IMRD: A Structure for Technical and Scientific Papers

Download PDF Handout: IMRD Cheat Sheet

Download PDF Handout: IMRD Cheat Sheet (with examples)

Readers in a wide variety of fields ranging from mechanical engineering to chemistry will expect the same basic structure from technical reports and papers. After examining thousands of different papers, research has isolated four main sections that many technical papers have in common: introduction, methods, results, and discussion.

Together, these four sections are known as IMRD. By following a general IMRD structure, you can ensure your audience can find the information they’re looking for.

In this handout, you’ll learn the basic types of information to include and questions to answer in each section, which sections audiences generally read the most, and how much room you should devote to each section in your abstract.