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The methods section should provide a detailed, logical, and systematic description of how you conducted the study, so that a fellow scientist would be able to understand and repeat the experiment if required (Nair & Nair, 2014; Todorović, 2003). This information can sometimes be very complex, so the methods section is often organised under relevant subheadings with tables, figures, or flow charts used to present the information as clearly and concisely as possible.
Whether you are about to start your methods section or are reviewing your draft, consider asking yourself the following questions to make sure you meet the key requirements of the methods section (Nair & Nair, 2014):
These key aspects of the methods section can be grouped into five categories Language, Organisation, Formatting, Tense, and Style (LOFTS). A good and poor example for each component of LOFTS is given in Table 2 below.
Good example | Poor example | |
---|---|---|
Language | To prevent ..., caution was taken during... | There was worry that..., so x was done instead. |
Organisation | Methods organised into sub-headings, such as sample collection, sample preparation, analysis of samples, and data processing. |
Methods formatted as one block of text with no headings. Statistical analyses mentioned before sampling site is described. |
Formatting | Approximately 0.5 g of sodium chloride was dissolved in 10 mL of deionised water in a 40 mL beaker. |
Materials: sodium chloride, deionised water, 40mL beaker
|
Tense | The solution was filtered with a vacuum filtration system. | Filter the solution using a vacuum filtration system. |
Style | The solution was heated on a hot plate until the precipitate dissolved. | The hot plate was plugged in, the switch turned on, and the dial turned to high before the beaker was placed on top of it. |
This video (15:30 min) from the Saginaw Valley State University (2020) provides an overview of the IMRaD methods & materials, including some writing tips and examples.
Nair, P. K. R., & Nair, V. D. (2014). Scientific writing and communication in agriculture and natural resources. Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03101-9
SVSU Science Writing. (2020, September 27). The IMRaD format: methods & materials [Video]. YouTube.
Todorović, L. (2003). Original (scientific) paper: the IMRAD layout. Archives of Oncology, 11(3), 203-205. https://doi.org/10.2298/AOO0303203T