topic through research. If possible start discussion posts on relevant platforms to gather further insights.

You should only utilize reputable sources such as scholarly articles and journals, books, and credible websites so that the information you provide in the background is accurate and reliable.

3. Organize the Information

Once you have researched and gathered the relevant information concerning your topic, organize it in such a way that it is logical and coherent.

Put into consideration the flow of the information in addition to how it will effectively support the main discussion or argument in your essay.

4. Begin with a Broad Introduction

When writing the background information section of the essay, start with a broad introduction to your topic.

Give a brief overview of the topic’s subject matter and its significance. This will set the context of the essay and grab your readers’ attention.

5. Give Historical Context if Applicable

If your essay’s topic has some historical aspects, provide relevant historical background information.

Here, you should provide key historical developments, events, or circumstances that will help your readers understand the current issue or situation presented in your topic.

6. Define Key Concepts and Terms

Introduce and define any specialized jargon, terms, or concepts that may be unfamiliar to your readers.

This ensures that the readers have a clear understanding of the terminologies and concepts used throughout the essay.

7. Present Relevant Data or Facts

Include relevant facts, data, or statistics that will help in establishing the magnitude or scope of your topic. This can give a qualitative or quantitative perspective on the issues discussed.

8. Summarize Existing Research if Applicable

When your essay is part of a greater academic discourse, briefly summarize the key arguments or findings from relevant scholarly sources .

This shows that you acknowledge the existing body of knowledge concerning your topic and highlights your essay’s contribution to the academic discourse.

In summary, when you are writing the background information in an essay, it is imperative to ensure that you present it clearly and concisely in addition to being relevant to the essay’s topic.

Avoid spending a lot of time on it and providing too much information and details.

Also Read : Time to Write a Thesis or Dissertation: Tips to Finish Fast

How to Write Background Section in Research Writing

The background section in research writing differs from that of an essay because it gives a more in-depth and comprehensive review of the existing research and literature related to your topic.

When writing the background section in research, you should:

Conduct a Literature Review

You should conduct a thorough literature review before writing the background section.

This will help you identify and father relevant scholarly sources like books, journal articles, and conference papers.

Organize the Literature

Analyze and organize the gathered literature per the relevant theories, themes, or key research findings.

Note the major concepts and gaps within the existing research that your study wishes to address.

Provide a Historical Context

Provide a brief historical context of your topic that traces the evolution of the research question or development of the field.

This helps your readers understand how your research fits within the broader scholarly discourse, in addition to how the ideas have progressed.

Present Key Concepts and Theories

Briefly introduce and explain the key concepts, models, and theories that are relevant to the research.

This shows that you understand the theoretical framework that underpins your research. It also provides your research question’s foundation.

Highlight Research Questions and Gaps

Identify the limitations or gaps within the existing literature that your study aims to fill.

State the objectives or research questions of your study and explain how they will address the identified gaps.

Justify your Research’s Significance

Explain the relevance and significance of your research within the larger practical or academic context.

Demonstrate how your study contributes to existing knowledge, addresses a practical problem, or advances the field.

Also Read : Should a Literature Review be Critical? Tips How to do it

Background Information Example

An example of background information from an essay with the topic “The Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health” is:

“Exercise has long been recognized as a fundamental component of a healthy lifestyle. Beyond its physical benefits, several studies have shown that exercise also has a positive impact on mental health.

Regular physical activity has been linked to improved mood, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and enhanced overall well-being. Research has shown that exercise can mitigate the risk of developing mental health disorders. It has been associated with a lower incidence of conditions such as depression and anxiety, in addition to playing a crucial role in the management and treatment of these conditions as well.

Understanding the benefits of exercise on mental health is essential for individuals seeking to improve their overall well-being. By incorporating regular physical activity into their routines, individuals can experience improved mood, reduced stress levels, and enhanced mental resilience.

This essay explores the existing literature on the relationship between exercise and mental health, highlighting the specific mechanisms through which exercise positively affects mental well-being. The aim is to further emphasize the importance of exercise as a tool for promoting mental health and well-being”.

Also Read : How to Tell If a Research Paper Is Good: Tips from A to Z

Do’s & Don’ts when Writing Background Information

As earlier discussed in this article, the Do’s when writing background information includes providing the necessary context, including relevant facts and data, citing credible sources, focusing on relevance to the topic, and being concise.

Do not include irrelevant information or overgeneralize, do not plagiarize, and do not overwhelm your readers with too much information or details since they will be provided in the body.

Josh Jasen or JJ as we fondly call him, is a senior academic editor at Grade Bees in charge of the writing department. When not managing complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In his spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

Background Information
Purpose of Guide
Design Flaws to Avoid
Independent and Dependent Variables
Glossary of Research Terms
Reading Research Effectively
Narrowing a Topic Idea
Broadening a Topic Idea
Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
Academic Writing Style
Applying Critical Thinking
Choosing a Title
Making an Outline
Paragraph Development
Research Process Video Series
Executive Summary
The C.A.R.S. Model
The Research Problem/Question
Theoretical Framework
Citation Tracking
Content Alert Services
Evaluating Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Tiertiary Sources
Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Insiderness
Using Non-Textual Elements
Limitations of the Study
Common Grammar Mistakes
Writing Concisely
Avoiding Plagiarism
Footnotes or Endnotes?
Further Readings
Generative AI and Writing
USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
Bibliography

Background information identifies and describes the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to contextualizing existing literature. The background information should indicate the root of the problem being studied, appropriate context of the problem in relation to theory, research, and/or practice , its scope, and the extent to which previous studies have successfully investigated the problem, noting, in particular, where gaps exist that your study attempts to address. Background information does not replace the literature review section of a research paper; it is intended to place the research problem within a specific context and an established plan for its solution.

Fitterling, Lori. Researching and Writing an Effective Background Section of a Research Paper. Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences; Creating a Research Paper: How to Write the Background to a Study. DurousseauElectricalInstitute.com; Background Information: Definition of Background Information. Literary Devices Definition and Examples of Literary Terms.

Importance of Having Enough Background Information

Background information expands upon the key points stated in the beginning of your introduction but is not intended to be the main focus of the paper. It generally supports the question, what is the most important information the reader needs to understand before continuing to read the paper? Sufficient background information helps the reader determine if you have a basic understanding of the research problem being investigated and promotes confidence in the overall quality of your analysis and findings. This information provides the reader with the essential context needed to conceptualize the research problem and its significance before moving on to a more thorough analysis of prior research.

Forms of contextualization included in background information can include describing one or more of the following:

Cultural -- placed within the learned behavior of a specific group or groups of people.
Economic -- of or relating to systems of production and management of material wealth and/or business activities.
Gender -- located within the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with being self-identified as male, female, or other form of gender expression.
Historical -- the time in which something takes place or was created and how the condition of time influences how you interpret it.
Interdisciplinary -- explanation of theories, concepts, ideas, or methodologies borrowed from other disciplines applied to the research problem rooted in a discipline other than the discipline where your paper resides.
Philosophical -- clarification of the essential nature of being or of phenomena as it relates to the research problem.
Physical/Spatial -- reflects the meaning of space around something and how that influences how it is understood.
Political -- concerns the environment in which something is produced indicating it's public purpose or agenda.
Social -- the environment of people that surrounds something's creation or intended audience, reflecting how the people associated with something use and interpret it.
Temporal -- reflects issues or events of, relating to, or limited by time. Concerns past, present, or future contextualization and not just a historical past.

Background information can also include summaries of important research studies . This can be a particularly important element of providing background information if an innovative or groundbreaking study about the research problem laid a foundation for further research or there was a key study that is essential to understanding your arguments. The priority is to summarize for the reader what is known about the research problem before you conduct the analysis of prior research. This is accomplished with a general summary of the foundational research literature [with citations] that document findings that inform your study's overall aims and objectives.

NOTE: Research studies cited as part of the background information of your introduction should not include very specific, lengthy explanations. This should be discussed in greater detail in your literature review section. If you find a study requiring lengthy explanation, consider moving it to the literature review section.

ANOTHER NOTE: In some cases, your paper's introduction only needs to introduce the research problem, explain its significance, and then describe a road map for how you are going to address the problem; the background information basically forms the introduction part of your literature review. That said, while providing background information is not required, including it in the introduction is a way to highlight important contextual information that could otherwise be hidden or overlooked by the reader if placed in the literature review section.

YET ANOTHER NOTE: In some research studies, the background information is described in a separate section after the introduction and before the literature review. This is most often done if the topic is especially complex or requires a lot of context in order to fully grasp the significance of the research problem. Most college-level research papers do not require this unless required by your professor. However, if you find yourself needing to write more than a couple of pages [double-spaced lines] to provide the background information, it can be written as a separate section to ensure the introduction is not too lengthy.

Background of the Problem Section: What do you Need to Consider? Anonymous. Harvard University; Hopkins, Will G. How to Write a Research Paper. SPORTSCIENCE, Perspectives/Research Resources. Department of Physiology and School of Physical Education, University of Otago, 1999; Green, L. H. How to Write the Background/Introduction Section. Physics 499 Powerpoint slides. University of Illinois; Pyrczak, Fred. Writing Empirical Research Reports: A Basic Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences . 8th edition. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing, 2014; Stevens, Kathleen C. “Can We Improve Reading by Teaching Background Information?.” Journal of Reading 25 (January 1982): 326-329; Woodall, W. Gill. Writing the Background and Significance Section. Senior Research Scientist and Professor of Communication. Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions. University of New Mexico.

Structure and Writing Style

Providing background information in the introduction of a research paper serves as a bridge that links the reader to the research problem . Precisely how long and in-depth this bridge should be is largely dependent upon how much information you think the reader will need to know in order to fully understand the problem being discussed and to appreciate why the issues you are investigating are important.

From another perspective, the length and detail of background information also depends on the degree to which you need to demonstrate to your professor how much you understand the research problem. Keep this in mind because providing pertinent background information can be an effective way to demonstrate that you have a clear grasp of key issues, debates, and concepts related to your overall study.

The structure and writing style of your background information can vary depending upon the complexity of your research and/or the nature of the assignment. However, in most cases it should be limited to only one to two paragraphs in your introduction.

Given this, here are some questions to consider while writing this part of your introduction :

Are there concepts, terms, theories, or ideas that may be unfamiliar to the reader and, thus, require additional explanation?
Are there historical elements that need to be explored in order to provide needed context, to highlight specific people, issues, or events, or to lay a foundation for understanding the emergence of a current issue or event?
Are there theories, concepts, or ideas borrowed from other disciplines or academic traditions that may be unfamiliar to the reader and therefore require further explanation?
Is there a key study or small set of studies that set the stage for understanding the topic and frames why it is important to conduct further research on the topic?
Y our study uses a method of analysis never applied before;
Your study investigates a very esoteric or complex research problem;
Your study introduces new or unique variables that need to be taken into account ; or,
Your study relies upon analyzing unique texts or documents, such as, archival materials or primary documents like diaries or personal letters that do not represent the established body of source literature on the topic?

Almost all introductions to a research problem require some contextualizing, but the scope and breadth of background information varies depending on your assumption about the reader's level of prior knowledge . However, despite this assessment, background information should be brief and succinct and sets the stage for the elaboration of critical points or in-depth discussion of key issues in the literature review section of your paper.

Writing Tip

Background Information vs. the Literature Review

Incorporating background information into the introduction is intended to provide the reader with critical information about the topic being studied, such as, highlighting and expanding upon foundational studies conducted in the past, describing important historical events that inform why and in what ways the research problem exists, defining key components of your study [concepts, people, places, phenomena] and/or placing the research problem within a particular context. Although introductory background information can often blend into the literature review portion of the paper, essential background information should not be considered a substitute for a comprehensive review and synthesis of relevant research literature.

Hart, Cris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998; Pyrczak, Fred. Writing Empirical Research Reports: A Basic Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences . 8th edition. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing, 2014.

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English Studies

This website is dedicated to English Literature, Literary Criticism, Literary Theory, English Language and its teaching and learning.

Background Information

Background information provides context and foundational knowledge about the subject matter and helps readers understand the topic and its significance.

Background information provides context and foundational knowledge about the subject matter. Some other important features are as follows.

It helps readers understand the topic and its significance.
It includes historical facts, definitions of key terms, relevant statistics, or key events.
It establishes the framework for the essay .
It orients the reader and ensures they have a solid understanding of the topic.
It provides a basis for the thesis statement and helps the reader grasp the relevance and importance of the topic.

Types of Background Information

Table of Contents

Historical Background : It provides information about the historical context relevant to the topic such as key events, periods, or developments that have shaped the subject matter.
Conceptual Background : It explains important concepts, theories, or frameworks related to the topic, ensuring that readers have a clear understanding of the fundamental ideas.
Definition of Key Terms : It clarifies the definitions of specific terms or terminology used in the essay to avoid confusion.
Statistical Background : It presents relevant statistics, data, or facts that support or contextualize the argument or analysis.
Literary or Textual Background : It offers background information about a literary work, author, or text that is being analyzed or discussed in the essay, providing the necessary context for understanding the text’s themes, historical context, or authorial intent.
Social or Cultural Background : It explores the social or cultural aspects related to the essay’s topic, such as societal norms, cultural practices, or prevailing attitudes that influence or intersect with the subject matter.
Policy or Legal Background : It provides an overview of relevant policies, laws, or regulations that are pertinent to the topic, establishing the legal framework or context within which the subject matter operates.
Scientific or Technical Background : It presents scientific principles, technical information, or methodologies crucial for comprehending the scientific or technical subject matter.
Biographical Background : It offers biographical details or information about individuals relevant to the topic, such as historical figures, authors, or key personalities.
Geographical or Spatial Background : This type provides geographical or spatial information essential for understanding the subject matter.

Functions of Background Information in an Essay

Foundational Context : Background information serves as the foundation for the essay, providing essential context and knowledge to understand the subject matter.
Establishing Relevance : It establishes the relevance of the topic and its significance within a broader context, highlighting why it is worthy of discussion or analysis.
Reader Orientation : It orients the reader by familiarizing them with key concepts, terms, or historical events related to the topic.
Enhancing Understanding : Background information enhances the readers’ understanding of the subject matter by providing essential information, statistics, or explanations.
Supporting Thesis Development : Background information supports the development of the thesis statement by providing the necessary groundwork for the main arguments.
Promoting Credibility : By incorporating well-researched and accurate background information, the essay gains credibility and demonstrates the knowledge of the writer/student.
Avoiding Assumptions : Background information helps avoid assumptions by ensuring that readers, regardless of their prior knowledge, have access to the necessary information.
Fostering Engagement : By establishing a strong foundation of background information, the essay engages the reader and invites them to explore the topic further.
Integration with Analysis : Background information seamlessly integrates with the essay’s analysis, providing a solid framework for the interpretation, evaluation, or critique of the subject matter.
Continual Reference Point : Background information also serves as a continual reference point throughout the essay, grounding the discussion and reinforcing the relevance and context of the arguments.

Examples of Background Information and Explanation


	During the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, there was a significant shift from agrarian societies to urbanized industrial centers. This transformation brought about profound changes in manufacturing processes, transportation systems, and the overall socioeconomic landscape.	This example provides historical background information to contextualize the essay’s discussion on the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society. It sets the stage by highlighting the period and the broad social changes that it witnessed.
	In psychology, cognitive dissonance refers to the mental discomfort experienced when an individual holds contradictory beliefs or attitudes. This theory, developed by Leon Festinger in the 1950s, explores the mechanisms individuals employ to reduce cognitive dissonance and maintain consistency in their thoughts and behaviors.	Here, the background information introduces the concept of cognitive dissonance in psychology. It helps readers understand the theoretical framework underlying the analysis of decision-making processes and human behavior.
	According to recent studies conducted by the World Health Organization, approximately 1 in 4 adults worldwide is affected by hypertension, a chronic medical condition characterized by high blood pressure. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and other health complications.	This example provides statistical background information to underscore the prevalence and significance of hypertension as a health issue. It supports the discussion on the importance of early detection, prevention, and management of hypertension.
	In Japanese culture, the concept of “omotenashi” holds great importance. Omotenashi refers to traditional Japanese hospitality and the philosophy of selfless service, ensuring the utmost comfort and satisfaction of guests or customers.	Here it offers insights into the cultural values and practices of Japan. It sets the context for discussing the significance of omotenashi in the hospitality industry and its impact on customer experiences and satisfaction.

Understanding the Background in an Essay: Context and Significance

Table of contents, defining the background, the importance of context, establishing relevance, creating engagement, conclusion: framing the narrative.

Smith, John. "The Art of Effective Background Writing." Journal of Academic Writing, vol. 25, no. 2, 2018, pp. 87-104.
Jones, Emily. "Context Matters: The Role of Background Information in Comprehension." Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 3, 2006, pp. 386-401.
Johnson, Robert. "Crafting Engaging Backgrounds: Techniques for Captivating Readers." Writing Techniques Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 4, 2020, pp. 55-67.
Thompson, Laura. "The Significance of Context in Essay Writing." Academic Insights, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 23-38.
Williams, David. "The Power of Relevance: Creating Lasting Impressions Through Effective Backgrounds." Rhetoric and Composition Journal, vol. 30, no. 2, 2015, pp. 120-135.

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Topic Guide - Developing Your Research Study

Purpose of Guide
Flaws to Avoid
Independent and Dependent Variables
Glossary of Research Terms
Reading Research Effectively
Narrowing a Topic Idea
Broadening a Topic Idea
Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
Academic Writing Style
Choosing a Title
Making an Outline
Paragraph Development
APA 7th Edition
Executive Summary
The C.A.R.S. Model
Background Information

Importance of Having Enough Background Information

Structure and writing style, writing tip.

The Research Problem/Question
Theoretical Framework
Citation Tracking
Content Alert Services
Evaluating Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Tiertiary Sources
What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Using Non-Textual Elements
Limitations of the Study
10. Proofreading Your Paper
Writing Concisely
Common Grammar Mistakes
Avoiding Plagiarism
Footnotes or Endnotes?
Further Readings
Annotated Bibliography
Types of Structured Group Activities
Group Project Survival Skills
Multiple Book Review Essay
Reviewing Collected Works
Writing a Case Study
Writing a Research Proposal
Bibliography

Background information identifies and describes the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to the existing literature. The background information should indicate the root of the problem being studied, appropriate context of the problem in relation to theory, research, and/or practice , its scope, and the extent to which previous studies have successfully investigated the problem, noting, in particular, where gaps exist that your study attempts to address. Background information does not replace the literature review section of a research paper; it is intended to place the research problem in a proper context.

Background information expands upon the key points stated in the beginning of your introduction but is not intended to be the main focus of the paper. It generally supports the question, what did we know about this topic before I did this study? Sufficient background information helps your reader determine if you have a basic understanding of the research problem being investigated and promotes confidence in the overall quality of your analysis and findings. This information provides the reader with the essential context needed to understand the research problem and its significance before moving on to the literature review.

Depending on the problem being studied, forms of contextualization may include one or more of the following:

Cultural -- placed within the learned behavior of specific groups of people.
Economic -- of or relating to systems of production and management of material wealth and/or business activities.
Gender -- located within the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with being male or female.
Historical -- the time in which something takes place or was created and how that influences how you interpret it.
Interdisciplinary -- explanation of theories, concepts, ideas, or methodologies borrowed from other disciplines applied to the research problem rooted in another discipline.
Philosophical -- clarification of the essential nature of being or of phenomena as it relates to the research problem.
Physical/Spatial -- reflects the space around something and how that influences how you see it.
Political -- concerns the environment in which something is produced indicating it's public purpose or agenda.
Social -- the environment of people that surrounds something's creation or intended audience, reflecting how the people around something use and interpret it.
Temporal -- reflects issues or events of, relating to, or limited by time.

Background information can also include summaries of important, relevant research studies . This is particularly important if there is an essential or groundbreaking study about the research problem or a key study that refutes or supports your thesis. The key is to summarize for the reader what is known about the specific research problem before you conduct the analysis. This is accomplished with a general review of the foundational research literature [with citations] that document findings informing your study's aims and objectives.

Providing background information in the introduction of a research paper serves as a bridge that links the reader to the topic of your study . Precisely how long and in-depth this bridge should be is largely dependent upon how much information you think the reader will need to know in order to fully understand the topic being discussed and to appreciate why the issues you are investigating are important.

From another perspective, the length and detail of background information also depends on the degree to which you need to demonstrate to your professor how much you understand the research problem. Keep this in mind because providing pertinent background information can be an effective way to demonstrate that you have a clear grasp of key issues and concepts underpinning your overall study. Don't try to show off, though! And, avoid stating the obvious.

The structure and writing style of your background information can vary depending upon the complexity of your research and/or the nature of the assignment. Given this, here are some questions to consider while writing this part of your introduction :

Are there concepts, terms, theories, or ideas that may be unfamiliar to the reader and, thus, require additional explanation?
Are there historical elements that need to be explored in order to provide needed context, to highlight specific people, issues, or events, or to lay a foundation for understanding the emergence of a current issue or event?
Are there theories, concepts, or ideas borrowed from other disciplines or academic traditions that may be unfamiliar to the reader and therefore require further explanation?
Is the research study unusual in a way that requires additional explanation, such as, 1) your study uses a method of analysis never applied before; 2) your study investigates a very esoteric or complex research problem; 3) your study introduces new or unique variables that need to be taken into account ; or, 4) your study relies upon analyzing unique texts or documents, such as, archival materials or primary documents like diaries or personal letters that do not represent the established body of source literature on the topic?

Almost all introductions to a research problem require some contextualizing, but the scope and breadth of background information varies depending on your assumption about the reader's level of prior knowledge . Despite this assessment, however, background information should be brief and succinct; save any elaboration of critical points or in-depth discussion of key issues for the literature review section of your paper.

Background Information vs. the Literature Review

Incorporating background information into the introduction is intended to provide the reader with critical information about the topic being studied, such as, highlighting and expanding upon foundational studies conducted in the past, describing important historical events that inform why and in what ways the research problem exists, or defining key components of your study [concepts, people, places, phenomena]. Although introductory background information can often blend into the literature review portion of the paper in social sciences research , basic background information should not be considered a substitute for a comprehensive review and synthesis of relevant research literature.

Hart, Cris. Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998.

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What Is Background Information: Everything You Need to Know to Do It Right

Table of Contents

Every research paper should include a section explaining why you approached this subject and what aspect of the topic you focus on. This section is the so-called background of your paper – a broader context within which you position your arguments and analysis.

Still, many inexperienced students face questions like, “What is the background information? How do I develop the background section competently and professionally?”

We’ve decided to help you out and provide guidance on all steps of the background writing process. In this article, we’ll provide you with:

A workable background paper example.
Explanations of how to compose a background paragraph.
An in-depth overview of what a background for a paper is and how to develop it.
Instructions on writing the background and significance chapter for larger academic works.

Stay tuned and read on to develop an effective research paper that will surely impress your supervisor.

How to Write Background Information

So, what is background information, and how to present it clearly and logically so that your audience grasps the subject well?

A study background is a part of your introduction in which you will explain what topic you’re examining, what place it takes within the broader area of research, what is known about it, and what is yet to be explained and researched.

To achieve the purpose of this section in a research paper, you need to discuss the historical information about your subject, mention what is known about its primary variables, processes, and relationships, and explain what scholars point out as interesting gaps today.

Let’s consider an example. Suppose you want to study how students’ exposure to child abuse affects their academic performance at school. In that case, you first need to present a socio-demographic profile of academic attainment, underline the problem of student underachievement at school, and outline the major factors contributing to under-achievement and dropouts, including child abuse.

After that, you should give relevant statistics on child abuse globally and in the country you’re researching, pointing out the adverse effects of abuse on the child’s later life. This background is enough to proceed to your topic, where you will explain that the link between abuse and underachievement is mostly under-researched and poorly explained.

Thesis Background Explained

What is background information, and where to place it in the research paper? In a nutshell, it should be the first section of your academic document preceding the formulation of your problem statement and the purpose of a research paper. Thus, when you compose the thesis of your background section, you should focus on the key subject of your inquiry. Continuing with the example we discussed above, we would suggest a thesis as follows:

“ Thousands of children are exposed to child abuse, which causes long-lasting physical and psychological effects on them, including low self-esteem and inability to study well. Because of the common neglect to the relationship between abuse and underachievement, a huge percentage of students lose essential educational opportunities and fail to build careers and stay economically independent in later lives. Thus, the present study attempts to expose the relationship between the discussed variables and develop workable recommendations to support abuse victims in their educational efforts .”

What Is a Background Section of a Research Paper

The background section is typically marked as such in longer papers. Yet, if the assignment is short, you should include the background section in the introductory paragraph. Here, you should talk about the subject of your assignment in general.

For example, you can identify some key statistics to outline the magnitude of the problem or talk about seminal research in the area to show what was and wasn’t researched. It’s also helpful to include main theories and concepts that you will explore or that explain and inform your subject. Keep in mind that this section should spark the reader’s interest and explain the basics of your topic.

Steps to Writing Background Information

To compose a viable background section, you should first answer the following questions:

What do I know about the subject in broader terms, i.e., what academic discipline does it belong to, what are the major facts and arguments of authoritative people on it?
What is known and not known on m topic, i.e., what are the well-known gaps that nobody has addressed yet?
How does my research paper address those gaps, and what academic/practical value can my findings bring?
What is my reasoning for choosing this topic (i.e., the rationale for the study), and what suggestions do I have about it?

Main Do’s & Don’ts

Now that we’re familiar with the background section’s ins and outs, it’s time to examine what common mistakes students make in the process of writing this part. Besides, we uncover the pro tips for enhancing your section and improving its impact on the audience.

Students often state the background too briefly, in a couple of sentences, or write lengthy sections occupying a significant portion of their papers.
The worst mistake is to be ambiguous and pose fuzzy claims in the background, thus confusing the readers about the overall subject of your inquiry.
Never go off-topic in the background section, as your audience should understand the subject you’re exploring. No unrelated information should be used in this part (or elsewhere).
Avoid jumping from one subject to another one. Consistency and logic in your arguments make your text readable and understandable.
Don’t speak about the subject in a way that laypersons won’t understand. The meaning of background is precisely to inform the readers about the subject in simple words and enhance their further interpretation of information.
Don’t present any analysis or interpretations in this section. It serves to set the context for your analysis that will follow in the body of the paper.
Avoid a limited scope of the topic’s presentation, as the readers should embrace the subject well before proceeding to your analysis.
Never submit the assignment to your tutor or publishing organization without checking the formatting requirements. Such guidelines usually contain information about how you should write and format the background. If you violate those instructions, the paper will be rejected.

By avoiding these mistakes, you’re sure to arrive at a much better background section with logical information. This may be achieved if you follow the pro tips from our experts outlined below.

The core function of your background is to present your topic in context, so you should do everything possible to explain your topic’s significance and relevance in the background section.
Mention all significant developments and findings on your subject to give credit to the achievements that have already been made. At the same time, this presentation will set an excellent basis for a transition to gaps in research.
After you’ve presented the achievements, make a logical transition to missing data and gaps in the present-day research on your subject to build the case for your research paper.
Present all data chronologically to show how your discipline/subject progressed in time, what was unknown, how it was examined, and what’s next for research in your area.
Make sure you talk about your academic contribution explicitly. This section will emphasize the value of your study and will serve as a good rationale for writing it.

Research Background Example

Now, to make sure that you understand the whole task and perform it ideally for any future assignment, we’ve prepared a handy example of a background of the study in a research paper for your guidance. Take it as a loose set of provisions that you can easily apply to various topics and assignment types.

“ Diabetes is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the USA, with over 34 million having this diagnosis and over 7 million more living with an undiagnosed condition. The disease is getting younger year by year, with children becoming the worst-exposed population group in terms of new diabetes diagnoses. The primary cause of such disproportionate effect of diabetes on children has been identified in the combination of genetic and environmental factors. Thus, children whose parents are obese and who consume sugar-rich and fatty products at schools and at home on a daily basis are at a 5 times higher risk of getting a diabetes diagnosis in secondary school. The problem has been identified on a national level, but there is still little effort to curb fast-food selling practices in the U.S. schools. Thus, this paper is dedicated to the analysis of existing nutritional policies in public schools and presentation of recommendations for dietary adaptations for high-risk schoolers .”

Have More Questions?

If you’re stuck with the research paper at its very beginning and still can’t figure out what is background information and where to take it, our experts are at your service 24/7. We have a star team of competent experts who can compose any research paper for you from scratch, keeping the content in line with the top academic standards of content quality.

So, there is no more need to spend sleepless nights with books; you can study better with our competent assistance without spending extra effort on your home tasks.

How to Write Assignment in Style Requested by the Professor?

100+ Personal Essay Topics For College And Writing Tips

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, personal background essay examples.

Hey everyone! I'm working on my college applications, and part of it requires a personal background essay. I'm a little stuck, so if you guys could share some examples or tips, that'd be great! Please help me out, thanks!

Hello! It's understandable that writing a personal background essay can be challenging. Here are some tips to get you started and an example of how you might approach this essay:

1. Reflect on what makes your background unique. Consider your family's history, culture, traditions, values, and how these have shaped your experiences.

2. Delve into the details. Discuss specific experiences, anecdotes, or events that have had a significant impact on your life and highlight the lessons you've gained from your background.

3. Be authentic. Write from the heart and let your personality shine through. This essay is your opportunity to help the admissions officers get to know you beyond your stats and accomplishments.

4. Avoid clichés. Personal background essays are quite common, so if you're writing about a widely-covered topic (moving, learning a new language, etc.), try to find a unique angle or aspect that will set your essay apart.

Growing up in a multigenerational household, I've had the rare privilege of experiencing diverse perspectives on life from my grandparents, parents, and siblings. My grandparents, who emigrated from Vietnam, taught me the importance of staying true to our cultural heritage and maintaining strong connections with family. Daily rituals like preparing and enjoying traditional Vietnamese meals, participating in Lunar New Year celebrations, and listening to stories about my grandparents' journey to the United States helped me appreciate the strength and resilience of my ancestors.

However, this cultural pride was not always something I cherished. As a child, I was bullied for my Banh Khot and Banh Mi lunches, and I'd often ask my parents to pack more generic-looking sandwiches to avoid feeling like an outsider at school. It wasn't until my grandmother shared her own story of assimilation and how she strived to maintain her cultural identity in a new country that I realized the value of embracing my heritage. Inspired by her courage, I decided to educate my peers about Vietnamese traditions and founded a cultural exchange club at school. Together, we explored our heritages, organizing potlucks, cultural presentations, and language exchange sessions.

Through this experience, I've learned that embracing who I am and the unique background I come from has made me a stronger person. My personal background has taught me to be open to learning about other cultures, which I look forward to bringing to my future college community.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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Background Information Examples

Background information is information given in a non-fiction essay/text that the reader needs in order to understand the overall theme of the text or point the writer is attempting to make.

Background information is often provided after the hook , or opening statement that is used to grab the reader's attention. The type and amount of background information provided by the writer will depend on the purpose and topic of the essay. The writer may need to provide some definitions, or perhaps an overview of the problem being addressed in the essay.

In his inaugural speech at Rice University, John F. Kennedy spoke about the space race and going to the moon. This is just some of the background information he included in his speech about the pace of progress and human history:

No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, but condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man¹s recorded history in a time span of but a half-century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals to cover them. Then about 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power.

As he began his "I have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. provided some historical context for the fight for freedom:

Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free.

Abraham Lincoln began "The Gettysburg Address" with the hook that the founding fathers espoused that all men are created equal. Then he provided this background information about the current context of the Civil War:

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

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Essay writing: Introductions

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“A relevant and coherent beginning is perhaps your best single guarantee that the essay as a whole will achieve its object.” Gordon Taylor, A Student's Writing Guide

Your introduction is the first thing your marker will read and should be approximately 10% of your word count. Within the first minute they should know if your essay is going to be a good one or not. An introduction has several components but the most important of these are the last two we give here. You need to show the reader what your position is and how you are going to argue the case to get there so that the essay becomes your answer to the question rather than just an answer.

What an introduction should include:

A little basic background about the key subject area (just enough to put your essay into context, no more or you'll bore the reader).
Explanation of how you are defining any key terms . Confusion on this could be your undoing.
A road-map of how your essay will answer the question. What is your overall argument and how will you develop it?
A confirmation of your position .

Background information

It is good to start with a statement that fixes your essay topic and focus in a wider context so that the reader is sure of where they are within the field. This is a very small part of the introduction though - do not fall into the trap of writing a whole paragraph that is nothing but background information.

Beware though, this only has to be a little bit wider, not completely universal. That is, do not start with something like "In the whole field of nursing...." or "Since man could write, he has always...". Instead, simply situate the area that you are writing about within a slightly bigger area. For example, you could start with a general statement about a topic, outlining some key issues but explain that your essay will focus on only one. Here is an example:

The ability to communicate effectively and compassionately is a key skill within nursing. Communication is about more than being able to speak confidently and clearly, it is about effective listening (Singh, 2019), the use of gesture, body language and tone (Adebe et al., 2016) and the ability to tailor language and messaging to particular situations (Smith & Jones, 2015). This essay will explore the importance of non-verbal communication ...

The example introduction at the bottom of this page also starts with similar, short background information.

Prehistoric man with the caption "Since the dawn of man..."

Defining key terms

This does not mean quoting dictionary definitions - we all have access to dictionary.com with a click or two. There are many words we use in academic work that can have multiple or nuanced definitions. You have to write about how you are defining any potentially ambiguous terms in relation to your essay topic. This is really important for your reader, as it will inform them how you are using such words in the context of your essay and prevent confusion or misunderstanding.

Student deciding if 'superpower' relates to the USA and China or Superman and Spider-man

Stating your case (road mapping)

The main thing an introduction will do is...introduce your essay! That means you need to tell the reader what your conclusion is and how you will get there.

There is no need to worry about *SPOILER ALERTS* - this is not a detective novel you can give away the ending! Sorry, but building up suspense is just going to irritate the reader rather than eventually satisfy. Simply outline how your main arguments (give them in order) lead to your conclusion. In American essay guides you will see something described as the ‘thesis statement’ - although we don't use this terminology in the UK, it is still necessary to state in your introduction what the over-arching argument of your essay will be. Think of it as the mega-argument , to distinguish it from the mini-arguments you make in each paragraph. Look at the example introduction at the bottom of this page which includes both of these elements.

Car on a road to a place called 'Conclusion'

Confirming your position

To some extent, this is covered in your roadmap (above), but it is so important, it deserves some additional attention here. Setting out your position is an essential component of all essays. Brick et al. (2016:143) even suggest

"The purpose of an essay is to present a clear position and defend it"

It is, however, very difficult to defend a position if you have not made it clear in the first place. This is where your introduction comes in. In stating your position, you are ultimately outlining the answer to the question. You can then make the rest of your essay about providing the evidence that supports your answer. As such, if you make your position clear, you will find all subsequent paragraphs in your essay easier to write and join together. As you have already told your reader where the essay is going, you can be explicit in how each paragraph contributes to your mega-argument.

In establishing your position and defending it, you are ultimately engaging in scholarly debate. This is because your positions are supported by academic evidence and analysis. It is in your analysis of the academic evidence that should lead your reader to understand your position. Once again - this is only possible if your introduction has explained your position in the first place.

student standing on a cross holding a sign saying "my position"

An example introduction

(Essay title = Evaluate the role of stories as pedagogical tools in higher education)

Stories have been an essential communication technique for thousands of years and although teachers and parents still think they are important for educating younger children, they have been restricted to the role of entertainment for most of us since our teenage years. This essay will claim that stories make ideal pedagogical tools, whatever the age of the student, due to their unique position in cultural and cognitive development. To argue this, it will consider three main areas: firstly, the prevalence of stories across time and cultures and how the similarity of story structure suggests an inherent understanding of their form which could be of use to academics teaching multicultural cohorts when organising lecture material; secondly, the power of stories to enable listeners to personally relate to the content and how this increases the likelihood of changing thoughts, behaviours and decisions - a concept that has not gone unnoticed in some fields, both professional and academic; and finally, the way that different areas of the brain are activated when reading, listening to or watching a story unfold, which suggests that both understanding and ease of recall, two key components of learning, are both likely to be increased . Each of these alone could make a reasoned argument for including more stories within higher education teaching – taken together, this argument is even more compelling.

Key: Background information (scene setting) Stating the case (r oad map) Confirming a position (in two places). Note in this introduction there was no need to define key terms.

Brick, J., Herke, M., and Wong, D., (2016) Academic Culture, A students guide to studying at university, 3rd edition. Victoria, Australia: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Informative Essay — Purpose, Structure, and Examples

What is informative writing.

Informative writing educates the reader about a certain topic. An informative essay may explain new information, describe a process, or clarify a concept. The provided information is objective, meaning the writing focuses on presentation of fact and should not contain personal opinion or bias.

Informative writing includes description, process, cause and effect, comparison, and problems and possible solutions:

Describes a person, place, thing, or event using descriptive language that appeals to readers’ senses

Explains the process to do something or how something was created

Discusses the relationship between two things, determining how one ( cause ) leads to the other ( effect ); the effect needs to be based on fact and not an assumption

Identifies the similarities and differences between two things; does not indicate that one is better than the other

Details a problem and presents various possible solutions ; the writer does not suggest one solution is more effective than the others

Purpose of informative writing

The purpose of an informative essay depends upon the writer’s motivation, but may be to share new information, describe a process, clarify a concept, explain why or how, or detail a topic’s intricacies.

Informative essays may introduce readers to new information .

Summarizing a scientific/technological study

Outlining the various aspects of a religion

Providing information on a historical period

Describe a process or give step-by-step details of a procedure.

How to write an informational essay

How to construct an argument

How to apply for a job

Clarify a concept and offer details about complex ideas.

Explain why or how something works the way that it does.

Describe how the stock market impacts the economy

Illustrate why there are high and low tides

Detail how the heart functions

Offer information on the smaller aspects or intricacies of a larger topic.

Identify the importance of the individual bones in the body

Outlining the Dust Bowl in the context of the Great Depression

Explaining how bees impact the environment

How to write an informative essay

Regardless of the type of information, the informative essay structure typically consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

Background information

Explanation of evidence

Restated thesis

Review of main ideas

Closing statement

Informative essay introduction

When composing the introductory paragraph(s) of an informative paper, include a hook, introduce the topic, provide background information, and develop a good thesis statement.

If the hook or introduction creates interest in the first paragraph, it will draw the readers’ attention and make them more receptive to the essay writer's ideas. Some of the most common techniques to accomplish this include the following:

Emphasize the topic’s importance by explaining the current interest in the topic or by indicating that the subject is influential.

Use pertinent statistics to give the paper an air of authority.

A surprising statement can be shocking; sometimes it is disgusting; sometimes it is joyful; sometimes it is surprising because of who said it.

An interesting incident or anecdote can act as a teaser to lure the reader into the remainder of the essay. Be sure that the device is appropriate for the informative essay topic and focus on what is to follow.

Directly introduce the topic of the essay.

Provide the reader with the background information necessary to understand the topic. Don’t repeat this information in the body of the essay; it should help the reader understand what follows.

Identify the overall purpose of the essay with the thesis (purpose statement). Writers can also include their support directly in the thesis, which outlines the structure of the essay for the reader.

Informative essay body paragraphs

Each body paragraph should contain a topic sentence, evidence, explanation of evidence, and a transition sentence.

A good topic sentence should identify what information the reader should expect in the paragraph and how it connects to the main purpose identified in the thesis.

Provide evidence that details the main point of the paragraph. This includes paraphrasing, summarizing, and directly quoting facts, statistics, and statements.

Explain how the evidence connects to the main purpose of the essay.

Place transitions at the end of each body paragraph, except the last. There is no need to transition from the last support to the conclusion. A transition should accomplish three goals:

Tell the reader where you were (current support)

Tell the reader where you are going (next support)

Relate the paper’s purpose

Informative essay conclusion

Incorporate a rephrased thesis, summary, and closing statement into the conclusion of an informative essay.

Rephrase the purpose of the essay. Do not just repeat the purpose statement from the thesis.

Summarize the main idea found in each body paragraph by rephrasing each topic sentence.

End with a clincher or closing statement that helps readers answer the question “so what?” What should the reader take away from the information provided in the essay? Why should they care about the topic?

Informative essay example

The following example illustrates a good informative essay format:

The Research Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction
Select Topic
Identify Keywords
Background Information
Develop Research Questions
Refine Topic
Search Strategy
Evaluate Sources
Primary & Secondary Sources
Types of Periodicals
Organize / Take Notes
Writing & Grammar Resources
Annotated Bibliography
Literature Review
Citation Styles
Paraphrasing
Privacy / Confidentiality
How to Read Research Article
ChatGPT and the Research Process

If you can't find an encyclopedia, dictionary or textbook article on your topic, try using broader keywords or ask a reference librarian for help. For example, if your topic is "global warming," consider searching for an encyclopedia on the environment.

Using Wikipedia for Research

Finding Background Information

Once you have identified keywords, the next step is to find background information on your topic.

Background information serves many purposes:

If you are unfamiliar with the topic, it provides a good overview of the subject matter.
It helps you to identify important facts related to your topic such as terminology, dates, events, history, and relevant names or organizations.
It can help you refine your topic.
Background research might lead you to bibliographies that you can use to find additional sources of information.

Sources of Background Information

Background information can be found in:

dictionaries
general encyclopedias
subject-specific encyclopedias
article databases
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Writing an Introduction for a Scientific Paper

Dr. michelle harris, dr. janet batzli, biocore.

This section provides guidelines on how to construct a solid introduction to a scientific paper including background information, study question , biological rationale, hypothesis , and general approach . If the Introduction is done well, there should be no question in the reader’s mind why and on what basis you have posed a specific hypothesis.

Broad Question : based on an initial observation (e.g., “I see a lot of guppies close to the shore. Do guppies like living in shallow water?”). This observation of the natural world may inspire you to investigate background literature or your observation could be based on previous research by others or your own pilot study. Broad questions are not always included in your written text, but are essential for establishing the direction of your research.

Background Information : key issues, concepts, terminology, and definitions needed to understand the biological rationale for the experiment. It often includes a summary of findings from previous, relevant studies. Remember to cite references, be concise, and only include relevant information given your audience and your experimental design. Concisely summarized background information leads to the identification of specific scientific knowledge gaps that still exist. (e.g., “No studies to date have examined whether guppies do indeed spend more time in shallow water.”)

Testable Question : these questions are much more focused than the initial broad question, are specific to the knowledge gap identified, and can be addressed with data. (e.g., “Do guppies spend different amounts of time in water <1 meter deep as compared to their time in water that is >1 meter deep?”)

Biological Rationale : describes the purpose of your experiment distilling what is known and what is not known that defines the knowledge gap that you are addressing. The “BR” provides the logic for your hypothesis and experimental approach, describing the biological mechanism and assumptions that explain why your hypothesis should be true.

The biological rationale is based on your interpretation of the scientific literature, your personal observations, and the underlying assumptions you are making about how you think the system works. If you have written your biological rationale, your reader should see your hypothesis in your introduction section and say to themselves, “Of course, this hypothesis seems very logical based on the rationale presented.”

A thorough rationale defines your assumptions about the system that have not been revealed in scientific literature or from previous systematic observation. These assumptions drive the direction of your specific hypothesis or general predictions.
Defining the rationale is probably the most critical task for a writer, as it tells your reader why your research is biologically meaningful. It may help to think about the rationale as an answer to the questions— how is this investigation related to what we know, what assumptions am I making about what we don’t yet know, AND how will this experiment add to our knowledge? *There may or may not be broader implications for your study; be careful not to overstate these (see note on social justifications below).
Expect to spend time and mental effort on this. You may have to do considerable digging into the scientific literature to define how your experiment fits into what is already known and why it is relevant to pursue.
Be open to the possibility that as you work with and think about your data, you may develop a deeper, more accurate understanding of the experimental system. You may find the original rationale needs to be revised to reflect your new, more sophisticated understanding.
As you progress through Biocore and upper level biology courses, your rationale should become more focused and matched with the level of study e ., cellular, biochemical, or physiological mechanisms that underlie the rationale. Achieving this type of understanding takes effort, but it will lead to better communication of your science.

***Special note on avoiding social justifications: You should not overemphasize the relevance of your experiment and the possible connections to large-scale processes. Be realistic and logical —do not overgeneralize or state grand implications that are not sensible given the structure of your experimental system. Not all science is easily applied to improving the human condition. Performing an investigation just for the sake of adding to our scientific knowledge (“pure or basic science”) is just as important as applied science. In fact, basic science often provides the foundation for applied studies.

Hypothesis / Predictions : specific prediction(s) that you will test during your experiment. For manipulative experiments, the hypothesis should include the independent variable (what you manipulate), the dependent variable(s) (what you measure), the organism or system , the direction of your results, and comparison to be made.

We hypothesized that reared in warm water will have a greater sexual mating response.

(The dependent variable “sexual response” has not been defined enough to be able to make this hypothesis testable or falsifiable. In addition, no comparison has been specified— greater sexual mating response as compared to what?)

We hypothesized that ) reared in warm water temperatures ranging from 25-28 °C ( ) would produce greater ( ) numbers of male offspring and females carrying haploid egg sacs ( ) than reared in cooler water temperatures of 18-22°C.

If you are doing a systematic observation , your hypothesis presents a variable or set of variables that you predict are important for helping you characterize the system as a whole, or predict differences between components/areas of the system that help you explain how the system functions or changes over time.

We hypothesize that the frequency and extent of algal blooms in Lake Mendota over the last 10 years causes fish kills and imposes a human health risk.

(The variables “frequency and extent of algal blooms,” “fish kills” and “human health risk” have not been defined enough to be able to make this hypothesis testable or falsifiable. How do you measure algal blooms? Although implied, hypothesis should express predicted direction of expected results [ , higher frequency associated with greater kills]. Note that cause and effect cannot be implied without a controlled, manipulative experiment.)

We hypothesize that increasing ( ) cell densities of algae ( ) in Lake Mendota over the last 10 years is correlated with 1. increased numbers of dead fish ( ) washed up on Madison beaches and 2. increased numbers of reported hospital/clinical visits ( .) following full-body exposure to lake water.

Experimental Approach : Briefly gives the reader a general sense of the experiment, the type of data it will yield, and the kind of conclusions you expect to obtain from the data. Do not confuse the experimental approach with the experimental protocol . The experimental protocol consists of the detailed step-by-step procedures and techniques used during the experiment that are to be reported in the Methods and Materials section.

Some Final Tips on Writing an Introduction

As you progress through the Biocore sequence, for instance, from organismal level of Biocore 301/302 to the cellular level in Biocore 303/304, we expect the contents of your “Introduction” paragraphs to reflect the level of your coursework and previous writing experience. For example, in Biocore 304 (Cell Biology Lab) biological rationale should draw upon assumptions we are making about cellular and biochemical processes.
Be Concise yet Specific: Remember to be concise and only include relevant information given your audience and your experimental design. As you write, keep asking, “Is this necessary information or is this irrelevant detail?” For example, if you are writing a paper claiming that a certain compound is a competitive inhibitor to the enzyme alkaline phosphatase and acts by binding to the active site, you need to explain (briefly) Michaelis-Menton kinetics and the meaning and significance of Km and Vmax. This explanation is not necessary if you are reporting the dependence of enzyme activity on pH because you do not need to measure Km and Vmax to get an estimate of enzyme activity.
Another example: if you are writing a paper reporting an increase in Daphnia magna heart rate upon exposure to caffeine you need not describe the reproductive cycle of magna unless it is germane to your results and discussion. Be specific and concrete, especially when making introductory or summary statements.

Where Do You Discuss Pilot Studies? Many times it is important to do pilot studies to help you get familiar with your experimental system or to improve your experimental design. If your pilot study influences your biological rationale or hypothesis, you need to describe it in your Introduction. If your pilot study simply informs the logistics or techniques, but does not influence your rationale, then the description of your pilot study belongs in the Materials and Methods section.

from an Intro Ecology Lab:

Researchers studying global warming predict an increase in average global temperature of 1.3°C in the next 10 years (Seetwo 2003). are small zooplankton that live in freshwater inland lakes. They are filter-feeding crustaceans with a transparent exoskeleton that allows easy observation of heart rate and digestive function. Thomas et al (2001) found that heart rate increases significantly in higher water temperatures are also thought to switch their mode of reproduction from asexual to sexual in response to extreme temperatures. Gender is not mediated by genetics, but by the environment. Therefore, reproduction may be sensitive to increased temperatures resulting from global warming (maybe a question?) and may serve as a good environmental indicator for global climate change.

In this experiment we hypothesized that reared in warm water will switch from an asexual to a sexual mode of reproduction. In order to prove this hypothesis correct we observed grown in warm and cold water and counted the number of males observed after 10 days.

Comments:

Background information

· Good to recognize as a model organism from which some general conclusions can be made about the quality of the environment; however no attempt is made to connect increased lake temperatures and gender. Link early on to increase focus.

· Connection to global warming is too far-reaching. First sentence gives impression that Global Warming is topic for this paper. Changes associated with global warming are not well known and therefore little can be concluded about use of as indicator species.

· Information about heart rate is unnecessary because heart rate in not being tested in this experiment.

Rationale

· Rationale is missing; how is this study related to what we know about D. magna survivorship and reproduction as related to water temperature, and how will this experiment contribute to our knowledge of the system?

· Think about the ecosystem in which this organism lives and the context. Under what conditions would D. magna be in a body of water with elevated temperatures?

Hypothesis

· Not falsifiable; variables need to be better defined (state temperatures or range tested rather than “warm” or “cold”) and predict direction and magnitude of change in number of males after 10 days.

· It is unclear what comparison will be made or what the control is

· What dependent variable will be measured to determine “switch” in mode of reproduction (what criteria are definitive for switch?)

Approach

· Hypotheses cannot be “proven” correct. They are either supported or rejected.

Introduction

are small zooplankton found in freshwater inland lakes and are thought to switch their mode of reproduction from asexual to sexual in response to extreme temperatures (Mitchell 1999). Lakes containing have an average summer surface temperature of 20°C (Harper 1995) but may increase by more than 15% when expose to warm water effluent from power plants, paper mills, and chemical industry (Baker et al. 2000). Could an increase in lake temperature caused by industrial thermal pollution affect the survivorship and reproduction of ?

The sex of is mediated by the environment rather than genetics. Under optimal environmental conditions, populations consist of asexually reproducing females. When the environment shifts may be queued to reproduce sexually resulting in the production of male offspring and females carrying haploid eggs in sacs called ephippia (Mitchell 1999).

The purpose of this laboratory study is to examine the effects of increased water temperature on survivorship and reproduction. This study will help us characterize the magnitude of environmental change required to induce the onset of the sexual life cycle in . Because are known to be a sensitive environmental indicator species (Baker et al. 2000) and share similar structural and physiological features with many aquatic species, they serve as a good model for examining the effects of increasing water temperature on reproduction in a variety of aquatic invertebrates.

We hypothesized that populations reared in water temperatures ranging from 24-26 °C would have lower survivorship, higher male/female ratio among the offspring, and more female offspring carrying ephippia as compared with grown in water temperatures of 20-22°C. To test this hypothesis we reared populations in tanks containing water at either 24 +/- 2°C or 20 +/- 2°C. Over 10 days, we monitored survivorship, determined the sex of the offspring, and counted the number of female offspring containing ephippia.

Comments:

Background information

· Opening paragraph provides good focus immediately. The study organism, gender switching response, and temperature influence are mentioned in the first sentence. Although it does a good job documenting average lake water temperature and changes due to industrial run-off, it fails to make an argument that the 15% increase in lake temperature could be considered “extreme” temperature change.

· The study question is nicely embedded within relevant, well-cited background information. Alternatively, it could be stated as the first sentence in the introduction, or after all background information has been discussed before the hypothesis.

Rationale

· Good. Well-defined purpose for study; to examine the degree of environmental change necessary to induce the Daphnia sexual life
cycle.

How will introductions be evaluated? The following is part of the rubric we will be using to evaluate your papers.

0 = inadequate

(C, D or F)

1 = adequate

(BC)

2 = good

(B)

3 = very good

(AB)

4 = excellent

(A)

Introduction

BIG PICTURE: Did the Intro convey why experiment was performed and what it was designed to test?

Introduction provides little to no relevant information. (This often results in a hypothesis that “comes out of nowhere.”)

Many key components are very weak or missing; those stated are unclear and/or are not stated concisely. Weak/missing components make it difficult to follow the rest of the paper.

e.g., background information is not focused on a specific question and minimal biological rationale is presented such that hypothesis isn’t entirely logical

Covers most key components but could be done much more logically, clearly, and/or concisely.

e.g., biological rationale not fully developed but still supports hypothesis. Remaining components are done reasonably well, though there is still room for improvement.

Concisely & clearly covers all but one key component (w/ exception of rationale; see left) clearly covers all key components but could be a little more concise and/or clear.

e.g., has done a reasonably nice job with the Intro but fails to state the approach OR has done a nice job with Intro but has also included some irrelevant background information

Clearly, concisely, & logically presents all key components: relevant & correctly cited background information, question, biological rationale, hypothesis, approach.

Organizing Academic Research Papers: Background Information

Purpose of Guide
Design Flaws to Avoid
Glossary of Research Terms
Narrowing a Topic Idea
Broadening a Topic Idea
Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
Academic Writing Style
Choosing a Title
Making an Outline
Paragraph Development
Executive Summary
Background Information
The Research Problem/Question
Theoretical Framework
Citation Tracking
Content Alert Services
Evaluating Sources
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Tertiary Sources
What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Using Non-Textual Elements
Limitations of the Study
Common Grammar Mistakes
Avoiding Plagiarism
Footnotes or Endnotes?
Further Readings
Annotated Bibliography
Dealing with Nervousness
Using Visual Aids
Grading Someone Else's Paper
How to Manage Group Projects
Multiple Book Review Essay
Reviewing Collected Essays
About Informed Consent
Writing Field Notes
Writing a Policy Memo
Writing a Research Proposal
Acknowledgements

Background information identifies and describes the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to the existing literature. Background information in your Introduction should indicate the root of the problem being studied, its scope, and the extent to which previous studies have successfully investigated the problem, noting, in particular, where gaps exist that your study attempts to address. Introductory background information differs from a literature review in that it places the research problem in proper context rather than thoroughly examining pertinent literature.

Importance of Having Enough Background Information

Background information expands upon the key points stated in your introduction but is not the main focus of the paper. Sufficient background information helps your reader determine if you have a basic understanding of the research problem being investigated and promotes confidence in the overall quality of your analysis and findings.

Background information provides the reader with the essential context needed to understand the research problem . Depending on the topic being studied, forms of contextualization may include:

Cultural -- the issue placed within the learned behavior of specific groups of people.
Economic -- of or relating to systems of production and management of material wealth and/or business activities.
Historical -- the time in which something takes place or was created and how that influences how you interpret it.
Philosophical -- clarification of the essential nature of being or of phenomena as it relates to the research problem.
Physical/Spatial -- reflects the space around something and how that influences how you see it.
Political -- concerns the environment in which something is produced indicating it's public purpose or agenda.
Social -- the environment of people that surrounds something's creation or intended audience, reflecting how the people around something use and interpret it.
Temporal -- reflects issues or events of, relating to, or limited by time.

Background information can also include summaries of important, relevant research studies . The key is to summarize for the reader what is known about the specific research problem before you conducted your analysis. This is accomplished with a general review of the foundational research literature (with citations) that report findings that inform your study's aims and objectives.

Structure and Writing Style

Providing background information in the Introduction of a research paper serves as a bridge that links the reader to the topic of your study . But precisely how long and in-depth this bridge should be is largely dependent upon how much information you think the reader will need in order to understand the research problem being discussed and to appreciate why the issues you are investigating are important.

From another perspective, the length and detail of background information also depends on the degree to which you need to demonstrate to your professor how much you understand the topic. Keep this in mind because providing succinct background information can be an effective way to show that you have a clear grasp of key issues and concepts underpinning your overall study. Don't try to show off, though!

Given that the structure and writing style of your background information can vary depending upon the complexity of your research and/or the nature of the assignment, here are some questions to consider while writing :

Are there concepts, terms, theories, or ideas that may be unfamiliar to the reader and, thus, require additional explanation?
Are there historical elements that need to be explored in order to add needed context, to highlight specific people, issues, or events, or to lay a foundation for understanding the emergence of a current issue or event?
Is the research study unusual in some way that requires additional explanation, such as, a) your study uses a method never applied before to the research problem you are investigating; b) your study investigates a very esoteric or complex research problem; or, c) your study relies upon analyzing unique texts or documents, such as archival materials or primary documents like diaries or personal letters, that do not represent the established body of source literature on the topic.

Writing Tip

Background Information vs. the Literature Review

Incorporating background information into the Introduction is intended to provide the reader with critical information about the topic being studied, such as highlighting and expanding upon foundational studies conducted in the past, important historical events that inform why and in what ways the research problem exists, or defining key components of your study [concepts, people, places, things]. Although in social sciences research introductory background information can often blend into the literature review portion of the paper, basic background information should not be considered a substitute for a comprehensive review and synthesis of relevant research literature.

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Next: The Research Problem/Question >>
Last Updated: Jul 18, 2023 11:58 AM
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University of Houston Libraries

History research guide.

History Research Home
Background Information
Historical Scholarship
Legal and Policy Research
Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
Citing Archival Materials This link opens in a new window
Getting Help

What is background information?

Common examples of background information sources are dictionaries, encyclopedias, and bibliographies. You may find these sources either as individual books or ebooks by searching our library catalog, or through a library database.

Background information usually adds one or more of the following benefits to your research process:

introduces you to important terms or concepts,
points toward other works on your research topic,
describes common ideas other scholars already have about the subject.

For best results, seek background information early in the research process. That way, you can use what you learn about foundational concepts to make changes to your research question or plan for next steps.

How do I find background information?

Background information sources may contain information on many topics from multiple disciplines. You're probably already familiar with one source for general background information, Wikipedia.

To find this type of background information through UH Libraries, try searching the database below with keywords related to your research question.

Some background information sources are less general and instead cover a variety of topics related to a specific person or time period . These types of background information sources tend to be more detailed than the general sources described above.

History is one subject area in which these types of background sources are especially common. You may find databases, books, and ebooks dedicated to background information on highly specific topics, such as the online encyclopedia Handbook of Texas Online .

To look for books or ebooks of background information on your topic, try searching keywords associated with your research topic in the library's catalog , specifying the search term as a subject, rather than title.

How do I know if it's background information?

However, you may find that sources of background information, even certain encyclopedias and dictionaries, don't look like that at all. This is especially true in disciplines like History, in which highly specific encyclopedias such as Black Women of the Harlem Renaissance Era may be relatively short when compared to broad, multi-subject books.

Instead of relying on the external appearance of your sources to determine what kind of source you are using, it's helpful to know a few traits that distinguish many sources of background information from peer-reviewed, scholarly books:

Sections of text cover specific people, places, events, or subjects and have a narrow focus
Text sections have simple titles, usually only the name of the person, place, event, or subject covered
Entries are organized alphabetically, sometimes within thematic parts
Entries do not attempt to make an original argument or interpret a lot of primary sources about the subject, but instead summarize important, broad points

If you have any questions about background information, please reach out to a librarian!

<< Previous: History Research Home
Next: Historical Scholarship >>
Last Updated: Aug 12, 2023 9:01 AM
URL: https://guides.lib.uh.edu/history

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Example of a great essay | Explanations, tips & tricks

Example of a Great Essay | Explanations, Tips & Tricks

Published on February 9, 2015 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes.

This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction , focused paragraphs , clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion .

Each paragraph addresses a single central point, introduced by a topic sentence , and each point is directly related to the thesis statement .

As you read, hover over the highlighted parts to learn what they do and why they work.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

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Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an essay, an appeal to the senses: the development of the braille system in nineteenth-century france.

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

In France, debates about how to deal with disability led to the adoption of different strategies over time. While people with temporary difficulties were able to access public welfare, the most common response to people with long-term disabilities, such as hearing or vision loss, was to group them together in institutions (Tombs, 1996). At first, a joint institute for the blind and deaf was created, and although the partnership was motivated more by financial considerations than by the well-being of the residents, the institute aimed to help people develop skills valuable to society (Weygand, 2009). Eventually blind institutions were separated from deaf institutions, and the focus shifted towards education of the blind, as was the case for the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, which Louis Braille attended (Jimenez et al, 2009). The growing acknowledgement of the uniqueness of different disabilities led to more targeted education strategies, fostering an environment in which the benefits of a specifically blind education could be more widely recognized.

Several different systems of tactile reading can be seen as forerunners to the method Louis Braille developed, but these systems were all developed based on the sighted system. The Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris taught the students to read embossed roman letters, a method created by the school’s founder, Valentin Hauy (Jimenez et al., 2009). Reading this way proved to be a rather arduous task, as the letters were difficult to distinguish by touch. The embossed letter method was based on the reading system of sighted people, with minimal adaptation for those with vision loss. As a result, this method did not gain significant success among blind students.

Louis Braille was bound to be influenced by his school’s founder, but the most influential pre-Braille tactile reading system was Charles Barbier’s night writing. A soldier in Napoleon’s army, Barbier developed a system in 1819 that used 12 dots with a five line musical staff (Kersten, 1997). His intention was to develop a system that would allow the military to communicate at night without the need for light (Herron, 2009). The code developed by Barbier was phonetic (Jimenez et al., 2009); in other words, the code was designed for sighted people and was based on the sounds of words, not on an actual alphabet. Barbier discovered that variants of raised dots within a square were the easiest method of reading by touch (Jimenez et al., 2009). This system proved effective for the transmission of short messages between military personnel, but the symbols were too large for the fingertip, greatly reducing the speed at which a message could be read (Herron, 2009). For this reason, it was unsuitable for daily use and was not widely adopted in the blind community.

Nevertheless, Barbier’s military dot system was more efficient than Hauy’s embossed letters, and it provided the framework within which Louis Braille developed his method. Barbier’s system, with its dashes and dots, could form over 4000 combinations (Jimenez et al., 2009). Compared to the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, this was an absurdly high number. Braille kept the raised dot form, but developed a more manageable system that would reflect the sighted alphabet. He replaced Barbier’s dashes and dots with just six dots in a rectangular configuration (Jimenez et al., 2009). The result was that the blind population in France had a tactile reading system using dots (like Barbier’s) that was based on the structure of the sighted alphabet (like Hauy’s); crucially, this system was the first developed specifically for the purposes of the blind.

While the Braille system gained immediate popularity with the blind students at the Institute in Paris, it had to gain acceptance among the sighted before its adoption throughout France. This support was necessary because sighted teachers and leaders had ultimate control over the propagation of Braille resources. Many of the teachers at the Royal Institute for Blind Youth resisted learning Braille’s system because they found the tactile method of reading difficult to learn (Bullock & Galst, 2009). This resistance was symptomatic of the prevalent attitude that the blind population had to adapt to the sighted world rather than develop their own tools and methods. Over time, however, with the increasing impetus to make social contribution possible for all, teachers began to appreciate the usefulness of Braille’s system (Bullock & Galst, 2009), realizing that access to reading could help improve the productivity and integration of people with vision loss. It took approximately 30 years, but the French government eventually approved the Braille system, and it was established throughout the country (Bullock & Galst, 2009).

Although Blind people remained marginalized throughout the nineteenth century, the Braille system granted them growing opportunities for social participation. Most obviously, Braille allowed people with vision loss to read the same alphabet used by sighted people (Bullock & Galst, 2009), allowing them to participate in certain cultural experiences previously unavailable to them. Written works, such as books and poetry, had previously been inaccessible to the blind population without the aid of a reader, limiting their autonomy. As books began to be distributed in Braille, this barrier was reduced, enabling people with vision loss to access information autonomously. The closing of the gap between the abilities of blind and the sighted contributed to a gradual shift in blind people’s status, lessening the cultural perception of the blind as essentially different and facilitating greater social integration.

The Braille system also had important cultural effects beyond the sphere of written culture. Its invention later led to the development of a music notation system for the blind, although Louis Braille did not develop this system himself (Jimenez, et al., 2009). This development helped remove a cultural obstacle that had been introduced by the popularization of written musical notation in the early 1500s. While music had previously been an arena in which the blind could participate on equal footing, the transition from memory-based performance to notation-based performance meant that blind musicians were no longer able to compete with sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997). As a result, a tactile musical notation system became necessary for professional equality between blind and sighted musicians (Kersten, 1997).

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Bullock, J. D., & Galst, J. M. (2009). The Story of Louis Braille. Archives of Ophthalmology , 127(11), 1532. https://doi.org/10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.286.

Herron, M. (2009, May 6). Blind visionary. Retrieved from https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2009/05/blind-visionary/.

Jiménez, J., Olea, J., Torres, J., Alonso, I., Harder, D., & Fischer, K. (2009). Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet. Survey of Ophthalmology , 54(1), 142–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.survophthal.2008.10.006.

Kersten, F.G. (1997). The history and development of Braille music methodology. The Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education , 18(2). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40214926.

Mellor, C.M. (2006). Louis Braille: A touch of genius . Boston: National Braille Press.

Tombs, R. (1996). France: 1814-1914 . London: Pearson Education Ltd.

Weygand, Z. (2009). The blind in French society from the Middle Ages to the century of Louis Braille . Stanford: Stanford University Press.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy

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Choosing Essay Topic
Write a College Essay
Write a Diversity Essay
College Essay Format & Structure
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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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COMMENTS

Background Information Examples for Essays and Papers
Learn how to add background information to essays and papers. These background information examples will help you do it perfectly every time.
Background Information
Background Information definition with examples. Background Information is all information needed to increase awareness of the topic an essay.
Background Information in an Essay: How to Write and Example
Normally, the background information of an essay includes elements like a brief introduction of your topic, key definitions and concepts, historical context, relevant data or facts, and an overview of the existing research relating to your topic. 2. Conduct Research and Gather Relevant Information. Before writing the background information of ...
How to Write an Essay Introduction
A strong introduction sparks your reader's curiosity, gives background information on your topic, and presents a clear thesis statement.
Background Information Essay Examples: What to Include?
Here are some suggestions on what to include in your background information essay: 1. Significant life events or challenges: Discuss events that shaped your values, outlook on life, or personal development. This could be a childhood memory, a family tradition, or a personal challenge you've overcome. 2.
Background Information
Learn how to find and use background information for your social sciences research paper, such as definitions, concepts, and theories.
11.5: Background Information (or Helping Your Reader Find a Context)
In one sense, you're giving your reader important background information every time you fully introduce and explain a piece of evidence or an argument you are making. But often times, research essays include some background information about the overall topic near the beginning of the essay.
Background Information
Literary or Textual Background: It offers background information about a literary work, author, or text that is being analyzed or discussed in the essay, providing the necessary context for understanding the text's themes, historical context, or authorial intent.
Understanding the Background in an Essay: Context and Significance
Defining the Background The background of an essay encompasses the historical, cultural, social, and theoretical context that surrounds the topic being discussed. It offers relevant information that aids readers in comprehending the subject's origins, development, and current relevance. Think of the background as a backdrop against which the main ideas and arguments of the essay unfold.
Background Information
Definition. Background information identifies and describes the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to the existing literature. The background information should indicate the root of the problem being studied, appropriate context of the problem in relation to theory, research, and/or practice, its scope, and the ...
What Is Background Information And How to Use It in Research
Find out how to write a background research paper from this all-in-one guide. Simple and concise, it includes step-by-step instructions and clear explanations.
Personal background essay examples
Personal background essays are quite common, so if you're writing about a widely-covered topic (moving, learning a new language, etc.), try to find a unique angle or aspect that will set your essay apart.
Background Information Examples
Background information is often provided after the hook, or opening statement that is used to grab the reader's attention. The type and amount of background information provided by the writer will depend on the purpose and topic of the essay. The writer may need to provide some definitions, or perhaps an overview of the problem being addressed in the essay.
Introductions
This essay will explore the importance of non-verbal communication ... The example introduction at the bottom of this page also starts with similar, short background information.
Informative Essay
Informative essay introduction When composing the introductory paragraph (s) of an informative paper, include a hook, introduce the topic, provide background information, and develop a good thesis statement.
Background Information
What is background information? Background information can help you learn more about your topic and develop your research question and approach. Common examples of background information sources are dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, and other reference sources that help give you a general overview of a topic.
Background Information
Finding Background Information Once you have identified keywords, the next step is to find background information on your topic. Background information serves many purposes: If you are unfamiliar with the topic, it provides a good overview of the subject matter.
Writing an Introduction for a Scientific Paper
Writing an Introduction for a Scientific Paper Posted on August 20, 2017 Dr. Michelle Harris, Dr. Janet Batzli, Biocore This section provides guidelines on how to construct a solid introduction to a scientific paper including background information, study question, biological rationale, hypothesis, and general approach. If the Introduction is done well, there should be no question in the ...
How to Write an Informative Essay in 7 Steps
Use this guide to discover how to effectively structure and write an informative essay with the help of an outline example.
Organizing Academic Research Papers: Background Information
Definition Background information identifies and describes the history and nature of a well-defined research problem with reference to the existing literature. Background information in your Introduction should indicate the root of the problem being studied, its scope, and the extent to which previous studies have successfully investigated the problem, noting, in particular, where gaps exist ...
Background Information
Background information can help you learn more about your topic and develop your research question and approach. Common examples of background information sources are dictionaries, encyclopedias, and bibliographies. You may find these sources either as individual books or ebooks by searching our library catalog, or through a library database.
Essay Introduction
It also needs a well-written bridge which either gives background information on the subject or summarizes the main points of the essay. Finally, the essay needs an effective thesis.
Example of a Great Essay
This example guides you through the structure of an essay. It shows how to build an effective introduction, focused paragraphs, clear transitions between ideas, and a strong conclusion.

Background Information

Example #2: I Twitter, Therefore I am (by Peggy Orenstein)

Example #3: Is Google Making Us Stupid (by Nicholas Carr)

Function of Background Information

Background Information in an Essay: How to Write and Example

What is the Background of an Essay?

What is Background Information in an Essay?

How to Write Background Information in an Essay

2. Conduct Research and Gather Relevant Information

3. Organize the Information

4. Begin with a Broad Introduction

5. Give Historical Context if Applicable

6. Define Key Concepts and Terms

7. Present Relevant Data or Facts

8. Summarize Existing Research if Applicable

How to Write Background Section in Research Writing

Conduct a Literature Review

Organize the Literature

Provide a Historical Context

Present Key Concepts and Theories

Highlight Research Questions and Gaps

Justify your Research’s Significance

Background Information Example

Do’s & Don’ts when Writing Background Information

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