Briefly state the existing debate on your topic. If you have a “soft” opening paragraph that relates a story or anecdote, make sure that the story or anecdote you chose actually connects to the question you are going to pose.

Your research proposal is a document that lays out your research topic and questions, how these questions relate to ongoing discussions in the field, how you plan to answer your questions, and includes an annotated bibliography.
Introduction 1-2 pages
The introduction is an extended version of the “pitch” you wrote in October. Beyond that, the introduction should summarize your engagement with the existing literature and frameworks, your methodology and source base, and your research question(S).
Introductions, as the word suggests, introduce your reader to your topic, your question, and your way of looking at the problem. They should not be a lengthy pre-history of the topic, nor should they be full of broad statements . Rather, they should briefly set the scene for your discussion, or even briefly state the existing debate on your topic. If you have a “soft” opening paragraph that relates a story or anecdote, make sure that the story or anecdote you chose actually connects to the question you are going to pose. Remember, the point is to show the reader, in a manner as efficient as possible, what your research project is going to be about and why it matters.
After the opening paragraph, briefly introduce the state of the field. What are the main explanations for the problem/conflict you are studying? Then, in the final paragraph, introduce your main research question and sub-questions. You may choose to do this in a more open- ended way, the way someone working in the humanities tradition would, or in a way more common in Political Science, with clear hypotheses. Finally, explain how you will answer the question/test the hypotheses.