When writing scientific articles, it is important to know the fundamental rules that are mandatory for the formatting of a high-quality research paper. One of these rules is the structure of a scientific article, which should include certain elements that will help to properly present the research idea. In this article, we will discuss the rules of writing a scientific article, its structure, consider one of the most common IMRAD structures, and the rules for formatting the Acknowledgments section.
Scientific article: structure and main elements
A typical scientific article usually includes the following parts:
- Title. Should be short, clear, and contain the main idea of the article.
- Authors. This section mentions the names and affiliations of the authors, as well as additional information such as email address and physical address of the institution.
- Abstract. Is a brief summary of the main idea of the article, the main results, and their impact on the research field.
- Introduction. This section explains the rationale and aims of the research. In addition, this section mentions previous work in the field and their connection to the current research.
- Methodology. This section describes the methodology used to achieve the results of the article, including methods and analysis techniques.
- Results. This section contains the conclusions of all the data and results obtained during the research. Results are accompanied by statistics, graphs, and tables to illustrate the results.
- Discussion. This section discusses the results and evaluates their impact on the research field. In addition, this section analyzes previous changes and their connection to the current research.
- Conclusions. This section contains a brief summary of the main idea of the article, as well as a brief summary of the results and their discussion.
- References. This section lists all sources cited in the article, which serve to support the argument and analysis of the article.
In addition to these sections, a scientific article may include additional materials such as graphs, photographs, and diagrams to illustrate the main idea of the research.
IMRAD Structure of a Scientific Article
IMRAD is a common structure for scientific articles and includes the following four main parts:
- Introduction: this section presents the research area and the purpose of the article. Additionally, it briefly mentions previous work in the research area and justifies the need for new research.
- Methods: this section describes the methods and techniques used to achieve the research results. Additionally, this section mentions major project details such as the research design, included subjects, used instruments, and data analysis procedures.
- Results: this section presents the results achieved during the research. Results are accompanied by statistics, graphs, and tables to illustrate the results.
- Discussion: this section discusses the interpretation of results and their impact on the research area. Additionally, this section analyzes previous changes and their relationship to the current research. The discussion may also include a sensitive discussion of possible risks of errors in analysis or ways to distribute and reconcile data that do not contradict hypotheses.
The IMRAD structure is a common structure for scientific articles but is not mandatory for all research areas. Some scientific fields may have different structures or create new structures to match their publication goals and needs.
Acknowledgments section in a scientific article
The "Acknowledgments" section in a scientific article is intended to express gratitude to everyone who contributed to the research or preparation of the article. The following individuals or organizations can be mentioned in this section:
- Funding organizations: If the research was funded by an organization or grant, the authors may express their gratitude to that organization for providing financial support.
- Assistants and colleagues: The acknowledgments section can mention colleagues who contributed to the research. This may include consultation on methods and statistics, assistance in organizing data collection, and so on.
- Technical staff: If the research required special equipment or technical support, the authors may express their gratitude to the technical staff for their assistance.
The general rule for the acknowledgments section in a scientific article is to not abuse this section and to not mention people or organizations that did not make a significant contribution to the research.
If you have difficulties with structuring scientific articles, the specialists of "Scientific Publications" company will be happy to help you! Leave a request on our website, and we will contact you soon!
