From IMRaD structure and abstract writing to results presentation and discussion — a complete guide for undergraduates and postgraduates writing science, technology, engineering, and maths papers.
A research paper in STEM is a structured piece of academic writing that reports original research, analyses existing data, or reviews the state of knowledge in a specific scientific or technical area. It is distinct from an essay, which argues a position; a research paper reports findings based on systematic evidence.
Most STEM research papers follow the IMRaD format: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. This structure, standard across peer-reviewed journals in science, engineering, and medicine, is also used for undergraduate and postgraduate research assignments. Understanding this structure is the first step to writing a credible paper.
A good STEM title is specific, informative, and concise — typically 12–20 words. It should name the key variables, system, or phenomenon under study. Avoid vague titles like "A Study of Water Quality." Prefer: "Effect of Agricultural Runoff on Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Kenyan Rift Valley Lakes, 2020–2023."
The abstract is a self-contained summary of the entire paper — written last, but placed first. It covers: the problem, the method, the key result, and the main conclusion. One paragraph, no citations, no undefined abbreviations. Readers use it to decide whether to read the full paper.
Listed after the abstract for journal submissions. Keywords improve discoverability in databases. Choose terms that appear in the paper's key concepts — not in the title, which is already indexed.
The introduction does three things: (1) establishes the context and importance of the problem, (2) identifies the gap in current knowledge, and (3) states the aim, objective, or hypothesis of the study. Move from broad context → specific problem → your study. End with a clear statement of purpose.
Reviews what is already known, identifies the gap your paper addresses, and justifies your methodological choices. In many STEM papers the literature review is integrated into the introduction rather than presented as a separate section. For longer papers and theses it stands alone.
Describes what you did in enough detail that another researcher could replicate the study. Covers: materials, equipment, experimental design, sampling procedures, data collection protocols, and statistical analysis methods. Use past tense. Be precise with quantities, brands, and conditions.
Reports what you found — without interpretation. Present data in a logical order, supported by tables, figures, and statistical values. Each figure and table should be numbered, titled, and referenced in the text. Don't repeat in prose what is already clear in a table.
Interprets the results. Explain what your findings mean, how they compare to published literature, and what limitations affected your results. Address unexpected findings honestly. End with the implications of your study and directions for future research.
A brief summary (one to two paragraphs) of the main findings and their significance. Do not introduce new information. The conclusion should answer the research question posed in the introduction without repeating the discussion word for word.
Credit funding sources, laboratory supervisors, data contributors, and technical support — people who contributed to the work but are not listed as authors. Required for most grant-funded research.
All sources cited in the paper, formatted consistently in the citation style required (APA, IEEE, Harvard, Vancouver, etc.). Every in-text citation must have a corresponding entry; every entry must have been cited in the text.
Our subject specialists write research papers with full IMRaD structure, peer-reviewed sources, and correct citation formatting.
Most students write the abstract last, but struggle to make it tight enough. A useful technique is the structured abstract approach — answer each of these prompts in 1–2 sentences each:
Avoid vague abstracts. "The results showed significant findings" tells the reader nothing. "Mean reaction time decreased by 23% (p < 0.01)" is informative. Always include at least one specific quantitative finding in a STEM abstract.
Think of the introduction as a funnel — wide at the top (global context), narrowing to the specific gap (your study's justification), then focused at the bottom (your research question or hypothesis).
Common mistake: Using the introduction to list everything that has ever been published on the topic. The introduction is not a literature review — it establishes context and justifies your study's existence. Save the deeper synthesis for the literature review section or discussion.
The methods section must be reproducible. A colleague with access to the same equipment should be able to repeat your study exactly from your methods description alone. Structure it as follows:
Write in the past tense. Methods describe what you did: "Samples were centrifuged at 4,000 rpm for 10 minutes" — not "Samples should be centrifuged." Use passive voice when the actor is unimportant; active voice when the specific researcher matters.
| Results | Discussion |
|---|---|
| Reports data factually | Interprets what the data means |
| No citations needed for your own data | Compares results to published literature |
| Past tense: "The temperature increased…" | Present tense for implications: "These findings suggest…" |
| Tables and figures with brief description | Explanatory narrative, no new data |
| States statistical significance | Explains biological, clinical, or engineering relevance |
| Discipline | Common Citation Style |
|---|---|
| Biology, psychology, nursing | APA 7th |
| Engineering, computing, electronics | IEEE |
| Medicine, biomedical sciences | Vancouver / AMA |
| General sciences, UK universities | Harvard |
| Environmental sciences, geography | Harvard or APA |
Check your course guidelines — if in doubt, ask your supervisor. Using the wrong style will not invalidate your paper, but it will cost marks for presentation.
This depends entirely on the level and the specific assignment brief. Undergraduate reports: 2,000–5,000 words. Master's dissertations: 15,000–25,000 words. Journal papers: 4,000–8,000 words including references. Always follow the word limit in your assignment specification — exceeding it by more than 10% typically incurs a mark penalty.
Many STEM disciplines traditionally use passive voice ("samples were collected") rather than first person ("I collected samples"). However, APA 7th actively encourages first-person writing, and many leading journals now accept it. Follow your institution's or journal's guidelines. If you co-authored the paper, "we" is always appropriate.
Quality over quantity — but as a rough guide: undergraduate papers need 15–30 peer-reviewed sources; master's theses need 60–100+; literature reviews and meta-analyses may cite 100–500. All citations should be from peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, or credible institutional sources. Wikipedia and general websites are not acceptable primary sources in STEM writing.
A research paper reports original research — data collected by the authors. A literature review synthesises what others have published, without new primary data. Many full research papers include a literature review section, but a standalone literature review does not include a methods or results section of its own.