Department of Education

Region III
DIVISION OF MABALACAT CITY

Name: __________________________________ Grade & Section: ________________

School: ____________________________________________ Date: ________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Research II (Q4 - Lesson 1)
Writing an IMRaD Report

I. Introduction
A scientific paper is generally a manuscript that presents an original
work of research. It must be written clearly and concisely so that readers with
backgrounds similar to yours can understand easily what you have done. It
does not need to be ground-breaking. It could be an addition to the ongoing
research in a field or a comparative study between different approaches. The
papers can be original in different ways in different areas of research. All
scientific papers have the same general format. They are divided into distinct
sections and each section contains a specific type of information.

This Learning Activity Sheets will help you identify the major sections
of a research paper and the ISEF rules and guidelines.

II. Learning Competency

➢ Uses the international guideline format in writing scientific paper.

III. Objectives
After going through this Learning Activity Sheets, you are expected to:
1. identify the major sections of IMRAD format;
2. explain the roles and responsibilities of Student Researcher,
Adult Sponsor, and Qualified Scientist based on the ISEF rules
and guidelines; and
3. write a scientific paper using the IMRaD format.

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IV. Discussions

“IMRaD” format refers to a paper that is structured by four main sections:

Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This format is often used for
lab reports as well as for reporting any planned, systematic research in the
social sciences, natural sciences, or engineering and computer sciences.

Major Sections of IMRAD format

Introduction –Make a case for your research

The introduction explains why this research is important or necessary. Begin

by describing the problem or situation that motivates the research. Move to
discuss the current state of research in the field; then reveal a “gap” or
problem in the field. Finally, explain how the present research is a solution to
that problem or gap. If the study has hypotheses, they are presented at the
end of the introduction.

Methods – What did you do?

The methods section tells readers how you conducted your study. It includes
information about your population, sample, methods, and equipment.

Results – What did you find?

In this section, you present your findings. Typically, the Results section
contains only the findings, not any explanation of or commentary on the
findings. Results sections are usually written in the past tense. Make sure all
tables and figures are labeled and numbered separately.

Discussion – What does it mean?

In this section, you summarize your main findings, comment on those

findings, and connect them to another research. You also discuss the
limitations of your study and use these limitations as reasons to suggest
additional, future research.

Abstract – Summarize the entire study

The abstract for the report comes at the beginning of the paper, but you
should write it after you have drafted the full report. The abstract should be
250 words or less. Do not discuss specific aspects of the research in great
detail, including experimental procedures and statistical methods.

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Contents of the Abstract Portion
Title of the Research
Finalist’s Name (or names, if a team project)
School Name, City and Region

Purpose- an introductory statement providing background, namely the

reason, for investigating the project topic.

Procedure- a brief overview of how the investigation was conducted,

highlighting key points, and including methods and resources used.

Observations/Data/results -this section should provide key results that lead

directly to the conclusions you have drawn.

International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

The International Science and Engineering Fair was founded in 1950

by Science Service (now the Society for Science & the Public) and was
sponsored by the Intel Corporation from 1997 to 2019. Starting in
2020, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals became the title sponsor for ISEF.

Ethics Statement

Student researchers are expected to maintain the highest standards of

honesty and integrity. Scientific fraud and misconduct are not condoned at
any level of research or competition. This includes plagiarism, forgery, use or
presentation of other researcher’s work as one’s own and fabrication of data.

Eligibility/Limitations

1. Each Intel ISEF-affiliated fair may send to Intel ISEF the number of
projects provided by their affiliation agreement.
2. A student must be selected by an Intel ISEF-affiliated fair, and meet both
of the following:
a. be in grades 9 –12 or equivalent; and
b. not have reached age 20
3. English is the official language of the Intel ISEF. Student project boards
and abstracts must be in English.
4. Each student is only allowed to enter one project.
5. Team projects must have no more than three members.
6. Students may compete in only one Intel ISEF affiliated fair, except when
proceeding to a state/national fair affiliated with the Intel ISEF from an
affiliated regional fair.

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7. Projects that are demonstrations, ‘library’ research or informational
projects, ‘explanation’ models or kit building are not appropriate for the
Intel ISEF.
8. All sciences and engineering disciplines are represented at the Intel ISEF
and projects compete in one of the 22 categories.
9. A research project may be a part of a larger study performed by professional
scientists, but the project presented by the student must be only their own
portion of the complete study.

Roles and Responsibilities of Students and Adults

The Student Researcher(s)

The student researcher is responsible for all aspects of the research project
including enlisting the aid of any required supervisory adults (Adult Sponsor,
Qualified Scientist, etc.), obtaining necessary approvals (SRC, IRB, etc.),
following the Rules & Guidelines of the Intel ISEF, and performing the
experimentation, engineering, and data analysis.

The Adult Sponsor

An Adult Sponsor may be a teacher, parent, professor, and/or another

professional scientist in whose lab the student is working. The Adult Sponsor
is responsible for working with the student to evaluate any possible risks
involved to ensure the health and safety of the student conducting the
research and the humans and/ or animals involved in the study.

The Qualified Scientist (QS)

A Qualified Scientist (QS) should have earned a doctoral/professional degree

in a scientific discipline that relates to the student’s area of research.

The Qualified Scientist must be thoroughly familiar with local, state, and
federal regulations that govern the student’s area of research.

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V. Activities

Activity# 1
Write true if the statement is correct, false if it is incorrect. Write your answer
on the space provided before the number.

_________ 1. The abstract for the report comes at the beginning of the paper.
_________ 2. The methods section tells readers how you conducted your study.
_________ 3. “IMRaD” format refers to a paper that is structured by six main
sections.
_________ 4. The introduction explains why this research is important or
necessary or important.
_________ 5. In the Results section, you simply report your findings.
_________ 6. Purpose is an introductory statement providing background,
namely the reason, for investigating the project topic.
_________ 7. Procedure is a brief overview of how the investigation was
conducted, highlighting key points, and including methods and
resources used.
_________ 8. The International Science and Engineering Fair was founded in
1945 by Science Service.
_________ 9. A Qualified Scientist should have earned a doctoral degree in a
scientific discipline that relates to the student’s area of research.
_________ 10. English is the official language of the Intel ISEF.
_________ 11. Student project boards and abstracts must be in English.
_________ 12. Team projects must have no more than four members.
_________ 13. Each student is allowed to enter two projects.
__________ 14. An Adult Sponsor may be a teacher, parent, professor, and/or
another professional scientist in whose lab the student is
working.
_________ 15. Teams competing at Intel ISEF must be composed of members
who are all meet Intel ISEF eligibility.

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Activity # 2

Identify the four major sections of IMRaD format and describe them briefly.

I
M

Activity # 3
Identify the following contents of the abstract; purpose, procedure, and
observation/data/results. Write your answer on the space provided below.
Sample Abstract

2018 ISEF Second Grand Award, Energy Physical

Solar-Tracking Adaptive Robot PV Panels
By Cadores, Keith Russel; Rivera, Eugene; Manzanero, Joscel Kent Adviser:
Johnny T. Samino School Name, City and Region should also be included
The leading sources of energy globally are oil, coal, and natural gas – fossil
fuels that can be depleted, and whose access and use greatly impact the
environment. Hence, much study has been made on renewable energy
sources and use, including harnessing solar power through a photovoltaic
cell. The study aimed to improve the power harvesting and generating
capacity of photovoltaic cells by designing and building a solar device that
mimics a flower opening when the sun is out, tracks the sun’s movement,
closes when the light source is no longer detected, and responds to humidity
and temperature to maximize power generation. Six (6) photovoltaic panels
are mounted on a base operated by servo motors and controlled by Arduino
module. Electronics, servo motors, Arduino, and humidity sensors were
acquired commercially. Other materials included those repurposed from a

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 broken umbrella and electric fan, and scrap acrylic sheets. The device’s
performance was compared to that of a fixed mounted photovoltaic panel at
different stages. The fixed setup generated 4.71W while the petal panels
produced 6.95W, a 47.72% increase. Taxing the power consumption of the
device to the power it generates gives an average of 6.09W. This translates
to a 29.29% improvement from the 4.71W generated by the fixed panel
setup. T-Test for Dependent Means was used and showed that there is a
significant difference between the power generations of the two setups (p=
0.000261, a= 0.05) This robotic design amplifies the capacity to harness
solar power through a photovoltaic cell.

Purpose
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Procedure
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Observations/Data/results
__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Activity # 4

Based on the ISEF rules and guidelines, explain the roles and responsibilities
of Student Researcher, Adult Sponsor, and Qualified Scientist.

Student Researcher

Adult Sponsor

Qualified Scientist

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VI. Assessment

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.

1. It includes information about your population, sample, methods, and

equipment.
A. Discussion C. Methods
B. Introduction D. Results

2. It explains why this research is important or necessary.

A. Discussion C. Methods
B. Introduction D. Results

3. In this section, you summarize your main findings, comment on those

findings (see below), and connect them to another research.
A. Abstract C. Methods
B. Discussion D. Results
4. It provides a very short overview of the entire paper.
A. Abstract C. Methods
B. Introduction D. Results

5. In this section, you present your findings.

A. Abstract C. Methods
B. Introduction D. Results

6. It tells readers how you conducted your study.

A. Abstract C. Methods
B. Discussion D. Results

7. It contains only the findings, not any explanation of or commentary on the

findings.
A. Abstract C. Methods
B. Discussion D. Results

8. In this section, you also discuss the limitations of your study and use these
limitations as reasons to suggest additional, future research.
A. Introduction C. Methods
B. Discussion D. Results

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9. The ______________ for the report comes at the beginning of the paper, but
you should write it after you have drafted the full report.
A. Abstract C. Methods
B. Introduction D. Results

10. It refers to a paper that is structured by four main sections:

Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
A. IMRAD Format C. Scientific Method
B. Science Investigatory Project D. Science Project

11. The _______________ is an annual science fair in the United States.

A. International Engineering Fair
B. International Science and Engineering Fair
C. International Science Fair
D. Science Fair

12. The ______________ is responsible for working with the student to

evaluate any possible risks involved to ensure the health and safety of
the student conducting the research and the humans and/or animals
involved in the study.
A. Adult Sponsor C. Qualified Scientist
B. Parent D. Student Researcher

13. He/ she is responsible for all aspects of the research project including
enlisting the aid of any required supervisory adults, obtaining
necessary approvals, following the Rules & Guidelines of the Intel ISEF,
and performing the experimentation, engineering, and data analysis.
A. Adult Sponsor C. Qualified Scientist
B. Parent D. Student Researcher

14. A ______________ should have earned a doctoral/professional degree in a

scientific discipline that relates to the student’s area of research.
A. Adult Sponsor C. Qualified Scientist
B. Parent D. Student Researcher

15. He/ she is responsible for ensuring the student’s research is eligible
for entry in the Intel ISEF.
A. Adult Sponsor C. Qualified Scientist
B. Parent D. Student Researcher

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VII. Reflection

Goal
Conduct a research and make a scientific paper using the IMRaD format.
Product
Write a scientific paper following the IMRaD format.
Criteria
Comprehensiveness 15 points
Content 10 points
Evidence-Based 5 points
TOTAL 30 points

Write your scientific paper here.

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VIII. Reference

Day RA. How to write & publish a scientific paper. 5th ed. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx, 1998.

"Intel ISEF 2019". Society for Science & the Public. May 17, 2019.

International Rules: Guidelines for Science and Engineering Fairs 2018 – 2019,
student.societyforscience.org/intel-isef

Kronick D. A history of scientific and technical periodicals: the origins and

development of the scientific and technical press 1665–1790. 2nd ed.

Lohr, Steve. 2017. "Intel Drops Its Sponsorship of Science Fairs, Prompting an Identity
Crisis". The New York Times.

Meadows AJ. The scientific paper as an archaeological artifact. J Inf

Science. 1985;11(1):27–30.

"Regeneron ISEF 2020". Society for Science & the Public. Retrieved 17 December2019.

Regional Memorandum No. 146, s.2018.

Trelease SF, Yule ES. Preparation of scientific and technical papers.

Vickery B. The Royal Society Scientific Conference of 1948. J

Documentation. 1992;54(3):281–3.

What is IMRaD Format. 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2020 from

https://proofreadingpal.com/proofread pulse/uncategorized/what-is-imrad- format/.

Writing a Scientific Research Report. 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2015 from
https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/writing-an-imrad-report

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The Qualified Scientist (QS)
A Qualified Scientist (QS) should have earned a
doctoral/professional degree in a scientific discipline that relates to the
student’s area of research. The Qualified Scientist must be thoroughly Answers may vary
familiar with local, state, and federal regulations that govern the student’s
area of research.
Reflection
The Adult Sponsor
An Adult Sponsor may be a teacher, parent, professor, and/or
other professional scientist in whose lab the student is working. 1. C 11. B
The Adult Sponsor is responsible for working with the student to 2. B 12. A
evaluate any possible risks involved in order to ensure the health and 3. B 13. D
safety of the student conducting the research and the humans and/ or 4. A 14. C
animals involved in the study. 5. D 15. A
6. C
7. D
8. B
The Student Researcher(s)
9. C
The student researcher is responsible for all aspects of the
10. A
research project including enlisting the aid of any required supervisory
Reflection
adults (Adult Sponsor, Qualified Scientist, etc.), obtaining necessary Assessment
approvals (SRC, IRB, etc.), following the Rules & Guidelines of the Intel
ISEF, and performing the experimentation, engineering, and data
analysis. Answers may vary
Activity 4 Activity 3
Introduction –Make a case for your research 1. True 11. True
The introduction explains why this research is important or necessary. 2. True 12. False
Methods – What did you do? 3. False 13. False
The methods section tells readers how you conducted your study. It 4. True 14. True
includes information about your population, sample, methods, and
5. True 15. True
equipment.
Results – What did you find? 6. True
In this section, you present your findings. Typically, the Results section 7. True
contains only the findings, not any explanation of or commentary on the 8. False
findings. 9. True
Discussion – What does it mean? 10.True
In this section, you summarize your main findings, comment on those
findings, and connect them to other research.
Activity 2 Activity 1
IX. Answer Key
X. Development Team

Development Team of the Learning Activity Sheets

Writer: Gemma R. Mendoza, PhD
Editor: Cristina L. Dizon, PhD
Reviewer: Ala M. Elagio, Meraluna I. Mariano, Herbert P. Sampana
Illustrator:
Layout Artist:
Management Team: Ericson S. Sabacan, EdD, CESO VI
Leandro C. Canlas, PhD, CESE
Elizabeth O. Latorilla, PhD
Sonny N. De Guzman, EdD
Cristina L. Dizon, PhD
Elizabeth C. Miguel, EdD

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Division of Mabalacat

P. Burgos St., Poblacion, Mabalacat City, Pampanga

Telefax: (045) 331-8143

E-mail Address: mabalacatcity@deped.gov.ph

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