example of research paper in imrad format

IMRAD Format For Research Papers: The Complete Guide

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Writing a strong research paper is key to succeeding in academia, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That’s where the IMRAD format comes in. IMRAD provides a clear structure to help you organize and present your research logically and coherently. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain the IMRAD format, why it’s so important for research writing, and how to use it effectively. Follow along to learn the ins and outs of crafting papers in the gold-standard IMRAD structure. In this article, I’ll walk you through the IMRAD format step-by-step. I’ll explain each section, how to write it, and what to avoid. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to write a research paper that is clear, concise, and well-organized.

What is IMRAD Format?

IMRAD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion . It’s a way of organizing a scientific paper to make the information flow logically and help readers easily find key details. The IMRAD structure originated in medical journals but is now the standard format for many scientific fields.

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Here’s a quick overview of each section’s purpose:

Introduction : Summary of prior research and objective of your study

Methods : How you carried out the study

Results : Key findings and analysis

Discussion : Interpretation of results and implications

Most papers also include an abstract at the beginning and a conclusion at the end to summarize the entire report.

Why is the IMRAD Format Important?

Using the IMRAD structure has several key advantages:

It’s conventional and familiar. Since I MRAD is so widely used , it helps ensure editors, reviewers, and readers can easily find the details they need. This enhances clarity and comprehension.

It emphasizes scientific rigor. The methods and results sections encourage thorough reporting of how you conducted the research. This supports transparency, credibility, and reproducibility.

It encourages precision. The structure necessitates concise writing focused only on the core aims and findings. This avoids rambling or repetition.

It enables efficient reading. Readers can quickly skim to the sections most relevant to them, like only reading the methods. IMRAD facilitates this selective reading.

In short, the IMRAD format ensures your writing is clear, precise, rigorous, and accessible – crucial qualities in scientific communication.

When Should You Use IMRAD Format?

The IMRAD structure is ideal for:

Primary research papers that report new data and findings

Review papers that comprehensively summarize prior research

Grant proposals requesting funding for research

IMRAD is not typically used for other paper types like:

Editorials and opinion pieces

Popular science articles for general audiences

Essays analyzing a topic rather than presenting new data

So, if you are writing a scholarly scientific paper based on experiments, investigations, or observational studies, the IMRAD format is likely expected. Embrace this conventional structure to help communicate your exciting discoveries.

Now that we’ve covered the key basics let’s dive into how to write each section of an IMRAD paper.

The abstract is a succinct summary of your entire paper, typically around 200 words. Many readers will only read the abstract, so craft it carefully to function as a standalone piece highlighting your most important points.

Elements to include:

Research problem, question, or objectives

Methods and design

Major findings or developments

Conclusions and implications

While written first, refine the abstract last to accurately encapsulate your final paper. A clear precise abstract can help attract readers and set the tone for your work. Take a look at our complete guide to abstract writing here !

INTRODUCTION

The Introduction provides the necessary background context and sets up the rationale for your research. Start by briefly summarizing the core findings from previous studies related to your topic to orient readers to the field. Provide more detail on the specific gaps, inconsistencies, or unanswered questions in the research your study aims to address. Then, clearly state your research questions, objectives, experimental hypotheses, and overall purpose or anticipated contributions. The Introduction establishes why your research is needed and clarifies your specific aims. Strive for a concise yet comprehensive overview that lets readers learn more about your fascinating study. Writing a good introduction is like writing a good mini-literature review on a subject. Take a look at our complete guide to literature review writing here!

The methods section is the nuts and bolts, where you comprehensively describe how you carried out the research. Sufficient detail is crucial so others can assess your work and reproduce the study. Take a look at our complete guide to writing an informative and tight literature review here!

Research Design

Start by explaining the overall design and approach. Specify:

Research types like experimental, survey, observational, etc.

Study duration

Sample size

Control vs experimental groups

Clarify the variables, treatments, and factors involved.

Participants

Provide relevant characteristics of the study population or sample, such as:

Health status

Geographic location

For human studies, include recruitment strategies and consent procedures.

List any instruments, tests, assays, chemicals, or other materials utilized. Include details like manufacturers and catalog numbers.

Chronologically explain each step of the experimental methods. Be precise and thorough to enable replication. Use past tense and passive voice.

Data Analysis

Describe any statistical tests, data processing, or software used to analyze the data.

The methods section provides the roadmap of your research journey. Strive for clarity and completeness. Now we’re ready for the fun part – the results!

This section shares the key findings and data from your study without interpretation. The results should mirror the methods used.

Report Findings Concisely

Use text, figures, and tables to present the core results:

Focus only on key data directly related to your objectives

Avoid lengthy explanations and extraneous details

Highlight the most groundbreaking findings

Use Visuals to Present Complex Data

Tables and figures efficiently communicate more complex data:

Tables organize detailed numerical or textual data

Figures vividly depict relationships like graphs, diagrams, photos

Include clear captions explaining what is shown

Refer to each visual in the text

Reporting your results objectively lays the groundwork for the next section – making sense of it all through discussion.

Here, you interpret the data, explain the implications, acknowledge limitations, and make recommendations for future research. The discussion allows you to show the greater meaning of your study.

Interpret the Findings

Analyze the results in the context of your initial hypothesis and prior studies:

How do your findings compare to past research? Are they consistent or contradictory?

What conclusions can you draw from the data?

What theories or mechanisms could explain the outcomes?

Discuss the Implications

Address the impact and applications of the research:

How do the findings advance scientific understanding or technical capability?

Can the results improve processes, design, or policies in related fields?

What innovations or new research directions do they enable?

Identify Limitations and Future Directions

No study is perfect, so discuss potential weaknesses and areas for improvement:

Were there any methodological limitations that could influence the results?

Can the research be expanded by testing new variables or conditions?

How could future studies build on your work? What questions remain unanswered?

A thoughtful discussion emphasizes the meaningful contributions of your research.

The conclusion recaps the significance of your study and key takeaways. Like the abstract, many readers may only read your opening and closing, so ensure the conclusion packs a punch.

Elements to cover:

Restate the research problem and objectives

Summarize the major findings and main points

Emphasize broader implications and applications

The conclusion provides the perfect opportunity to drive home the importance of your work. End on a high note that resonates with readers.

The IMRAD format organizes research papers into logical sections that improve scientific communication. By following the Introduction-Methods-Results-and-Discussion structure, you can craft clear, credible, and impactful manuscripts. Use IMRAD to empower readers to comprehend and assess your exciting discoveries efficiently. With this gold-standard format under your belt, your next great paper is within reach.

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IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion)

Academic research papers in STEM disciplines typically follow a well-defined I-M-R-A-D structure: Introduction, Methods, Results And Discussion (Wu, 2011). Although not included in the IMRAD name, these papers often include a Conclusion.

Introduction

The Introduction typically provides everything your reader needs to know in order to understand the scope and purpose of your research. This section should provide:

• Context for your research (for example, the nature and scope of your topic)
• A summary of how relevant scholars have approached your research topic to date, and a description of how your research makes a contribution to the scholarly conversation
• An argument or hypothesis that relates to the scholarly conversation
• A brief explanation of your methodological approach and a justification for this approach (in other words, a brief discussion of how you gather your data and why this is an appropriate choice for your contribution)
• The main conclusions of your paper (or the “so what”)
• A roadmap, or a brief description of how the rest of your paper proceeds

The Methods section describes exactly what you did to gather the data that you use in your paper. This should expand on the brief methodology discussion in the introduction and provide readers with enough detail to, if necessary, reproduce your experiment, design, or method for obtaining data; it should also help readers to anticipate your results. The more specific, the better!  These details might include:

• An overview of the methodology at the beginning of the section
• A chronological description of what you did in the order you did it
• Descriptions of the materials used, the time taken, and the precise step-by-step process you followed
• An explanation of software used for statistical calculations (if necessary)
• Justifications for any choices or decisions made when designing your methods

Because the methods section describes what was done to gather data, there are two things to consider when writing. First, this section is usually written in the past tense (for example, we poured 250ml of distilled water into the 1000ml glass beaker). Second, this section should not be written as a set of instructions or commands but as descriptions of actions taken. This usually involves writing in the active voice (for example, we poured 250ml of distilled water into the 1000ml glass beaker), but some readers prefer the passive voice (for example, 250ml of distilled water was poured into the 1000ml beaker). It’s important to consider the audience when making this choice, so be sure to ask your instructor which they prefer.

The Results section outlines the data gathered through the methods described above and explains what the data show. This usually involves a combination of tables and/or figures and prose. In other words, the results section gives your reader context for interpreting the data. The results section usually includes:

• A presentation of the data obtained through the means described in the methods section in the form of tables and/or figures
• Statements that summarize or explain what the data show
• Highlights of the most important results

Tables should be as succinct as possible, including only vital information (often summarized) and figures should be easy to interpret and be visually engaging. When adding your written explanation to accompany these visual aids, try to refer your readers to these in such a way that they provide an additional descriptive element, rather than simply telling people to look at them. This can be especially helpful for readers who find it hard to see patterns in data.

The Discussion section explains why the results described in the previous section are meaningful in relation to previous scholarly work and the specific research question your paper explores. This section usually includes:

• Engagement with sources that are relevant to your work (you should compare and contrast your results to those of similar researchers)
• An explanation of the results that you found, and why these results are important and/or interesting

Some papers have separate Results and Discussion sections, while others combine them into one section, Results and Discussion. There are benefits to both. By presenting these as separate sections, you’re able to discuss all of your results before moving onto the implications. By presenting these as one section, you’re able to discuss specific results and move onto their significance before introducing another set of results.

The Conclusion section of a paper should include a brief summary of the main ideas or key takeaways of the paper and their implications for future research. This section usually includes:

• A brief overview of the main claims and/or key ideas put forth in the paper
• A brief discussion of potential limitations of the study (if relevant)
• Some suggestions for future research (these should be clearly related to the content of your paper)

Sample Research Article

Resource Download

Wu, Jianguo. “Improving the writing of research papers: IMRAD and beyond.” Landscape Ecology 26, no. 10 (November 2011): 1345–1349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10980-011-9674-3.

Further reading:

• Organization of a Research Paper: The IMRAD Format by P. K. Ramachandran Nair and Vimala D. Nair
• George Mason University Writing Centre’s guide on Writing a Scientific Research Report (IMRAD)
• University of Wisconsin Writing Centre’s guide on Formatting Science Reports

IMRaD Paper Example: A Guide to Understand Scientific Writing

Learn how to structure an IMRaD paper, explore an IMRaD paper example, and master the art of scientific writing.

Welcome to our guide on IMRaD papers, an essential format for scientific writing. In this article, we will explore what an IMRaD paper is, discuss its structure, and provide an IMRaD paper example to help you understand how to effectively organize and present your scientific research. Whether you are a student, researcher, or aspiring scientist, mastering the IMRaD format will enhance your ability to communicate your findings clearly and concisely.

What Is An IMRaD Paper?

IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion . It is a widely used format for structuring scientific research papers. Following the IMRaD paper example below, you will see that the IMRaD format provides a logical flow of information, allowing readers to understand the context, methods, results, and interpretation of the study in a systematic manner.

The IMRaD structure follows the scientific method, where researchers propose a hypothesis, design and conduct experiments, analyze data, and draw conclusions. By adhering to the IMRaD format, researchers can present their work in a standardized way, enabling effective communication and facilitating the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Structure Of An IMRaD Paper

• Introduction : The introduction section provides an overview of the research topic, presents the research question or hypothesis, and outlines the significance and rationale of the study. It should provide background information, a literature review, and clearly state the objectives and aims of the research.
• Methods : The methods section describes the experimental design, materials, and procedures used in the study. It should provide sufficient detail to allow other researchers to replicate the study. This section should include information on the sample or participants, data collection methods, measurements, and statistical analysis techniques employed.
• Results : The results section presents the findings of the study in a clear and concise manner. It should focus on reporting the empirical data obtained from the experiments or analyses conducted. Results are typically presented through tables, figures, or graphs and should be accompanied by relevant statistical analyses. Avoid interpretation or discussion of the results in this section.
• Discussion : The discussion section interprets the results, relates them to the research question or hypothesis, and places them within the context of existing knowledge. It provides an analysis of the findings, discusses their implications, and addresses any limitations or weaknesses of the study. The discussion section may also highlight areas for future research or propose alternative explanations for the results.

Follow This IMRaD Paper Example

“ The Effect of Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older Adults “

Introduction

The introduction section will begin by providing a comprehensive overview of the importance of cognitive function in aging populations. It would discuss the prevalence of cognitive decline and its impact on quality of life. Additionally, it would highlight the potential role of exercise in maintaining cognitive health and improving cognitive function. The introduction would present relevant theories or previous studies supporting the hypothesis that regular exercise can positively affect cognitive function in elderly adults. Finally, it would clearly state the research question: “Does regular exercise improve cognitive function in elderly adults?”

The methods section will describe in detail the study design, participant recruitment process, and intervention details. It would specify the inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, such as age range and health status. Additionally, it would outline the cognitive assessments used to measure cognitive function, providing information on their reliability and validity. The section would provide a detailed description of the exercise program, including the type, duration, frequency, and intensity of the exercise sessions. It would also explain any control group or comparison conditions employed. Ethical considerations, such as obtaining informed consent and maintaining participant confidentiality, will be addressed in this section.

The results section will present the findings of the study in a clear and organized manner. It would include statistical analyses of the data collected, such as t-tests or ANOVA, to determine the significance of any observed effects. The results would be presented using tables, figures, or graphs, allowing for easy interpretation and comparison. The section will provide a summary of the main findings related to the effect of exercise on cognitive function, including any statistically significant improvements observed.

The discussion section would interpret the results in light of the research question and relevant literature. It would discuss the implications of the findings, considering both the strengths and limitations of the study. Any unexpected or contradictory results would be addressed, and potential explanations or alternative interpretations would be explored. The section would also highlight the theoretical and practical implications of the study’s findings, such as the potential for exercise interventions to be implemented in geriatric care settings. Finally, the discussion would conclude with suggestions for future research directions, such as investigating the long-term effects of exercise on cognitive function or examining the impact of different exercise modalities on specific cognitive domains.

Clear Communication Of Scientific Research

An IMRaD paper follows a standardized structure that enables clear communication of scientific research. By understanding the purpose and content of each section— introduction, methods, results, and discussion —you can effectively organize and present your own research findings. Remember that the example provided is a simplified representation, and actual IMRaD papers may vary in length and complexity depending on the study and the specific journal requirements.

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The introduction, methods, results, and discussion (IMRAD) structure: a fifty-year survey

Luciana b. sollaci.

1 William Enneking Library Sarah Network of Hospitals Brasilia, Federal District 70335-901 Brazil

Mauricio G. Pereira

2 University of Brasilia Department of Health Sciences Brasilia, Federal District 70919-900 Brazil

3 Catholic University of BrasiliaFaculty of MedicineBrasilia, Federal District 71966-700Brazil

Background: The scientific article in the health sciences evolved from the letter form and purely descriptive style in the seventeenth century to a very standardized structure in the twentieth century known as introduction, methods, results, and discussion (IMRAD). The pace in which this structure began to be used and when it became the most used standard of today's scientific discourse in the health sciences is not well established.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to point out the period in time during which the IMRAD structure was definitively and widely adopted in medical scientific writing.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the frequency of articles written under the IMRAD structure was measured from 1935 to 1985 in a randomly selected sample of articles published in four leading journals in internal medicine: the British Medical Journal, JAMA, The Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Results: The IMRAD structure, in those journals, began to be used in the 1940s. In the 1970s, it reached 80% and, in the 1980s, was the only pattern adopted in original papers.

Conclusions: Although recommended since the beginning of the twentieth century, the IMRAD structure was adopted as a majority only in the 1970s. The influence of other disciplines and the recommendations of editors are among the facts that contributed to authors adhering to it.

Since its origin in 1665, the scientific paper has been through many changes. Although during the first two centuries its form and style were not standardized, the letter form and the experimental report coexisted. The letter was usually single authored, written in a polite style, and addressed several subjects at the same time [ 1 ]. The experimental report was purely descriptive, and events were often presented in chronological order. It evolved to a more structured form in which methods and results were incipiently described and interpreted, while the letter form disappeared [ 2 ]. Method description increasingly developed during the second half of the nineteenth century [ 3 ], and an overall organization known as “theory—experiment—discussion” appeared [ 4 , 5 ]. In the early twentieth century, contemporary norms began to be standardized with a decreasing use of the literary style. Gradually, in the course of the twentieth century, the formal established introduction, methods, results, and discussion (IMRAD) structure was adopted [ 6 ].

However, neither the rate at which the use of this format increased nor the point at which it became the standard for today's medical scientific writing is well established. The main objective of this investigation is to discover when this format was definitively adopted. Also, to have a global idea of the articles published during the studied period, articles written without the IMRAD structure will be briefly described.

In a cross-sectional study, the frequency of articles using the IMRAD structure was measured at 5-year intervals, during the 50-year period from 1935 to 1985. Data collection began at 1960, moving forward and backward from that year until the frequency of IMRAD articles reached 100% and none respectively. A sample of 1 in every 10 issues of 4 leading medical journals in internal medicine was systematically selected to evaluate the articles published in these years. A total of 1,297 original articles—all those from each selected issue—were examined: 341 from the British Medical Journal, 328 from Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 401 from The Lancet, and 227 from the New England Journal of Medicine. These journals were chosen based on their similarities in target audience, frequency, and lifespan. The journals had to be currently published at the beginning of the 20th century and show no interruptions during the studied period.

The criteria used by the journal for an original article were accepted. Therefore, if an article was labeled original by the journal, it was regarded as such, even though nowadays it might not be considered so. An article was considered to be written using the IMRAD structure only when the headings “methods, results, and discussion,” or synonyms for these headings, were all included and clearly printed. The introduction section had to be present but not necessarily accompanied by a heading. Articles that did not follow this structure were considered non-IMRAD. They could be generally grouped as: (1) continuous text, (2) articles that used headings other than the IMRAD, (3) case reports, and (4) articles that partially adopted the IMRAD structure.

One of the authors (Sollaci) collected the data. In a randomly selected subsample of forty-eight articles, the data collection was independently repeated after six months. A high agreement was found ( Kappa = 0.95; CI 95%:0.88; 1.0).

The frequency of articles written using the IMRAD structure increased over time. In 1935, no IMRAD article could be found. In 1950, the proportion of articles presented in this modern form surpassed 10% in all journals. Thereafter, a pronounced increase can be observed until the 1970s, when it reached over 80%. During the first 20 years, from 1935 to 1955, the pace of IMRAD increments was slow, from none to 20%. However, during the following 20 years, 1955 to 1975, the frequency of these articles more than quadrupled ( Figure 1 ).

Proportion of introduction, methods, results, and discussion (IMRAD) adoption in articles published in the British Medical Journal, JAMA, The Lancet, and the New England Journal of Medicine, 1935–1985 (n = 1,297)

All four journals presented a similar trend: the New England Journal of Medicine fully adopted the structure in 1975, followed by the British Medical Journal in 1980, and JAMA and The Lancet in 1985.

Regarding the non-IMRAD articles, the evolution and variations of text organization for all journals can be delineated. In the British Medical Journal and The Lancet, articles that used non-IMRAD headings prevailed from 1935 to 1945. A shift to articles that partially adopted the IMRAD structure occurred from 1950 to 1960. From 1965 and beyond, the full structure tends to predominate. Until 1960, texts with different headings and partial IMRAD headings shared the lead in JAMA. From 1965 onward, the complete format is the most used. The New England Journal of Medicine had a slightly different pattern. Until 1955, continuous text, non-IMRAD headings, and case reports predominated. After 1960, the IMRAD structure takes the lead.

As an example, Figure 2 shows the text organization in the British Medical Journal from 1935 to 1985. The ascending curve represents the IMRAD articles. It is the same as shown in Figure 1 , and the descending curves represent all other forms of text organization. A similar tendency was observed for The Lancet, JAMA, and the New England Journal of Medicine.

Text organization of published articles in the British Medical Journal from 1935 to 1985 (n = 341)

One interesting finding is that during the initial period of our study, the order of the IMRAD headings did not follow today's convention; results could be presented before methods or discussion before results, and, although a few articles followed the IMRAD structure in the 1940s, they were not the same as articles written with the IMRAD structure in the 1980s. Information, which today is highly standardized in one section, would be absent, repeated, or dispersed among sections in earlier articles.

Gradually and progressively, the IMRAD structure was adopted by the studied journals. Until 1945, articles were organized in a manner more similar to a book chapter, mainly with headings associated with the subject, and did not follow the IMRAD structure. From 1950 to 1960, the IMRAD structure was partially adopted, and, after 1965, it began to predominate, attaining absolute leadership in the 1980s.

The authors did not find definite reasons explaining the leadership of the IMRAD structure in the literature. It is possible that sciences other than medicine might have influenced the growing use of this structure. The field of physics, for example, had already adopted it extensively in the 1950s [ 7 ].

This structure was already considered the ideal outline for scientific writing in the first quarter of the 20th century [ 8 , 9 ]; however, it was not used by authors [ 10 ]. After World War II, international conferences on scientific publishing recommended this format [ 11 ], culminating with the guidelines set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, formerly known as the Vancouver Group, first published in the late 1970s [ 12 ]. According to Huth [ 13 ], the wide use of the IMRAD structure may be largely credited to editors, who insisted on papers being clearly formatted to benefit readers and to facilitate the process of peer review.

According to Meadows [ 14 ], development and changes in the internal organization of the scientific article is simply an answer to the constant growth of information. The IMRAD structure facilitates modular reading, because readers usually do not read in a linear way but browse in each section of the article, looking for specific information, which is normally found in preestablished areas of the paper [ 15 ].

Four major leading journals of internal medicine were examined. It might be assumed that patterns set by these journals would be followed by others; nevertheless, caution should be taken in extrapolating these findings to other journals.

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Research Paper Basics: IMRaD

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What is IMRaD?

IMRaD is an acronym for Introduction , Methods , Results , and Discussion . It describes the format for the sections of a research report. The IMRaD (or IMRD) format is often used in the social sciences, as well as in the STEM fields.

Credit: IMRD: The Parts of a Research Paper by Wordvice Editing Service on YouTube

Outline of Scholarly Writing

With some variation among the different disciplines, most scholarly articles of original research follow the IMRD model, which consists of the following components:

Introduction

• Statement of Problem (i.e. "the Gap")
• Plan to Solve the Problem

Method & Results

• How Research was Done
• What Answers were Found
• Interpretation of Results (What Does It Mean?)
• Implications for the Field

This form is most obvious in scientific studies, where the methods are clearly defined and described, and data is often presented in tables or graphs for analysis.

In other fields, such as history, the method and results may be embedded in a narrative, perhaps describing and interpreting events from archival sources. In this case, the method is the selection of archival sources and how they were interpreted, while the results are the interpretation and resultant story.

In full-length books, you might see this general pattern followed over the entire book, within each chapter, or both.

Credit: Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University. This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License .

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How to Organize a Paper: The IMRaD Format

What is the IMRaD Format?

The IMRaD (often pronounced “im-rad”) format is a scientific writing structure that includes four or five major sections: introduction (I); research methods (M); results (R); analysis (a); and discussion (D). The IMRaD format is the most commonly used format in scientific article and journal writing and is used widely across most scientific and research fields.

When Do I Use the IMRaD Format?

If you are writing a paper where you are conducting objective research in order answer a specific question, the IMRaD format will most likely serve your purposes best. The IMRaD format is especially useful if you are conducting primary research (such as experimentation, questionnaires, focus groups, observations, interviews, and so forth), but it can be applied even if you only conduct secondary research (which is research you gather from reading sources like books, magazines, journal articles, and so forth.)

The goal of using the IMRaD format is to present facts objectively, demonstrating a genuine interest and care in developing new understanding about a topic; when using this format, you don’t explicitly state an argument or opinion, but rather, you rely on collected data and previously researched information in order to make a claim.

While there are nuances and adjustments that would be made to the following document types, the IMRaD format is the foundational structure many research-driven documents:

• Recommendation reports
• Plans (such as an integrated marketing plan or project management plan)

How Does the IMRaD Format Work?

As mentioned above, the IMRaD format includes four or five major sections. The little “a” has had multiple interpretations over the years; some would suggest it means nothing other than “and,” as in “Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion,” but others have argued that the “a” should be viewed as “Analysis” in papers where the “Results” section may not be immediately clear and a section that analyzes the results is important for reader comprehension. Either way, the “a” often remains in lower-case to indicate that, while it’s often important, it isn’t always necessary. Below, we’ll review the five major sections, with “a” given equal weight to the other sections.

Note that these five sections should  always  go in the order listed below:

• Statement of the topic you are about to address
• Current state of the field of understanding (often, we call this a literature review and it may even merit having its own section)
• Problem or gap in knowledge (what don’t we know yet or need to know? what does the field still need to understand? what’s been left out of previous research? is this a new issue that needs some direction?)
• Forecast statement that explains, very briefly, what the rest of the paper will entail, including a possible quick explanation of the type of research that needs to be conducted
• Separate each type of research you conducted (interviews, focus groups, experiments, etc.) into sub-sections and only discuss one research method in each sub-section (for clarity and organization, it’s important to not talk about multiple methods at once)
• Be very detailed about your process. If you interviewed people, for example, we need to know how many people you interviewed, what you asked them, what you hoped to learn by interviewing them, why chose to interview over other methods, why you interviewed those people specifically (including providing they demographic information if it’s relevant), and so forth. For other types of data collection, we need to know what your methods were–how long you observed; how frequently you tested; how you coded qualitative data; and so forth.
• Don’t discuss what the research means. You’ll use the next two sections–Analysis and Discussion–to talk about what the research means. To stay organized, simply discuss your research methods. This is the single biggest mistake when writing research papers, so don’t fall into that trap.
• Results:  The results section is critical for your audience to understand what the research showed. Use this section to show tables, charts, graphs, quotes, etc. from your research. At this point, you are building your reader towards drawn conclusions, but you are not yet providing a full analysis. You’re simply showing what the data says. Follow the same order as the Methods section–if you put interviews first, then focus groups second, do the same in this section. Be sure, when you include graphics and images, that you label and title every table or graphic (“ Table 3: Interview Results “) and that you introduce them in the body of your text (“As you can see in  Figure 1 , seventy-nine percent of respondents…”)
• Analysis:  The analysis section details what you and others may learn from the data. While some researchers like to combine this section with the Discussion section, many writers and researchers find it useful to analyze the data separately. In the analysis section, spend time connecting the dots for the reader. What do the interviews say about the way employers think about their employees? What do the observations say about how employees respond to workplace criticism? Can any connections be made between the two research types? It’s important in the Analysis section that you don’t draw conclusions that the research findings don’t suggest.  Always  stick to what the research says.
• Discussion:  Finally, you conclude this paper by suggesting what new knowledge this provides to the field. You’ll often want to note the limitations of your study and what further research still needs to be done. If something alarming or important was discovered, this is where you highlight that information. If you use the IMRaD format to write other types of papers (like a recommendation report or a plan), this is where you put the recommendations or the detailed plan.

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Structure of a Research Paper

Structure of a Research Paper: IMRaD Format

I. The Title Page

• Title: Tells the reader what to expect in the paper.
• Author(s): Most papers are written by one or two primary authors. The remaining authors have reviewed the work and/or aided in study design or data analysis (International Committee of Medical Editors, 1997). Check the Instructions to Authors for the target journal for specifics about authorship.
• Keywords [according to the journal]
• Corresponding Author: Full name and affiliation for the primary contact author for persons who have questions about the research.
• Financial & Equipment Support [if needed]: Specific information about organizations, agencies, or companies that supported the research.
• Conflicts of Interest [if needed]: List and explain any conflicts of interest.

II. Abstract: “Structured abstract” has become the standard for research papers (introduction, objective, methods, results and conclusions), while reviews, case reports and other articles have non-structured abstracts. The abstract should be a summary/synopsis of the paper.

III. Introduction: The “why did you do the study”; setting the scene or laying the foundation or background for the paper.

IV. Methods: The “how did you do the study.” Describe the --

• Context and setting of the study
• Specify the study design
• Population (patients, etc. if applicable)
• Sampling strategy
• Intervention (if applicable)
• Identify the main study variables
• Data collection instruments and procedures
• Outline analysis methods

V. Results: The “what did you find” --

• Report on data collection and/or recruitment
• Participants (demographic, clinical condition, etc.)
• Present key findings with respect to the central research question
• Secondary findings (secondary outcomes, subgroup analyses, etc.)

VI. Discussion: Place for interpreting the results

• Main findings of the study
• Discuss the main results with reference to previous research
• Policy and practice implications of the results
• Strengths and limitations of the study

VII. Conclusions: [occasionally optional or not required]. Do not reiterate the data or discussion. Can state hunches, inferences or speculations. Offer perspectives for future work.

VIII. Acknowledgements: Names people who contributed to the work, but did not contribute sufficiently to earn authorship. You must have permission from any individuals mentioned in the acknowledgements sections. 

IX. References:  Complete citations for any articles or other materials referenced in the text of the article.

• IMRD Cheatsheet (Carnegie Mellon) pdf.
• Adewasi, D. (2021 June 14).  What Is IMRaD? IMRaD Format in Simple Terms! . Scientific-editing.info. 
• Nair, P.K.R., Nair, V.D. (2014). Organization of a Research Paper: The IMRAD Format. In: Scientific Writing and Communication in Agriculture and Natural Resources. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03101-9_2
• Sollaci, L. B., & Pereira, M. G. (2004). The introduction, methods, results, and discussion (IMRAD) structure: a fifty-year survey.   Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA ,  92 (3), 364–367.
• Cuschieri, S., Grech, V., & Savona-Ventura, C. (2019). WASP (Write a Scientific Paper): Structuring a scientific paper.   Early human development ,  128 , 114–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2018.09.011

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Tips for Writing a Research Paper – IMRaD Structure

Peer-reviewed academic journals publish a variety of article types, such as research articles that report original research, reviews of the literature, and case reports of a small number of interesting cases. Each article type has its own specific format, and it is important that you use the appropriate one.

1. Know IMRaD

Original research papers usually use the  IMRaD formula. This acronym includes the four main sections of a research paper, which answer four basic questions, as follows: 

• I ntroduction:  Why did you do the study?
• M ethods:  What did you do?
• R esults:  What did you find? a nd…
• D iscussion:  What do your findings mean? How do you advance your field?

According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors , the “[ IMRaD ] structure is not an arbitrary publication format but a reflection of the process of scientific discovery.” The full structure is actually  TA-IMRaD-RAS , because research papers begin with a Title and Abstract , end with the References, and often also have an Acknowledgment and various Statements. Some features of these additional sections are as follows: 

• Title:  usually part of the submitted Title Page, which also contains authors’ details and often the word count and number of illustrations (tables and figures)
• Abstract: a summary of the study with or without subheadings such as Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusion; usually ends with key words
• References: two commonly used styles are numbering in order of appearance (Vancouver) and alphabetical by surname and in date order (Harvard); the style and the position of the reference list depend on the journal
• Acknowledgments : here, you thank people who do not qualify for authorship but who helped you with the research or its analysis, reporting, and presentation
• Statements: declarations of, for example, work contributed by each author, funding source/s, conflicts of interest (reasons for any perceived bias), ethics approval , whether the data can be accessed by others, any supplementary methods/results files online, and whether any of the work has been previously presented; these declarations are sometimes made on the submitted Title Page and may appear at the beginning or end of the published article

Get the full details on using IMRaD in this handy infographic you can download from the Edanz Learning Lab eBooks and infographics .

2. Find a target journal early 

Refer to the author guidelines of your target journal early on in the writing process. These guidelines explain the journal’s requirements for manuscript preparation, for example:• Word count of the main text• Word count and format of the abstract• Variations of IMRaD structure:o Methods may be at the end or combined with Resultso Results may be combined with Discussion

o Methods, Results, and Discussion may all be combined as one or more sections, with different headings for different parts of the study

• IMRaD section names (for example, Introduction, Background, or no heading for the first section of IMRaD)
• Extra sections: some journals require a Literature Review or Related Work section between the Introduction and Methods; some require Conclusion and Future Work sections after the Discussion
• Number and style of references
• Number and formatting of illustrations and associated text, and placement of illustrations within the main text, at the end, or in separate files
• What statements to include and if there are special online forms to complete
• General formatting (such as double line spacing)
• UK or US spelling

Using the free  Edanz Journal Selector will help you find a suitable journal and its online author guidelines. 

3. Use the “write” order 

To increase your writing efficiency, use  TA-MRDI  order instead of  TA-IMRaD . Otherwise, you may waste time at the start by writing an Introduction that is too long or unrelated to the rest of the paper.

The “write” order of TA-MRDI, with the Introduction written at the end, will allow you to build a focused academic argument and help convince the reader of the need for and importance of your study. The recommended order for writing your research paper is actually based on your illustrations and can be summarized in these 10 steps: 

1. Preparation

• Draft your illustrations, put them in a logical order
• Summarize each illustration’s key point
• Use the key points and notes from your initial reading to make a brief IMRaD outline to answer the questions: Why did you do the study? What did you do? What did you find? What does it all mean?

2. Title

Announce the most important feature of your research.  

3. Abstract

Summarize the key messages of your IMRaD outline in the abstract ; input text into the Edanz Journal Selector to find a target journal.  

4. Methods

Describe the materials/samples, procedures, and analytical methods in the order of your illustrations to allow others to repeat your study.  

5. Results

Finalize your illustrations and highlight their main features in the main text.  

6. Discussion

Evaluate your results in the context of the published literature, identify strengths and weaknesses, draw conclusions, and include implications and future directions.  

7. Introduction

Present enough information for readers to understand your study’s aim, design, conclusions, implications, and importance; the amount of background depends on the target journal readership (for example, generalists vs. specialists).  

8. References, etc.

Prepare the References  and any  Acknowledgment/s  and  Statements .  

Finalize the Title .  

10. Finally…the abstract again

Finalize the Abstract .The “write” order of TA-MRDI will allow you to save time and start writing even while you are still performing the research. As soon as you have analyzed your results, prepare the illustrations and make sure they have corresponding descriptions in the  Methods  section of the main text. The Methods are factual, recent, and familiar to you, so they should be relatively easy to describe.

In the main text of the  Results , you highlight the main features of your data and illustrations, making sure to describe relationships between the data instead of just repeating what is already shown in the illustrations.

In the  Discussion , you compare your findings with those already published, and you identify strengths and weaknesses of your research. In this way, you evaluate your results in the context of what is already known in your field, and you can draw conclusions and propose practical and conceptual implications and future research directions.

While you read the relevant literature , you can decide which published articles will help frame your research in the  Introduction , especially if your study design and data are of a higher quality than those in the literature.

After writing the Discussion, you will also have a clear idea of the key findings, variables, concepts, theories, and topics that need to be explained to the reader in the Introduction. By writing the Introduction last, you will provide readers with a logical and convincing rationale for your study and help them to understand the relevance and usefulness of your findings.

Complying with the author guidelines of your target journal and being familiar with IMRaD and the “write” order of TA-MRDI will help you prepare your manuscript efficiently and completely.

Finally, after drafting your manuscript, remember to revise, edit, and proofread your manuscript. You’re well on your way to outperforming your competition and raising your publication rate .

Scientific Writing and Communication in Agriculture and Natural Resources pp 13–25 Cite as

Organization of a Research Paper: The IMRAD Format

• P. K. Ramachandran Nair 3 &
• Vimala D. Nair 4  
• First Online: 01 January 2014

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7 Citations

Most scientific papers are prepared according to a format called IMRAD. The term represents the first letters of the words Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, And, Discussion. It indicates a pattern or format rather than a complete list of headings or components of research papers; the missing parts of a paper are: Title, Authors, Keywords, Abstract, Conclusions, and References. Additionally, some papers include Acknowledgments and Appendices. The Introduction explains the scope and objective of the study in the light of current knowledge on the subject; the Materials and Methods describes how the study was conducted; the Results section reports what was found in the study; and the Discussion section explains meaning and significance of the results and provides suggestions for future directions of research. The manuscript must be prepared according to the Journal’s instructions to authors.

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Nair, P.K.R., Nair, V.D. (2014). Organization of a Research Paper: The IMRAD Format. In: Scientific Writing and Communication in Agriculture and Natural Resources. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03101-9_2

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How To Write A Research Paper Using The IMRaD Format?

by Statistics Explained Research Paper Help

When writing an academic paper, the entire process may appear to be a daunting task due to the complexities the process poses. Any good research paper encompasses several components that are organized succinctly. Having an outline aids the author to not only present ideas in a structure that can facilitate the readers to understand the key findings of the paper but also describe all the essential elements that a research paper must contain. Here, we attempt to help you in your compositions by listing a step-by-step process of how to write a scientific paper following the IMRaD format. 

The first identifiable instance of IMRaD format being adopted can be traced back to the publication of Louis Pasteur’s  Etudes sur la Biere  (Studies on Fermentation). While specific headings were not used in his writings, however, this format began to be slowly recognized and accepted till it became a “standard” in scientific paper format from the 70s. With the rapid growth in the literature being produced in the science and social science disciplines, this format has also witnessed evolution and changes. Despite the definition of the four sections, the guidelines for how these sections need to be constructed are not rigid thus, leaving plenty of room for flexibility and creativity.    

Once these strategies are understood and assimilated, writing an assignment, thesis, report, or paper will no longer appear to be an insurmountable challenge that had previously taken hours and days of your time. By placing a system in place, absorbing, and reproducing prior research or presenting new data will be a smooth process. 

Integral to the pursuit of research in sciences and social sciences is the writing of academic or research papers that may require you to follow a particular formatting style one of which may be the IMRaD format. The name is an acronym for the Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. This form of structure presents research findings to conform to a specific outline. 

More details about the IMRaD format for research papers

The IMRaD format is a common structure for research papers and reports, especially in the fields of science and technology. IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.

The Introduction section provides a context for the research and explains the purpose and significance of the study. It should include a review of relevant literature and a statement of the research question or hypothesis being tested.

The Methods section describes the study design, participants, and materials used, as well as the procedures followed to collect and analyze the data.

The Results section presents the findings of the study, including any statistical analyses and tables or figures to illustrate the results.

The Discussion section interprets the results in the context of the research question or hypothesis and relates them to the broader literature on the topic. It should also discuss the implications of the findings and any limitations of the study.

The IMRaD format is used to help readers understand the research and to evaluate the validity and reliability of the study. It is also useful for researchers to organize their thoughts and present their work in a logical and structured way.

INTERESTING READ: APA REFERENCING: A QUICK GUIDE

Broadly, the IMRaD format consists of the following elements:

Introduction

Research question

Significance of the research question 

Background and literature review of the research topic 

Research methods employed to collect information

Sources of information such as primary, secondary, qualitative, or quantitative 

Research methodology or theoretical framework 

Presentation of the data collected 

Discuss the implications of the information obtained 

Situate results within a theoretical framework and support thesis statement 

Delineate limitation or gaps in the study 

Introduction 

The introduction section is a significant section of any academic journal writing. In addition to a description of the research problem or objective, its context or background are also expounded. 

Previous studies, findings, theoretical underpinnings are summarized in this part of the essay such that any “gaps” in the existing body of literature are highlighted to direct the need to “fill those gaps”. The aim of this exercise so to put forward the question of “what” from your research problem. Once a problem has been constituted, if deemed necessary, a hypothesis may be proposed based on a review of the literature and preliminary secondary data research.

The question of how the study was conducted is answered in this section of the study. In other words, the methods used to collect information about the population through various sampling tools and techniques such interview, questionnaire, case studies based etc. are communicated to the reader. The aim is to make known how scientifical, verifiable and value-neutral data has been collected for the study. Methodology or the procedure for how to approach the research problem and choose appropriate tools for data collection, analysis and presentation of results is also included in this section of the paper. 

The data collected is presented under the heading of “results”. With the use of past tense and in the passive voice, only the information relevant to the study is objectively illustrated using tables and figures. However, commentary and further analysis of these findings are not portrayed here. 

Once the data has been presented, the next task for a researcher is to connect the key findings with the research problem. Every question that had been raised keeping the research objective in perspective, are answered, and rationalized in this section. As responsible and ethical researchers, any limitations of the study also need to be depicted in a few lines under this section. This may also serve to chalk out the scope for further research in the future. 

Results vs. Discussion

Researchers commonly get confounded when trying to distinguish between these two sections. But the misplacement of the information can result in disorganized writing, repetition, and lack of coherence when this order is not maintained. The results section only report the data collected. An objective description of the values and figures to demonstrate trends is demonstrated under this segment. On the other hand, when discussing the results, an evaluation needs to be forwarded while attempting to answer the research questions that were raised in the earlier sections. That is, trends need to be explained, contrasted against prior research such that you can support or contrast against the study’s hypothesis. 

The abstract is indispensable to any research article where a succinct summary of the study is offered to the readers of not more than 250 words. Hence, it should be written only in the last stage. Due to the compact nature of the section, one must only highlight the key aspects that can convey what, why and how questions of the study. This overview should broadly consist of purpose, significance, major findings, and implications of the research to your field. Listing of 10-12 keywords is also often mandated by journals during submission. 

MUST READ: MLA REFERENCING: A QUICK GUIDE

Finally, give a title to your paper. This has also been considered as one of the most challenging parts of academic writing. You need to not only encompass all the key elements of your study but also make it summative and engaging simultaneously. By following the title, abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results and discussion formula, journal writing can be then systematically tackled in an organized manner.

At  Statistics Explained , with in-house team of geniuses, offer professional services beyond measures, combining, learning, understanding, acquiring skills, and solving problems. The smart move to save time while learning to excel at the subject lies with Statistics Explained. The road to success is the hardest one and all we do is, give you a little push so that you can equip yourself better for the bigger battle. 

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