IMRAD is an acronym for Introduction – Method – Results – and – Discussion. You might be reading this post because you have faced the same question: What is IMRaD structure? In a broader view, this structure is a format for structuring a scientific article. This format is often used in the fields of health and natural sciences. Unlike the dissertations written in the social science or psychology fields, this format does not include a theory chapter.
The scientific reports structured using IMRaD structure are usually short and concise, and the language used in them is also very easy. However, due to unawareness of the importance of this important structure, many researchers avoid using it in their scientific reports. In today’s article, we will discuss the importance of this format so that you can better decide whether this format is the best for your report or not. So let’s get started.
What is an IMRaD format? Explain all its sections.
The IMRaD format of writing scientific reports (often pronounced as im-rad) is a way to structure reports in a short and concise manner. This format includes four major sections and according to this, to write a perfect scientific report, discussing those four major sections is necessary for a researcher. A brief description of those four major sections is as follows:
1. I = Introduction
According to the IMRaD structure, the first major section of your scientific report is the introduction section. In this section, you demonstrate that you have enough knowledge about your field of study by introducing the topic and defining the key terms associated with the topic. The introduction section must contain a summary of the existing research on the topic, the research hypothesis, and a general overview of the topic.
2. M = Method
The word “M” in the IMRaD format stands for the methodology section of your scientific report. This section asks you to discuss the methods used in getting the results in detail. In this section, you should explain: what you did and how you did it. This section is the most important section as it shows how you have reached the final results of your research study.
3. R = Results
The next letter in the acronym IMRaD stands for the results chapter. This chapter covers most part of your scientific report as you share the results obtained after the application of the chosen methods. In this third major section, you present the findings of your scientific research, interpret them by unearthing the hidden themes and patterns and evaluate them in terms of your research questions. However, if you cannot interpret the results right, contact assignment writing services working in the UK.
4. D = Discussion
Lastly, there is a section of discussion in your scientific report as per the IMRaD structure. In this section, you just discuss the obtained research results in light of the research questions that you have developed at the start of the research study. As the researcher, you explain whether they can be generalised to a larger population or not. Along with this, you discuss either future research is required on the subject or not.
Importance of IMRaD structure in scientific report writing
After reading the information above, you have got a good idea of what this format is and what are its four major sections. Now, it is time to discuss the importance of this format. Hence, the points that explain its importance are as follows:
- The organisation of ideas. This modular way of structuring scientific reports helps the researcher in better organisation of the ideas. Along with this, it helps him remember the critical elements of the research very easily.
- Locate information easily. This structure allows the author to locate specific information in the report easily. This easy-to-comprehend structure of the report makes this possible. As the reader, you do not need to go through the whole paper.
- Evaluation becomes easy. With the use of the IMRaD structure, the evaluation of scientific manuscripts becomes very easy. The reason is that everything is already present in a structured way. All you need to do is go through the report and see whether it has touched each part of the research problem or not.
- Very adaptable structure. Although IMRaD is silent about other important scientific report components, e.g., title, abstract etc., it is still very adaptable. It brings clarity to the structure of a scientific report, which is your main goal too.
Conclusion
In this guide post, we have discussed the major sections set by the IMRaD structure to follow when writing a scientific paper. Among those sections, the method and results sections are the most important. The reason is that you conduct a research study to get to these two things. Undoubtedly, the use of the IMRaD format in the scientific report is very important because it brings clarity to its structure.
