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# The scientific article (IMRAD)

- Concept

An original article is ordered as Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, with a title, abstract and references.

Updated Nov 13, 2026

## Key points

- Introduction: what is known, the gap, and the aim or hypothesis; it ends with the question.
- Methods: design, population, variables, measurements, sample size, analysis and ethics; they must let others repeat the study.
- Results: what was found, without interpretation, with counts and percentages and effects with confidence intervals; start with the participant flow.
- Discussion: main finding, comparison with other studies, limitations, implications and a conclusion that goes no further than the data.
- The structured abstract is the most-read part: it must carry the key numbers and match the text.
- References are numbered in the order they are first cited in the text (Vancouver style).

## What it is

The original article follows the IMRAD structure because it mirrors the research process: why it was done (Introduction), how (Methods), what was found (Results) and what it means (Discussion). Around it sit a title, a structured abstract, keywords, tables and figures, funding and conflict-of-interest statements, and numbered references. Reporting guidelines (CONSORT, STROBE and others) say what each section must contain for each design.

## Worked example

- Scenario (made up): a journal allows at most 3 000 words and a 250-word abstract for a cohort study.
- Text budget: Introduction 450 (15 %), Methods 900 (30 %), Results 900 (30 %), Discussion 750 (25 %); total 3 000.
- Abstract: background 40, methods 70, results 90 and conclusion 50 words; total 250.
- Study results (made up): of 240 patients followed, 36 had the outcome: 36 / 240 = 15 %.
- The results sentence gives the count and the percentage (‘36 of 240, 15 %’), not the percentage alone.
- Final check: the 15 % appears identically in the abstract, the text and table 2.
- Reading: the budget gives most room to methods and results, which is what readers need to judge and reproduce the study.

## What goes in each section

| Section | Question it answers | Common error |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Title and abstract | What is it about and what did it find? | Abstract that does not match the results |
| Introduction | Why was it done? | A long review that never reaches the question |
| Methods | How was it done? | Too little detail to reproduce the study |
| Results | What was found? | Interpreting instead of reporting |
| Discussion | What does it mean? | Conclusions beyond the data, no limitations |
| References | What does it rest on? | Unchecked citations or citations from predatory journals |

## Markers

- IMRAD
- Structured abstract
- Vancouver
- CONSORT
- STROBE

## In practice

- To read fast: title, abstract, table 1 (who took part), the main figure or table, and the limitations in the discussion.
- Dissemination does not end at the journal: posters, talks, plain-language summaries and open access bring results to the people who use them.
- Many journals require prior trial registration and the checklist of the matching reporting guideline.

## Common pitfalls

- Mixing results with discussion.
- Giving percentages without the count or the denominator.
- An abstract whose figures differ from the text.
- Concluding causation from a cross-sectional or descriptive study.

## Memory aid

‘Why, how, what, so what’: four questions, four sections, in that order and never mixed.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What does IMRAD stand for?

Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion: the usual structure of an original article, following the order of the research process.

## What must the methods section contain?

The design, population, variables and how they were measured, the sample size, the statistical analysis and ethics, in enough detail to repeat the study.

## How are references numbered according to medical journal editors' recommendations?

Consecutively, in the order in which they are first mentioned in the text.

## What is a common error in the results section?

Interpreting the data instead of reporting them, or giving percentages without the count and the denominator.

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## Connections

## Related 6

- [Reporting guidelines: CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, STARD](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/reporting-guidelines-consort-strobe-prisma-stard/)
- [Critical appraisal of a paper](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/critical-appraisal-of-a-paper/)
- [Authorship, peer review and scientific communication](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/authorship-peer-review-and-scientific-communication/)
- [The research protocol](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/the-research-protocol/)
- [Statistical analysis plan](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/statistical-analysis-plan/)
- [Publication bias and the funnel plot](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/publication-bias-and-the-funnel-plot/)

[← All of epidemiology](https://durgical.com/en/epidemiology/)

Educational content on epidemiological and statistical methods; the examples use made-up numbers to teach the calculation. Not a clinical or legal guide: current Colombian rules are in the official sources.

Sources: [A. Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal](https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/manuscript-preparation/preparing-for-submission.html) (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), 2026); [CONSORT 2025 Statement: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials](https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/consort/) (EQUATOR Network, 2025); [The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies](https://www.equator-network.org/reporting-guidelines/strobe/) (EQUATOR Network, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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