Writing a Scientific Research Report (IMRaD)
What is an IMRaD report?
“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.
Introduction – Make a case for your research
The introduction explains why this research is important or necessary or
important. Begin by describing the problem or situation that motivates the
research. Move to discussing 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. The
“gold standard” of the methods section is that it should enable readers to
duplicate your study. Methods sections typically use subheadings; they are
written in past tense, and they use a lot of passive voice. This is typically the
least read section of an IMRaD report.
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 (see below). Results sections are usually written in the past tense.
Make sure all tables and figures are labeled and numbered separately.
Captions go above tables and beneath figures.
Discussion – What does it mean?
In this section, you summarize your main findings, comment on those findings
(see below), and connect them to other research. You also discuss limitations
of your study, and use these limitations as reasons to suggest additional,
future research.
NTC IMRAD Format Template
Chapter I - Introduction
1. Introduction - gives the reader background and context to convey the
importance of your research. It should begin by broadly introducing
your topic, then narrowing to your focused research question or
hypothesis.
2. Background of the study - the first section of the paper and
establishes the context underlying the research. It contains the
rationale, the key problem statement, and a brief overview of research
questions that are addressed in the rest of the paper.
3. Significance of the study - The significance of a study is
its importance. It refers to the contribution(s) to and impact of the
study on a research field. The significance also signals who benefits
from the research findings and how.
4. Statement of the problem - A research problem statement is a clear,
concise, and specific statement that describes the issue or problem
that the research project addresses. It should be written in a way that
is easily understandable to both experts and non-experts in the field.
5. Scope and Limitation of the study - Scope and limitations are two
terms that address the details of a research project. The term scope
refers to the problem or issue that the researcher wants to study with
the project. Limitations is the term used for constraints that impact the
researcher's ability to effectively study the scope of the project.
6. Definition of Terms - refers to the clarification and explanation of key
concepts, terms, and terminology used in the study. It helps readers
understand the specific meanings and context of these terms within
the research.
Reference:
[Link]
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Chapter II - Methodology
1. Research Design - refers to the overall strategy that you choose to
integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and
logical way, thereby, ensuring you will effectively address the
research problem; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection,
measurement, and analysis of data.
2. Population and Sampling - A population is the entire group that you
want to draw conclusions about. A sample is the specific group that
you will collect data from. The size of the sample is always less than
the total size of the population.
3. Description of the Respondents of the study - When writing about
people who participate in research, descriptive terms such as “college
students,” “children,” or “respondents” as well as the more general
terms “participants” and “subjects” are acceptable.
4. Data Gathering Procedure - refer to the systematic methods and
steps used to collect and analyze data for a specific purpose or study.
These procedures involve various stages, such as identifying
necessary data, classifying data, analyzing data sources, and
estimating costs.
5. Ethical Considerations - set of principles that guide your research
designs and practices. These principles include voluntary participation,
informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, potential for harm, and
results communication.
Reference:
[Link]
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Chapter III - Results and Discussion
The results section of your research paper contains a description
about the main findings of your research, whereas the discussion
section interprets the results for readers and provides the significance
of the findings. The discussion should not repeat the results.
Reference:
[Link]
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Chapter IV - Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
A summary is a condensed version of previous facts while a
conclusion is a deduction or inference based on those facts. This
portion of a document does not introduce new facts or arguments, it
simply reviews and lists facts and arguments previously presented
and then draws conclusions based on those facts.
Reference:
[Link]
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