Writing an Introduction

An introduction should generally have three sections:

1. The background or context of your research project or case study. This section is probably closest to the essays you will have done in high school, you read the available information on your topic and summarise it. So if your case study is on the current connotations of tattoos, you would read what is available on tattoos as identity markers, and social responses to tattoos, and write a concise statement on the changing meanings of tattoos. In a 2,000 word report 400 words would be sufficient.
2. State the problem that you investigated, or the question you set out to answer. Using the example of the tattoos case study, you might say something like "As a specific demographic group, University of Newcastle students may not share broader opinions on the meanings of tattoos." A line or two is sufficient for this section.
3. Outline what you set out to do to resolve the problem or answer the research question. Again only a line or two is required, you will go into more detail in the Method section of your paper. To continue the example, you might say "This study of UoN students with tattoos or piercings, asked them about their motivation for body modification and their perception of others' attitudes towards them."

Use these examples if you wish, or modify them as you see fit.

Despite what you may read in writing guides, you do not need to begin with a catchy sentence to grab my attention. I am obliged to read your paper, my attention is already grabbed. A sweeping generalisation with obvious overstatement detracts from your research. "Across the whole history of mankind tattoos have been both loved and loathed." is not a good beginning. The first sentence in Sweetmen's article is a better example to emulate. "The last 20 to 30 years have seen a considerable resurgence  in the popularity of tattooing and body piercing in the West ... (Armstrong 1991)"