Set the scene and put the subject within its empirical context and within the context of the relevant academic literature; what else has been written on the topic, how does this relate to what you want to investigate?
Introduce and specify the research question to be addressed and the intellectual purpose of the research, such as why the research question is important. (What is the puzzle? What is the research question? What is the justification for the research?) Literature review: Set the scene and put the subject within its empirical context and within […]