You probably worked through several nights on your research project to arrive at the set of findings you are proud of. Now is the prospect of writing a research paper giving you sleepless nights? Most researchers find themselves at loss of how to communicate their research since few get formal training in research writing. However, manuscript writing need not be a dreaded task. A research paper has a set format, and with the help of some guidelines you will find the writing process rewarding.
Research paper structure: Why is it important?
Let’s first understand why the structure of the manuscript plays an important role. A research paper presents the research problem, study method, findings, and the significance of those findings in an objective manner. The most commonly used structure to write a research paper is the IMRaD format, which refers to the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections. Writing a paper in this format makes it easy for the author to present the information, and the reader to find the information they are seeking. With the IMRaD format, you draw the reader’s attention from a general discussion on the subject area to a more specific one about your study, and then back to a more generalized discussion about how your study furthers the current knowledge. Thus, you can convey your study in a focused and effective way.
Elements of a research paper: What should you include?
Now let us take a closer look at each section of that forms the IMRaD format. Every section of the research paper has a specialized function which we will now discuss in more detail.
Introduction
The Introduction section begins on a general note and then draws the reader’s attention to the research problem that is your focus. When writing this section you should be answering the question “What?” i.e. what the paper is about and what is the significance of the study. Discussing these effectively will ensure that the reader is engaged and reads the rest of the paper.
Ensure that you throw light on the research gap that led you to pursue the research problem. This will provide your research a context and you will be able to build your narrative effectively. Once you explain the research problem, you should also mention how resolving it would provide significant insights. Any specific objectives and the theoretical framework should also be mentioned. One thing to consider while writing this section is that the information should be generic but should help the readers along to the more specific details that will follow in the Methods section.
Bonus tip: Many researchers find it easier to write the Introduction section after most of the paper is written as this offers them the perspective to set the right tone for the paper.
Methods
The Methods section (also called the Materials and Methods section) describes how you arrived at the results. While writing this section you should answer the question “How?” which means you need to provide details sufficient enough for another researcher to reproduce the results. How well you write this section can determine how credible your research is considered by the readers.
A good Methods section details every aspect of the study including sources of material, equipment models, and data collection methods. Any significant finer details such as controls used or lab conditions should also be included. Moreover, the Methods section should justify the experimental design too. Further, to make the section more effective, consider using diagrams or images if they help in explaining the experimental setup.
To make this section effective refrain from adding extraneous details. Another common mistake that researchers make is to include the results, which should be avoided.
Bonus tip: Most authors find writing this section easy, and you can begin writing your manuscript with the Methods section.
Results
The Results section is perhaps the one that garners the most attention. This section answers the question “What?” i.e. it showcases the results you obtained from your study. Your focus should be communicating the results in a format that is easy for readers to consume. Using tables and figures is one of the most common ways of presenting the results in a succinct manner. If you think some results would be particularly interesting to the readers, you can highlight them.
An important aspect researchers should keep in mind is avoiding duplication of data, which means data that is presented in tables and figures should not be reiterated in text. Equally important is to steer away from adding any information here that would take away the focus from the results. Another common pitfall is discussing the findings, which should be reserved for the Discussion section.
Bonus tip: Keep the section focused on presenting your results. This part of the paper is usually brief, so don’t use it to discuss or analyze any of the findings.
Discussion
The focus of this section should be answering the question “So what?” as you would interpret your results. The Discussion section should tie in with the Introduction section, but from specific it should move to a broader spectrum.
Your aim should be to explain how the results help fix the gap in existing knowledge. Depending on your research, you can discuss whether the results were expected and draw comparisons with the previous work on the research topic. One important point to remember is to mention any limitations of your study.
Some common errors you should avoid are restating the results without interpreting them. Another mistake many researchers make is discussing results that are not part of the Results section. Keep your writing focused on the set of results that are crucial to establish the significance of your work.
Bonus tip: The Conclusion section can be part of the Discussion section or an independent section depending on the specifications of the journal you are submitting to. This section should provide the key message you wish to convey through your work, such as any further research that needs to be undertaken, and draw any final conclusions that are generic.
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