IMRaD is an acronym for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. It describes the format for the sections of a research report. It is often used in the social sciences, as well as in the STEM fields.
In this format, you present your research and discuss your methods for gathering research. Each section of the IMRAD structure can take several paragraphs to develop.
1. Introduction
A good introduction should:
2. Methods
A good methods section should:
3. Results
A good results section should:
4. Discussion
A good discussion section should:
See this example of a scholarly article that follows an IMRAD format; notice the article's headings and also the references cited at the end of the article.
Zhuang, L., Sun, Y., Hu, M., Wu, C., La, X., Chen, S., Feng, Y., Wang, X., Hu, Y., & Xue, L. (2016). Or47b plays a role in Drosophila males' preference for younger mates. Open Biology, 6(6). DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160086
Original research articles are based on an experiment or study. The author(s) will report the purpose of the study, the research methodology, and results. This is a familiar structure for original research articles > IMRaD: introduction, methods, results, and discussion.
Review articles summarize or synthesize content from earlier published research and are useful for surveying the literature ona specific research area. Review articles can lead you to original research articles.