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Topic 4.1 of Writing Up Research

Structure of a Research Report

The IMRaD skeleton and its variants for a thesis or project report — what each section must do rather than merely contain, and how the audience changes the shape of the report.

~25 min total·4 quadrants of structured content

By the end of this topic, you will

Name the sections of an IMRaD-structured paper and state the job each one does
Explain how a thesis or project report extends IMRaD with front matter, back matter, and an extended discussion
Adjust the structure of a report to match its intended audience: examiners, practitioners, or a conference

Quadrant 1 · e-Tutorial

Video lectures and walkthroughs

Quadrant 2 · e-Content

Articles and case studies

research-methodology

Structure of a Research Report

IMRaD is not a bureaucratic template. Each section has a job: the introduction asks a question, the methods explain how it was investigated, the results report what was found, and the discussion explains what it means. Knowing the job makes writing the section easier.

10 min read

Quadrant 3 · Web Resources

Downloadable material and curated external links

Web resources coming soon.

Quadrant 4 · Self-Assessment

Test your knowledge — earn a certificate on first pass

Assessment coming soon.