Most examiners read the abstract, introduction and the conclusion to see what the work is about and then look in the references, so you should write these last - or rather rewrite them at the end. Any questions you raise in the introduction should be answered in the conclusion. If these parts act as righteous 'bookends' the examiner will form a better impression of you as a scholar - and is likely to be more forgiving of you if you slip up a bit in the middle parts.
