SPARK: Student Papers and Academic Research Kit: The Conclusion & The Introduction (In that order)

The concluding section of an academic paper usually features a paragraph that summarizes the important points raised in the body of the essay. You should be careful not to bring up new details in your conclusion, and you should limit your summary to one or two sentences per topic discussed in your paper. You might also wish to include a brief discussion of the implications of the points made in the essay.

Points to consider when writing a conclusion:

• Review the body of the  essay and identify the most important points to include in a summary conclusion.
• Consider the order of the sentences that you have written for your conclusion. Do they follow the same sequence as the points in your essay? Do all of the points seem relevant? Is anything missing?
• Once you have established that your conclusion makes sense, write a section in that discusses the implications of your research. Here, you can ponder, offer recommendations, examine consequences, point to larger issues and offer informed opinion

When written before your paper is finished, an introduction can be uncertain, vague and unconvincing. Once you know exactly what you are introducing and how your paper has unfolded, it will be easier to write a conclusion that belongs with, and represents the argument in, your paper. 

In the introduction, you tell your reader exactly what he or she can expect to find in the body of your essay, and you should think of it as a kind of contract: your reader is expecting you to do what you said you would do, and prove what you said you would prove.

You should use your introduction to provide enough context (who, what, when, etc.) for your reader to understand your thesis statement – the idea that organizes and supports the essay. 

A draft of your working thesis has probably been sufficient up until the final draft of your paper. A this point, you should revise your thesis statement to fit the essay you have actually written, not the one you thought you would write at the beginning. It's completely normal that your thesis statement might change as you write, so you just have to make sure your final thesis works with your final draft.