The Methods Section

Abstract

The Methods section of a paper describes how a research study was done. This section is perhaps the most important part of a scientific paper as it describes the strategy and procedures used to answer the research question. Since the validity of the results obtained in a study depends on the approach and techniques used to generate data, a well-written Methods section helps the reader to place the study’s conclusions in a context and understand its conclusion better. Further, all good science should be replicable. Thus, this section should describe the study procedures in sufficient detail so that another researcher who wants to replicate the work can do so easily.

The key to a successful Methods section is to include the right amount of detail—too much, and it begins to sound like a laboratory manual; too little, and no one can repeat what was done.

Successful Scientific Writing, 2nd ed. [1]