Editors of busy journals decide in minutes whether a paper goes to reviewers. They read the title, the abstract, the introduction's last paragraph and a glance at the methods. A clear, well-structured paper gets a fair hearing; a confusing one is often returned without review, however good the research behind it.
Here is how to write each part so that it does its job.
The structure: IMRaD
Most empirical papers follow IMRaD: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, with a title, abstract, keywords and references around them. Some fields add a separate literature review or conclusion section, so always follow the target journal's author guidelines first.
Write in this order
You do not have to write a paper from top to bottom. Many experienced authors write in this order:
- Methods, while the details are fresh
- Results, with tables and figures first
- Discussion
- Introduction, now that you know exactly what you found
- Abstract and title, last
Title
Specific, informative and searchable. Include the main variables, the population or setting and, where useful, the method. Compare "A study of stress" with "Work stress and turnover intention among nurses in private hospitals in Delhi: a cross-sectional survey". Avoid abbreviations and vague words.
Abstract
Usually 150 to 300 words, often structured as background, aim, methods, results and conclusion. Give real findings with numbers, not promises such as "results are discussed". Many readers, and every indexing database, see only the abstract, so make it complete on its own.
Introduction
A common and effective shape moves from broad to specific:
- The context: why the topic matters
- What is known: the key studies, briefly
- The gap: what is not yet known, or not known for your setting
- Your aim: the objectives, questions or hypotheses that fill that gap
The gap is the heart of the paper. "No study has been done in my district" is weak on its own; explain why the gap matters to theory, practice or policy.
Methods
Enough detail for another researcher to repeat the study: design, setting, participants and sampling, instruments (with their reliability), procedures, analysis and ethics approval. Use reporting guidelines where they exist, such as CONSORT for trials, STROBE for observational studies and PRISMA for systematic reviews.
Results
Report what you found, without interpreting it yet. Let tables and figures carry the detail and the text highlight the main points, in the order of your research questions. Do not repeat every number from a table in the text. Report effect sizes and exact p-values, not just "significant".
Discussion
- Start with your main finding in one or two sentences
- Compare it with earlier studies: where you agree, where you differ, and possible reasons
- Explain what it means for theory and for practice
- State the limitations honestly, and what future research should do
- End with a clear conclusion that does not go beyond your data
References
Use recent and relevant sources, including papers from the journal you are submitting to where they fit. Use a reference manager such as Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote and the journal's citation style. Check that every in-text citation is in the list and the other way round.
Why papers are desk-rejected
- The topic is outside the journal's aims and scope
- The author guidelines were not followed (length, structure, reference style)
- The contribution is unclear or too small
- The language makes the paper hard to follow
- The methods are too weak to support the conclusions
- High similarity with published work
Most of these are avoidable. Read the guidelines, read three recent papers in the journal, and ask a colleague to read your draft before you submit.
Before you submit
- A short cover letter to the editor: what you found, why it matters, and why it suits this journal
- All authors agree on the order and have approved the final version
- Declarations: funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approval, data availability and any use of AI tools, as the journal requires
- A similarity check with the correct exclusions (see our guide to acceptable similarity)
Our research paper writing support and manuscript editing help you shape and polish your own paper, and our journal selection service helps you find the right home for it.
