{"id":324,"date":"2018-09-18T09:48:20","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T09:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T11:29:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T05:59:53","slug":"how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper","title":{"rendered":"How to write the Methods section of a research paper"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">The Methods section of a research article is like a roadmap leading to the core of the research, guiding the readers through the actual journey the authors took to reach their destination. In the manuscript, this section contains the essential details for other scientists to replicate the experiments of the study and help the common readers to understand the study better. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">The descriptive nature of this section may make it seem one of the easiest parts of a manuscript to write. However, this is also the part, where the details are often missed while writing, and sometimes during reading due to its highly technical nature\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">In this article, we will share some tips to make the Methods section of your manuscript interesting and informative. While the article uses examples mostly from the biomedical and clinical research studies, authors from other fields too would find the tips useful for preparing their next manuscript.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#break-ice\">How to make the Methods section engaging<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#dos-and-donts\">How to write the Methods section<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/english-editing\/premium-editing-plan?utm_source=contentmarketing&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=editage-insights-low_perf--row\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"media-element file-default\" title=\"Default Title Text\" src=\"https:\/\/insights.cactusglobal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/22-Dec-1-728x90.png\" alt=\"Default Alt text\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"break-ice\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">How to make the Methods section engaging<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">First, let\u2019s ponder over the issue of the perception of boredom we often associate with the Methods section of an article. It may be the names of the reagents and instruments, separated by some numbers in terms of some concentrations or the technical terminologies that make the reading a heavy-duty task. Listed below are some useful ways of breaking the ice between the Methods section and the readers:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Explanation<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">: Usually, each paragraph or subsection of the Methods section talks about a specific experiment. Early in each paragraph, explain the rationale behind your choices of that particular experiment.; for example, why you used a certain compound, a specific strain of mice as the experimental model or the particular concentration of that key reagent. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>For clinical research, providing a detailed rationale for selecting the exclusion or inclusion criteria can be a good idea to present early in the Methods section. If you took a conventional or widely used method, you certainly don\u2019t need to appear stating the obvious, but for less conventional approaches sharing your reasoning of the study design instantly makes the readers curious and engaged with your paper.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Visual presentation<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">: To help the readers follow the study design or methodology better, visual elements like the schematic diagram, flowchart, and table can be used in this section. They help in breaking the monotony and making the absorption of complex information easy. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"dos-and-donts\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">How to write the Methods section<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Secondly, the information in the methods section is closely scrutinized by the journal editors and peer reviewers to assess whether the most appropriate technique was used to reach your research goal. While every detail of your experiment need not be included, the essential and critical steps should be well described to receive a positive peer review.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">The essential do\u2019s and don\u2019ts of writing a technically sound Methods section:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What to include in the Methods section<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">1. Adhere to the specific guidelines:<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"> Read the author\u2019s instruction section of your target journal carefully and follow the specific instructions. For example, the heading of the section \u201cMaterials and Methods\u201d may need to be changed to \u201cPatients and the Method\u201d to follow the guidelines of your target journal or the name of the institutes could be omitted for the journals that do not prefer open-label reporting. Also, you may be expected to follow a particular style guideline like the one published by the <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">American Psychological Association<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><sup>1 <\/sup>while writing the Methods section.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Biomedical researchers would benefit from using the checklists for different study types to ensure the essential details are included in the Methods. Some of the standardized and widely referred checklists include the ones <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">for randomized clinical trials CONSORT<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><sup>2 <\/sup>(Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">cohort, case-control, cross\u2010sectional studies STROBE<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><sup>3 <\/sup>(STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology), <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">diagnostic accuracy STARD<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><sup>4<\/sup> (STAndards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy studies), <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">systematic reviews and meta\u2010analyses PRISMA<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><sup>5<\/sup> (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta\u2010Analyses), and <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Case reports CARE<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><sup>6<\/sup> (CAse REport).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">2.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Structure the section so that it tells the story of your research<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">: All the experiments should be presented in a logical manner that helps the reader retrace the gradual and development and nuances of the study. A useful way of achieving this is to describe the methods in a chronological order of the experiments. For example: for a clinical trial, you may start with the setting and time of the study (<span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">the beginning and termination dates of the study)<\/span><\/span>, followed by the details of the patient recruitment (<span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Number of subjects\/patients etc.)<\/span><\/span>, study design (prospective, retrospective or other), randomization (if any), assigning into groups, intervention, and describing the techniques used to collect, measure, and analyse data. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">3. Follow the order of the results: <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">To improve the readability and flow of your manuscript, match the order of specific methods to the order of the results that were achieved using those methods.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">4. Use subheadings: <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Dividing the Methods section in terms of the experiments helps the reader to follow the section better. You may write the specific objective of each experiment as a subheading. Alternatively, if applicable, the name of each experiment can also be used as subheading.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">5. Provide all details meticulously: <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Provide the details that you considered while designing the study or collecting the data because the smallest variations in these steps may affect the results and interpretation of their significance. When employing the outcome measures, the readers would like to know the information regarding validity and reliability. The correct way of reporting the reliability and the validity depends on the specific research design. Usually, information from existing literature is presented to support for the reliability and the validity of a measure.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;\">Carefully describe the materials, equipment (like testing instruments and technical equipment), or stimuli used in the experiment. If your study involved a survey or any psychological assessment, mention the questionnaire, scoring methods, and validation of scales with every possible detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Also, be careful about one <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">common manuscript error<\/span><sup>7<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"> i.e. not mentioning the sample size estimation (whenever relevant). <span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Although the estimated sample size is computed before the actual study starts, it helps the reader assess the expected change in the outcome variables and the number of subjects needed to detect that change within a certain confidence range. Similarly, mentioning power calculation is a critical point to be mentioned in the Methods section.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><b style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\">6. Mention the ethical approval: <\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\">If relevant, early in the Methods section mention whether your study was approved by the ethics committee or institutional review board, and whether you have received oral\/ written informed consent from the patients or the guardians.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">7. Specify the variables<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">: Clearly mention not only the control variables, independent variables, dependent variables but also if there were any extraneous variables that might influence the result of your study. For example, in a tutorial on learning how to write \u2018Research Methodology\u2019, one group is provided with a traditional text while the other group is provided with an interactive online tool. However, if some participants already have prior knowledge of \u2018how to write the Methods section\u2019, this pre-knowledge will act as an extraneous variable.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">8. Statistical analysis:\u00a0 <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"><span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">In this section, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">describe all statistical tests, levels of significance, and software packages used to conduct the statistical analysis. You may also consult the biostatistician of your team to receive help to write this section<span style=\"background: white;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">. Don\u2019t forget to <\/span><\/span>indicate if the recommendations of a knowledgeable and experienced statistician were considered. Finally, it is important to provide the justification of the preferred statistical method used in the study. For example, why the author is using a one-tailed or two-tailed analysis. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What to avoid in the Methods section<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">1. Do not describe well-known methods in detail: <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">For the sake of brevity, avoid listing the details of the experiments that are widely used or already published in numerous articles in your field of research. Instead, mention and cite the specific experiment and mention that the referred process was followed. However, if you have modified the standard process to meet the specific aim of your study, do describe the modifications and the reasons for those in sufficient detail.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">2. Do not provide unnecessary details: <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Avoid unnecessary details that are not relevant to the result of the experiment. For example, you need not mention trivial details such as the color of the bucket that held the ice. Try to stick only to the details that are relevant and have an impact on your study. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">3. Do not discuss the pros and cons of other methods:<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\"> While it may be tempting to discuss the reasons why you did not use a particular method or how your chosen method is superior to others, save these details for the Discussion section. Utilize the Methods section only to mention the details of the methods you chose. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">To summarize all the tips stated above, the Methods section of an ideal manuscript aims to share the scientific knowledge with transparency and also establishes the robustness of the study. I hope that this article helps you to reach the goal of writing a perfect manuscript!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Looking to refine your research paper for successful publication? Check out Editage\u2019s <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/english-editing\/premium-editing-plan?utm_source=editageinsights&amp;utm_medium=article-boilerplate&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>Premium Editing Services<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em> and get submission-ready manuscripts<\/em><\/strong><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/english-editing\/premium-editing-plan?utm_source=editageinsights&amp;utm_medium=footerbanner&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Footer-banner-PES.png\" alt=\"PES footer banner\" width=\"850\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Footer-banner-PES.png 850w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Footer-banner-PES-300x71.png 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Footer-banner-PES-768x181.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"well\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><em>For a comprehensive guide with expert advice, practical tips and a checklist to showcase the methods used to conduct your research study, check out\u00a0the course <a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/upskill.researcher.life\/product\/course-how-to-write-the-perfect-methods-section\/102?utm_source=insightsrow&amp;utm_medium=contentmarketing&amp;utm_campaign=top50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to write the perfect methods section<\/a>. It is designed exclusively for researchers by <b>Gareth Dyke<\/b> who manages the Taylor &amp; Francis journal Historical Biology as Editor-in-Chief.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Suggested reading:<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/manuscript-structure-how-to-convey-your-most-important-ideas-through-your-paper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">Manuscript structure: How to convey your most important ideas through your paper<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-secret-to-writing-the-introduction-and-methods-section-of-a-manuscript?access-denied-content=metered&amp;InsightsReferer=https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-secret-to-writing-the-introduction-and-methods-section-of-a-manuscript?regid=1535133800\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt;\">The secret to writing the introduction and methods section of a manuscript<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';\"><span style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;\"><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/supply-adequate-details-of-items-mentioned-in-the-materials-and-methods-section?access-denied-content=metered&amp;InsightsReferer=https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/supply-adequate-details-of-items-mentioned-in-the-materials-and-methods-section?regid=1535133975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Supply adequate details of items mentioned in the materials and methods section<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>How long should the Methods section be?<\/h3>\n<p>Aim for around 15-20% of the total length of the research paper, as this will give you enough space to fully describe your sample, methodology, and analysis.<\/p>\n<h3>Should the Methods section be structured?<\/h3>\n<p>It&#8217;s a good idea to divide the Methods section into subsections like Participants, Materials, Apparatus, Intervention, etc., for readers to quickly scan and access the information they&#8217;re looking for.<\/p>\n<h3>Can you put figures in the Methods section?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, figures are usually allowed in the Methods section. At the time of submission, you may have to submit them in a separate file or place them at the end of the manuscript. But you can refer to figures in your Methods section. It&#8217;s pretty common for the participant flow diagram to be cited in the Methods section.<\/p>\n<h3>What tense should the Methods section be written in?<\/h3>\n<p>The Methods section is mostly written in the past tense, because you&#8217;re reporting what you did while conducting the research.<\/p>\n<h3>Can the Methods section contain citations?<\/h3>\n<p>You may use citations in the Methods section when referring to specific protocols or methodology that have been developed by other researchers. For example, &#8220;Data were coded following the guidelines set by Ramiros et al. (2020).&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1. American Psychological Association <a href=\"http:\/\/www.apastyle.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.apastyle.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2. CONSORT <a href=\"http:\/\/www.consort-statement.org\/extensions\/checklists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.consort-statement.org\/extensions\/checklists<\/a><\/p>\n<p>3. STROBE Checklists <a href=\"https:\/\/www.strobe-statement.org\/index.php?id=available-checklists\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.strobe-statement.org\/index.php?id=available-checklists<\/a><\/p>\n<p>4. STARD <a href=\"http:\/\/www.equator-network.org\/reporting-guidelines\/stard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.equator-network.org\/reporting-guidelines\/stard\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>5. PRISMA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prisma-statement.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.prisma-statement.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>6. CARE <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care-statement.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.care-statement.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>7. Avoiding manuscript mistakes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3474299\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3474299\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Methods section of a research article is like a roadmap leading to the core of the research, guiding the readers through the actual journey the authors took to reach their destination. In the manuscript, this section contains the essential details for other scientists to replicate the experiments of the study and help the common [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":479,"featured_media":45187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2377],"tags":[1803],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-methods","tag-methods-section"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to write the Methods section of a research paper | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to write the Methods section of a research paper, what to include and what to avoid, and how to structure the Methods section.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to write the Methods section of a research paper | Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this article, we will share some tips to make the Methods section of your manuscript interesting and informative. While the article uses examples mostly from the biomedical and clinical research studies, authors from other fields too would find the tips useful for preparing their next manuscript.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-18T09:48:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-16T05:59:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ChatGPT-Image-Mar-6-2026-09_38_36-AM-1-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta 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