When you are writing your research paper, you want it to grab the reader’s attention. Finding the perfect hook can do just that. But when you are staring at a blank sheet of paper in front of you, writing the best hook for your research paper can seem overwhelming and impossible. Keeping your reader interested is the whole point of a hook, and we’ve found several ways to write a good hook.
Planning the Research Paper
Before you decide upon the hook, you must first put a little planning into the research paper. This will help ensure your hook aligns with the overall purpose of your research paper. Things you should consider before you write include:
- Who is your audience?
- What will the structure be?
- What style will you use?
- What tone will you use?
Great Hooks Ideas
There are several different types of hooks you can implement at the beginning of your research paper. Once you have given some thought as to what your overall research paper will be, you can then decide upon the sort of hook you want to use.
Famous Quotes
Including a quote from a famous or influential person is a great way to support your argument as well as creating a hook that is intriguing. The most important thing to remember when quoting a famous person is to make sure that your hook is relevant to the overall research paper.
Quotes from Literature
Using a literary quote is most often seen in research papers regarding authors, stories, literary works, or books. Choosing to use a quote from literature can give your research paper a fresh start and give yourself an authority.
Asking a Question
Asking a question is a common way to start a research paper. This is because a greatly composed question can intrigue readers like nothing else. Stay away from yes or no questions as they will be too simple and not thought- provoking or interesting.
Anecdote
Anecdotes are often avoided by many students for the fear that humor will take away from the overall research paper. But there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of humor to start your paper. A good anecdote will spark reader’s interest. Remember, just because starting your research paper with humor doesn’t mean the entire paper has to include humor.
Setting the Scene
Readers respond best to visual clues. If you can paint a picture with your words, it is a great way to draw your reader in for further reading. Descriptive writing can achieve this type of hook as long as it is done well.
Starting with an Interesting Fact
Starting off with an interesting fact can also intrigue readers by giving them something they may not have known before. Not only will they learn something at the start of your paper, but they will be more likely to continue reading to see what else they can learn from it.
Including Statistics
Giving a list of proven facts or statistics can create a heavy interest that will flow through the rest of your research paper.
Revealing a Misconception
Unveiling a common misconception can surprise and interest readers. Readers can be instantly hooked if they read something that they believed to be true/false and you are stating otherwise.
Stating Your Thesis
Stating your thesis is another way of writing a hook. It will express your side of the argument and readers will be inclined to see why you have chosen your stance and continue reading.
Remember, a great hook can make or break a research paper. Choose the hook that works best for your overall research paper and writing style and you will ‘hook’ your readers.