IMRAD

IMRAD

IMRAD is an acronym for Introduction, Methods, Results And Discussion. It relates to the standard main structure of a scientific paper, which typically includes these four sections in this order:¹

Introduction - why and where was the study undertaken? What was the purpose?
Methods & Materials - how was the study done? What materials and methods were used?
Results - what did the study find?
Discussion - what might it mean, why does it matter, what next? And, last but not least; How does it fit in with what other researchers have found?

Many scientific journals prefer this main structure for their articles.¹² The IMRAD structure is explicitly recommended in the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" issued by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). It is briefly presented in section IV.A.1.a. of the 2007 version of their highly influential Vancouver guidelines:

The text of observational and experimental articles is usually (but not necessarily) divided into sections with the headings Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This so-called “IMRAD” structure is not simply an arbitrary publication format, but rather a direct reflection of the process of scientific discovery. Long articles may need subheadings within some sections (especially the Results and Discussion sections) to clarify their content. Other types of articles, such as case reports, reviews, and editorials, are likely to need other formats.³

Even if the IMRAD main structure disposition originate in the empirical sciences, it now appears as a possible article format in academic journals in all kinds of disciplines. The IMRAD structure is also recommended in the 5th edition of the publication manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style),⁴ and finds increased usage in journals related to social and behavioral sciences.⁵ The MLA Style Manual, published by the Modern Language Association of America, is a format generally preferred for humanities-based journals, and in-house styles remain popular at a number of institutions.⁵

A main explanation for the success of the quite rigid and superficial IMRAD structure is found in the modern researchers need for speed when reviewing literature in their field, as the format allows the reader to pick those parts of the article that is of particular interest to the readers purpose. It is also valued for the logical, chronological manner in which information is presented.⁶

References

^ ^a ^b "The IMRaD outline". University of Oslo (2005-03-07). Retrieved on 2008-10-22.
^ "uw-madison writing center writer's handbook". Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved on 2008-10-22.
^ "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication - IV.A.1.a. General Principles". ICJME. Retrieved on 2008-10-22.
^ American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th, American Psychological Association. ISBN 1557987912.
^ ^a ^b "The IMRAD Research Paper Format". Department of Translation Studies, University of Tampere. Retrieved on 2008-10-22.
^ Kenneth D. Mahrer, University of Denver (2000). "The DSB method—Persuasive writing made simpler". GeoScience World. Retrieved on 2008-10-22.

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