Benefit 1: Accessibility
One of the main benefits claimed for cryptocurrencies is that they are easily accessible by anyone with secure web access.
• Development of cryptocurrencies has reflected all the elements of Smith’s (2001) model of innovative cultures: ease of participation, freedom from external control, and the prospect of social and financial rewards.
• More than 5000 cryptocurrencies on the market – total market valuation estimated > $300 bn (Brown & Smith, 2021)
Benefit 2: Innovation
Easy access to cryptocurrencies has encouraged the development of innovative applications
Examples: BAT tipping; Litecoin ease of use; Sports club cryptocurrencies (Patel, 2021)
Benefit 3: Return on investment
Cryptocurrencies have not yet shown that they can retain or grow their initial value. However, for Bitcoin in particular, investors have been attracted by the promise of significant return on their investment.
• Highest rate of return – 18% (Dasman, 2021)
Risk 1: Volatility
Cryptocurrencies are subject to price volatility due to the combined influence of supply and demand, investor and user sentiments, government regulations and media hype.
• Bitcoin price jump after media promoted Proshare’s introduction of exchange-traded fund (Reiff, 2022).
• Examples of investor speculation and reactive trading impacting particular cryptocurrency price (Van Welle, 2021)
• “The Musk Effect” - how the value of Bitcoin is affected by Elon Musk’s tweets (Lapin, 2021)
Risk 2: Insecurity
Cryptocurrencies have inherent vulnerabilities, creating insecurity that cannot be overcome solely by regulation.
• Cryptocurrency is designed so as not to need gatekeepers such as banks or government – this means there is no third party to undo any harm if a protocol or code turns out to contain bugs (Power, 2021).
• Global crypto exchanges are poorly regulated and vulnerable to political instability and turmoil. This affects investor’s confidence in their ability to translate crypto balances into widely accepted currency. (Blowden, 2021)
Risk 3: Limited liquidity
The high trading volume of cryptocurrencies put strain on a nascent system of global crypto exchanges. Whilst improving volume capacity has helped, a more robust system is required to meet the burgeoning trading demand and improve liquidity.
• The success of cryptocurrency is dependant on the ability to ‘cash out’ to fiat (government issued) currencies via crypto exchanges. These are currently insufficiently regulated and developed, causing confidence and supply issues (Rutherham, 2021).
To be recommended in very limited circumstances
Paragraph plans provide an overview of your essay and provide an effective starting point for structured writing. The next step is using this plan to expand on the points as you write your essay.
In almost all cases, written assignments call for students to explore complex topics or aspects of an area of study. Any academic writing task is an opportunity to show how well you understand a particular topic, theme or area. Usually this means demonstrating how various ideas, knowledge, information or ways of thinking are connected within the context of the task or area of focus.
This means that successful academic writing presents ideas logically, and that there is high connectivity within the writing. In other words, the aim should be for writing to have high flow to help make the connections clear.
Three ways to achieve this include:
Topic sentences, or the leading sentences of a paragraph, play a key role in connecting the ideas of an essay. High-flow topic sentences should look to include three key elements:
Consider the following examples of topic sentences in response to an essay question about Virtue Ethics.
A low-flow topic sentence : Aristotle defined phronesis as practical wisdom.
This sentence does not reference the topic (virtue ethics), nor does it link to an idea from a previous paragraph. It does however, introduce the sub-topic of the paragraph (phronesis).
A high-flow topic sentence: Another fundamental concept in Virtue Ethics is phronesis.
This sentence refers to the essay topic (virtue ethics), acknowledges that this is an additional concept that build on the previous paragraph, and introduces the topic of this paragraph (phronesis).
Well-constructed paragraphs have high connections between sentences. In general sentences that promote flow should:
The following paragraph example can be considered high-flow. It includes sentences that reference the previous sentence ( underlined ), add new information ( maroon ) and use topic words ( green ).
Another fundamental concept in Virtue Ethics is phronesis. According to Aristotle, phronesis is a form of practical wisdom through which individuals make principled decisions in line with virtues such as courage and honesty (reference). Its practical nature means that phronesis can only be developed over a lifetime of carefully considered actions and sober reflection . This practice builds a person’s moral character, allowing them to make morally-defensible choices even in unfamiliar and complex situations (reference). In other words, it is a kind of social and professional skill, which at first requires conscious effort and can still result in mistakes. However, through discipline and persistence, it becomes second nature. As a result, practitioners consistently act wisely and in accordance with the virtues they uphold . Their wise actions further strengthen their own character and contribute to human fulfilment at both individual and community levels (reference).
Transition words help make the relationships and connections between ideas clear. Some examples of helpful transition words and phrases for various types of connections include:
Like X, Y is... Unlike X, Y is... In other words, This means that... For example, For instance, | Moreover, Furthermore, Additionally, Likewise, Similarly, | However, On the other hand, Therefore, As a result, Consequently, Hence, Thus, |
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(Last updated: 18 January 2018)
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It's impossible to overestimate how important a good introduction is. If your essay introduction is poor, your marker will begin your essay with low expectations. If your essay introduction is good, they'll approach your entire piece of work much more positively. As any skilled essay writer knows, a good start can make all the difference to the quality of your work.
But beginning your essay isn't always easy. When you're staring at a blank page, it can be very tricky to know where to begin. Fortunately, our expert UK essay writers have put together some top tips to help you get your essay introduction right every single time.
Before we share our essay introduction writing tips, it's important to understand exactly what is expected of your introduction. There are lots of things you need to do in this first, short piece of writing, and it can be a challenge to fit them all in.
Use this list to make sure you've included all of the most important things, including some of the following:
Echo the language used in the question.
This will demonstrate that you are actively engaging with the topic and understand it. For example, if your question is: “Discuss recent developments in VR technology” you could include a sentence such as: “This essay will consider contemporary developments in the field of virtual reality over the past 5 years..."
These sentences belong at the beginning of paragraphs and sum up the sense of the paragraph as a whole. They're a good way to write a logical introduction which demonstrates a clear, well-considered approach to the essay. For example, ‘There are several key reasons that global warming has become a major world debate.’ (Here, you summarise that there are ‘several reasons’ (which you will go onto discuss,) and you’ve indicated that the topic and controlling idea is ‘global warming.’
As you outline your approach, use language which shows a logical, step-by-step methodology. For example, “This essay is divided into five sections...”, “The first/second/third section of this essay will examine...”, “The fourth section of this essay will compare and contrast...”, “In my conclusion I hope to demonstrate...”
The best way to write a strong introduction (and an essay which gets top marks), is to have a clear essay plan in place before you start writing. This will give you an easy-to-follow structure which you can outline in your introduction to prove you will answer the question, approach it in a logical, academic way, and that you understand the wider significance of your work.
Cryptocurrency payments.
Parts of the paper, writing the introduction, example of an introduction.
The development of your introduction can make or break your paper. Once you have determined the purpose of your writing and have a topic in mind, you can begin writing the introduction. Three main parts must be included to establish a well-written introduction: introduce your topic, interest the reader, and make the last sentence your thesis statement. Watch the following video to see an introduction come together.
When introducing your topic, you want to grab the reader's attention. Here are some ways to do:
Look at the following example of grabbing the reader's attention:
How important is an attachment? It is said that without a secure attachment, human development can be severely impaired, and in extreme cases death can occur (Huffman, 2009). Different aspects of attachment have been studied by many researchers, like John Bowlby, and Mary Ainsworth, and through their research and an experiment of my own I will show how important attachment is to human development.
How will the topic develop (thesis statement).
The purpose of the thesis statement is to inform the audience, in one sentence, how the chosen topic will develop throughout the entire paper. If you list three points that will support your thesis, you will address each of those three points in your paper in the same order you listed them. (If you find that after you start writing the paper, you have added ideas that were not stated in your thesis, you will have to revise your thesis to mirror your paper.)
Let's look at an example. The bolded sentence is the thesis.
How important is an attachment? It is said that without a secure attachment, human development can be severely impaired, and in extreme cases death can occur (Huffman, 2009). Different aspects of attachment have been studied by many researchers, like John Bowlby, and Mary Ainsworth, and through their research and an experiment of my own I will show how important attachment is to human development.
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I've taught hundreds of students and tend to see the same struggles with introductions across the majority of essays. introductions have a pretty big influence on your grade since they set the tone for your paper and can make a strong first impression on your grader. over the years, i've tried to explain to students what makes for a good introduction - here's a summary of those tips and some advice about what not to do, 1. try writing your introduction last.
Some students write their introduction first and then feel constrained by whatever idea they had at that point (even if, as the essay develops, they can see it isn't really working out). Writing without a plan can also mean that your introduction doesn't match up with the thesis you actually end up arguing for. So, it's always important to plan out your essay before you start to write. For more on this, have a look at How Do I Start My Essay? Top Ten Tips for Essay Writing . Once you have your essay outline and your thesis statement, it's often easiest to begin by writing the body of your essay. By writing your introduction last, you will have a clear idea of the essential features of your argument and how exactly they connect together.
Remember that a good introduction is like a concise signpost for the reader: it should simply tell them what to expect from the essay. You may have been told that your essay should keep the reader engaged by slowly revealing your argument en route - this does not make for good university essay writing. The last thing your professor wants is to still be trying to guess at your thesis half way through your essay. A good essay is not a mysterious or full of twists and turns. A good essay begins with a clear promise and a concise plan for how to deliver it, and then does exactly that. Opt for (what might feel like) boring and clear over catchy and vague.
In high school, you may have been taught to start your essay with a 'hook' like a question or quote. Unless your professor explicitly asks for this, it's generally not a good idea to do this for university essays. Your reader wants a clear idea of what you are trying to persuade them of right away.
Explain how you will establish your claim and what order you will present your arguments in. This should not take more than a couple of sentences: you are not going into detail about your arguments. You are signposting the essay for your reader so that they know what to expect as they read it.
"I conclude by examining the implications of my argument for author/theory/future research."
The conclusion of your essay should be short and should not introduce new evidence for your thesis (or against the argument you are criticizing). At most, your conclusion should give a concise summary of what you have argued and point towards the implication of your argument for some (slightly) wider domain. E.g., you may mention the implications of your conclusion for the theory you have been analyzing or for future research in a related area. If you manage to do this in your conclusion, the last sentence of your introduction should explain this final element of your essay. As with other introduction sentences, keep it nice and short and do not do the explaining here - save that work for the rest of your essay.
Always make sure you leave time for editing. Your introduction is going to make the strongest first impression on a reader if it is clear, to the point, and error-free. After reading through your whole essay, re-read your introduction critically. Does your essay really do all of the things you promise in your introduction? Is your introduction's thesis statement the same as the thesis you are arguing for in the body of your essay? Ideally, you will ask a peer to read your introduction and give you feedback on how clear it is. If you don't have time for this step, try to create some distance from your own work by reading it out loud.
Finally, let's look at some common mistakes that students make when writing introductions for university level essays. (Sometimes adapting your writing style to university involves unlearning some writing techniques that you were taught in high school!)
"From Freud and Jung to Skinner and Pavlov, hundreds of psychologists have wondered what motivates human action." "Since the advent of the earliest civilizations, philosophers have been theorizing about the underpinnings of reality." "Humans have been creating and appreciating art for thousands of years."
A lot of writing schemas taught in high schools suggest starting with a generalization before you make any specific claims about your topic. Students often keep this habit with university writing and begin their essays with statements like the ones above that are intended to 'hook' the reader in. Avoid starting your introduction in this way - it does not tell the reader anything about what your essay will do and is stylistically annoying to most professors.
"The dictionary defines sustainability as the 'avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance'."
Many students like to introduce their topic through a dictionary definition. While this may be a good place to start your own research if you're unclear on any of the terms in your question, dictionary definitions should generally be excluded from introductions (and from essays).
"In this essay, I will argue that nurture is more important than nature." "In this essay, I will argue that utilitarianism about ethics is right."
Each of these thesis statements takes on a huge debate. Even if you had 10,000 words, you would not be able to even scrape the surface of these issues. Make sure that the scope of your thesis statement is sufficiently small. This will help you to write a more focused essay, which is what your professors are looking for. For example, you might choose to focus on one particular author's views on utilitarianism and argue that there is a problem with one of his arguments. It's good to be bold, but don't try to take on questions that are so wide in scope that you are forced to give them a superficial answer.
Write your introduction last
A good introduction is a clear signpost
Start with your central claim
Explain what you are going to argue
State how you will conclude
Remember to edit!
No uninformative general statements
Don't rely on dictionary definitions
Don't make your thesis too wide or ambitious
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Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric.
What you'll learn.
When and how to employ a variety of rhetorical devices in writing and speaking
How to differentiate between argument and rhetorical technique
How to write a persuasive opinion editorial and short speech
How to evaluate the strength of an argument
How to identify logical fallacies in arguments
We are living in a contentious time in history. Fundamental disagreements on critical political issues make it essential to learn how to make an argument and analyze the arguments of others. This ability will help you engage in civil discourse and make effective changes in society. Even outside the political sphere, conveying a convincing message can benefit you throughout your personal, public, and professional lives.
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of rhetoric, the art of persuasive writing and speech. In it, you will learn to construct and defend compelling arguments, an essential skill in many settings. We will be using selected addresses from prominent twentieth-century Americans — including Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Margaret Chase Smith, Ronald Reagan, and more — to explore and analyze rhetorical structure and style. Through this analysis, you will learn how speakers and writers persuade an audience to adopt their point of view.
Built around Harvard Professor James Engell’s on-campus course, “Elements of Rhetoric,” this course will help you analyze and apply rhetorical structure and style, appreciate the relevance of persuasive communication in your own life, and understand how to persuade and recognize when someone is trying to persuade you. You will be inspired to share your viewpoint and discover the most powerful ways to convince others to champion your cause. Join us to find your voice!
Introduction to Rhetoric
Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Gun Control - Sarah Brady and Charlton Heston
Introduction to Oratory
The Red Scare - Joseph McCarthy and Margaret Chase Smith
Presidential Rhetoric - John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan
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COMMENTS
Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
Here are the key takeaways for how to write essay introduction: 3. Hook the Reader: Start with an engaging hook to grab the reader's attention. This could be a compelling question, a surprising fact, a relevant quote, or an anecdote. Provide Background: Give a brief overview of the topic, setting the context and stage for the discussion.
An introduction generally does three things. The first part is usually a general comment that shows the reader why the topic is important, gets their interest, and leads them into the topic. It isn't actually part of your argument. The next part of the introduction is the thesis statement. This is your response to the question; your final answer.
Essay writing: Introductions. "A relevant and coherent beginning is perhaps your best single guarantee that the essay as a whole will achieve its object.". Gordon Taylor, A Student's Writing Guide. Your introduction is the first thing your marker will read and should be approximately 10% of your word count. Within the first minute they ...
In general, your introductions should contain the following elements: When you're writing an essay, it's helpful to think about what your reader needs to know in order to follow your argument. Your introduction should include enough information so that readers can understand the context for your thesis. For example, if you are analyzing ...
However, broadly speaking, all essays share the following features: Writing your introduction. Essays need an introduction to establish and focus the parameters of the discussion that will follow. You may find it helpful to divide the introduction into areas to demonstrate your breadth and engagement with the essay question.
1. The placeholder introduction. When you don't have much to say on a given topic, it is easy to create this kind of introduction. Essentially, this kind of weaker introduction contains several sentences that are vague and don't really say much. They exist just to take up the "introduction space" in your paper.
Report your position or argument. Most essays do not require you to take a stance on an issue. Essays that do require you to take a stance are called either 'argumentative essays' or 'persuasive essays'. If you are writing a persuasive essay, you will need to include Step 4: Report.
Good example. I wiped the sweat from my head and tried to catch my breath. I was nearly there—just one more back tuck and a strong dismount and I'd have nailed a perfect routine. Some students choose to write more broadly about themselves and use some sort of object or metaphor as the focus.
Here are the steps to writing an academic essay: Usually, the purpose of an essay is to answer a specific question within a given word limit. An essay may be as short as 500 words or as long as 2000-3000 words. It has three main parts: the introduction; the body ; and the conclusion, and is written in paragraphs with each paragraph dealing with ...
Write a rough introduction. Come up with a rough thesis statement. Use your introduction to lay out how your essay will be organized. Adapt your thesis and organizational plan as needed as you write your essay. Add a hook to your introduction. Edit and proofread. Next, come up with one or two potential organizational plans.
In order for the first paragraph of an essay to actually be a proper introduction (in other words, for it to fulfil the requirements of a proper introduction), it must do two things. 1. Answer the essay question (i.e. include a thesis statement) 2. List the topics you will discuss (i.e. provide a preview of the essay)
Hook the reader: The introduction should pique the reader's interest, making them want to read further. Provide background information: It should provide context and background information necessary for the reader to understand the topic and the essay's main argument. State the thesis: The introduction should clearly present the essay's main ...
A good essay introduction catches the reader's attention immediately, sets up your argument, and tells the reader what to expect. This video will walk you th...
Although the exact structure of your introduction may differ according to the type of assignment, most introductions follow a similar structure which includes 4 main parts: Context: a short background that briefly leads the reader to the main issues relevant to the topic. Topic: a topic statement which establishes the main focus of the paper (e ...
Provide a brief history or factual background of your topic. State the major divisions or main ideas of your paper. Offer an interesting anecdote. Contrast two opposing aspects of a topic and end with the aspect to be discussed in the body. Ask a question to be answered in the body of your paper. Quote an expert.
Most academic writing at university will require you to argue a position. This means including a thesis statement upfront in the first paragraph that concisely states the central argument and purpose of the essay. ... Introduction. An essay introduction usually: clearly states the topic that will be the focus of the essay; offers a preview of ...
Have a plan. The best way to write a strong introduction (and an essay which gets top marks), is to have a clear essay plan in place before you start writing. This will give you an easy-to-follow structure which you can outline in your introduction to prove you will answer the question, approach it in a logical, academic way, and that you ...
An essay is not like a mystery novel which keeps the reader in suspense; it should not slowly reveal the argument to the reader. Instead, the contention and supporting arguments are usually stated in the introduction. When writing an introduction, you should typically use a general to specific structure.
Once you have determined the purpose of your writing and have a topic in mind, you can begin writing the introduction. Three main parts must be included to establish a well-written introduction: introduce your topic, interest the reader, and make the last sentence your thesis statement. Watch the following video to see an introduction come ...
Once you have your essay outline and your thesis statement, it's often easiest to begin by writing the body of your essay. By writing your introduction last, you will have a clear idea of the essential features of your argument and how exactly they connect together. 2. Don't overcomplicate things: good introductions are just clear and concise ...
Harvard College Writing Center 1 Introductions The introduction to an academic essay will generally present an analytical question or problem and then offer an answer to that question (the thesis). Your introduction is also your opportunity to explain to your readers what your essay is about and why they should be interested in reading it.
In this English writing lesson, learn how to write an introduction for an essay in English! This is an English writing video about university essays with int...
Tips for writing your college essay. Your college essay format and writing should be both compelling in clear. So, as you're writing your college essay, keep these tips in mind: 1. Be authentic. One of the most essential parts of how to format a college application essay is to be authentic.
The Online Writing Lab (the Purdue OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects.
Identify instances of inductive reasoning in writing and speech; Define "deductive reasoning" and some of its associated topics; Identify instances of deductive reasoning in writing and speech; Recognize and evaluate the strength of an argument's refutation; Apply the elements of rhetoric you have learned so far in the final draft of your ...