Writing the Introduction and Conclusion to the Research Report

Introduction
Opening Strategies
The introduction for the research paper should be between five and eight sentences in length.

The first three to five sentences should contain an opening strategy

Common Open Strategies                How that Might Work with the Religion Report
Open with an anecdote.                       Retell/summarize a Bible story that relates to your
                                                             paper's topic.

Open with thought-provoking details.    List examples of incidents from the Bible that relate
                                                             to your paper's topic.

Open with a contrast.                          Contrast today with first-century Palestine. For
                                                             example, if your paper is about what was the life
                                                             of woman like in first-century Palestine,
                                                             then you would describe briefly the life of
                                                             contemporary women before asking your
                                                             primary question.

Open with a quotation.                       Use Brainy Quote or Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
                                                             to locate a quotation related to your paper's topic.
                                                             Introduce the person who said the quote, present
                                                             the quote and comment on the quote before
                                                             asking your primary question.

Primary Question
After your opening strategy, continue your introductory paragraph by stating your primary question.

Expository Thesis
Immediately following the primary question, state your thesis. Remember the thesis for this paper is not argumentative/persuasive.

Preview
A preview lists for the reader the subtopics of your paper. Your preview may be a part of your thesis sentence or a separate sentence.

Example of an introduction using an anecdote:

The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of a woman who comes to Jesus for healing after bleeding for twelve years. By touching even the hem of his garment, she believes she will be healed. Jesus rewards her faith and makes her whole. Jesus clothing is not the point of this story; however, imaginative readers may wonder, “What was clothing like in first-century Palestine?” First-century Palestinians typically wore simple clothing as can be seen in the clothing of the men, women, and children and in their jewelry and footwear.

Example of an introduction using thought-provoking details:

In the New Testament Mary wraps Jesus in swaddling clothes. Jesus says if a man takes your coat, you give him your cloak as well. At the crucifixion soldiers place a crown of thorns and a purple garment on Jesus on Jesus. New Testament readers eventually ask themselves, “What was clothing like in first-century Palestine? First-century Palestinians typically wore simple clothing as can be seen in the clothing of the men, women, and children and in their jewelry and footwear.

Example of an introduction using a contrast:

Contemporary Americans buy nearly all their clothing from big box chain stores or online companies. They keep their clothes in dressers, closets, storage bins and even storage units. Magazines and television shows picture the year’s latest trends. What was clothing like in the time of the New Testament? Forget a closet. A description of the clothing of first-century men, women, and children and their jewelry and footwear reveals how simple their clothing was.

Example of an introduction using a quotation:

The American humorist Mark Twain says, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Apparently Twain was not thinking of the Gospel writer Mark who famously lost his garment and ran away naked. The Gospel writer Mark clearly had an influence on society, and the clothing of more than men matter. A closer look at the clothing of first-century Palestinian men, women, and children and their jewelry and footwear helps contemporary Bible readers understand how simple first-century Palestinian clothing was.

Conclusion

The conclusion for the Religion research report should be three to five sentences long.

Restate the report's thesis.

Reconnect to the opening strategy.

Describe relevance to Bible for a modern reader.