Editing IMRAD (section)

==Overview==
[[File:Wineglass model for IMRaD structure..png|thumb|Fig.1: Wineglass model for IMRaD structure. The above scheme shows how to line up the information in IMRaD writing. It has two characteristics: the first is its top-bottom symmetric shape; the second is its change of width, meaning the top is wide, and it narrows towards the middle, and then widens again as it goes down toward the bottom. The first characteristic, the top-bottom symmetric shape, represents the symmetry of the story development. The second one, the change of width, represents the change in generality of the viewpoint.]]
Original research articles are typically structured in this basic order<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://www.routledge.com/Scientific-And-Medical-Communication-A-Guide-For-Effective-Practice/Mogull/p/book/9781138842557|title=Scientific And Medical Communication: A Guide For Effective Practice|last=Mogull|first=Scott A.|name-list-style=vanc|publisher=Routledge|year=2017|isbn=9781138842557|location=New York|access-date=2017-07-20|archive-date=2023-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623124015/https://www.routledge.com/Scientific-And-Medical-Communication-A-Guide-For-Effective-Practice/Mogull/p/book/9781138842557|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=hira>{{cite book | first = Hilary | last = Glasman-deal | name-list-style = vanc | year = 2009 |title=Science research writing for non-native speakers of English |publisher=Imperial College Press |isbn=978-1-84816-310-2}}</ref><ref name=George>{{cite book | veditors= Hall GM | date = December 2012 |title=How to write a paper |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell, BMJ Books |isbn=978-0-470-67220-4 |edition=5th}}</ref>
*Introduction – Why was the study undertaken? What was the [[research question]], the tested [[hypothesis]] or the purpose of the research?
*Methods – When, where, and how was the study done? What materials were used or who was included in the study groups (patients, etc.)?
*Results – What answer was found to the research question; what did the study find? Was the tested hypothesis true?
*Discussion – What might the answer imply and why does it matter? How does it fit in with what other researchers have found? What are the perspectives for future research?

The plot and the flow of the story of the IMRaD style of writing are explained by a 'wine glass model'<ref name=hira/> or hourglass model.<ref name=":0" />

Writing, compliant with IMRaD format (IMRaD writing) typically first presents "(a) the subject that positions the study from the wide perspective", "(b) outline of the study", develops through "(c) study method", and  "(d) the results", and concludes with "(e) outline and conclusion of the fruit of each topics", and "(f) the meaning of the study from the wide and general point of view".<ref name=hira/>  Here, (a) and (b) are mentioned in the section of the "Introduction", (c) and (d) are mentioned in the section of the "Method" and "Result" respectively, and (e) and (f) are mentioned in the section of the "Discussion" or "Conclusion".

In this sense, to explain how to line up the information in IMRaD writing, the 'wine glass model' (see the pattern diagram shown in Fig.1) will be helpful (see pp 2–3 of the Hilary Glasman-deal <ref name=hira/>). As mentioned in abovementioned textbook,<ref name=hira/> the scheme of 'wine glass model' has two characteristics. The first one is "top-bottom symmetric shape", and the second one is "changing width" i.e. "the top is wide and it narrows towards the middle, and then widens again as it goes down toward the bottom". 
 
The First one, "top-bottom symmetric shape", represents the symmetry of the story development. Note the shape of the top trapezoid (representing the structure of Introduction) and the shape of the trapezoid at the bottom are reversed. This is expressing that the same subject introduced in Introduction will be taken up again in suitable formation for the section of Discussion/Conclusion in these section in the reversed order. (See the relationship between abovementioned  (a), (b) and (e), (f).)

The Second one, "the change of the width" of the schema shown in Fig.1, represents the change of generality of the view point. As along the flow of the story development, when the viewpoints are more general, the width of the diagram is expressed wider, and when they are more specialized and focused, the width is expressed narrower.

===As the standard format of academic journals===
The IMRAD format has been adopted by a steadily increasing number of [[academic journal]]s since the first half of the 20th century. The IMRAD structure has come to dominate academic writing in the sciences, most notably in [[empirical]] biomedicine.<ref name="pmid_15243643"/><ref>{{cite journal|last=Day |first=RA |title=The Origins of the Scientific Paper: The IMRAD Format |journal=American Medical Writers Association Journal |year=1989 |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=16–18 |url=http://www.amwa.org/default/publications/journal/scanned/v04.2.pdf |access-date=2011-06-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927083129/http://www.amwa.org/default/publications/journal/scanned/v04.2.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Szklo|first=Moyses | name-list-style = vanc |title=Quality of scientific articles|journal=Revista de Saúde Pública|year=2006|volume=40|pages=30–35|doi=10.1590/s0034-89102006000400005|pmid=16924300 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The structure of most [[public health journal]] articles reflects this trend. Although the IMRAD structure originates in the empirical sciences, it now also regularly appears in academic journals across a wide range of [[discipline (academia)|disciplines]]. Many scientific journals now not only prefer this structure but also use the IMRAD acronym as an instructional device in the instructions to their authors, recommending the use of the four terms as main headings. For example, it is explicitly recommended in the "[[Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals]]" issued by the [[International Committee of Medical Journal Editors]] (previously called the ''[[Vancouver guidelines]]''): <blockquote>
The text of observational and experimental articles is usually (but not necessarily) divided into the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This so-called "IMRAD" structure is not an arbitrary publication format but rather a direct reflection of the process of scientific discovery. Long articles may need subheadings within some sections (especially Results and Discussion) to clarify their content. Other types of articles, such as case reports, reviews, and editorials, probably need to be formatted differently.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icmje.org/urm_full.pdf |title=Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication - IV.A.1.a. General Principles |publisher=International Committee of Medical Journal Editors |access-date=2010-03-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706184319/http://www.icmje.org/urm_full.pdf |archive-date=July 6, 2010 }}</ref></blockquote>
The IMRAD structure is also recommended for empirical studies in the 6th edition of the publication manual of the [[American Psychological Association]] ([[APA style]]).<ref>{{cite book|author=American Psychological Association|publisher=American Psychological Association|edition=6th|year=2010|title=Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association|isbn=978-1-4338-0562-2}}</ref> The APA publication manual is widely used by journals in the [[social science|social]], [[educational research|educational]] and [[behavioral science]]s.<ref name=Tampere>{{cite web|url=http://www.uta.fi/FAST/FIN/RESEARCH/imrad.html|title=The IMRAD Research Paper Format|publisher=Department of Translation Studies, [[University of Tampere]]|access-date=2008-10-22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025070226/http://www.uta.fi/FAST/FIN/RESEARCH/imrad.html|archive-date=2008-10-25}}</ref>