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Scientific Research Reports and Proposals: What Goes Where

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Part 1: Research Reports

  • Abstract

    This is a one-paragraph version of your paper, which includes:

    • one to two sentences of background information
    • your question or hypothesis
    • three to six sentences of methods and results
    • your conclusion (and optionally, implications)
  • Introduction
    • Explain why you did the work in the paper.
      • Describe how the work relates to a clinical problem or basic issue of broad interest.
      • Include only the background necessary to explain this relationship.
    • At the end, state the question addressed by your report.
  • Methods
    • Explain how you did the study.
    • Provide sufficient detail for other researchers to replicate your work.
      • Did you follow other researchers鈥� methods exactly? Give the reference only.
      • Did you modify other researchers鈥� methods? Give the reference and note the changes.
      • If you are doing one big experiment, include an experimental design section at the beginning of the methods section.
  • Results

    The results section reports what you observed.

    • If you did one big experiment, describe the observations in order of importance.
    • If you did many experiments, remember that one determines the next.
      • If you did many experiments, you may include a reference to the method for each (no more detail than necessary to understand result).
      • Explain the background at the beginning (if necessary) and conclusion of each experiment to provide rationale for the next experiment.
  • Discussion

    The discussion section explains what your results mean for the field.

    • Start with the major conclusion(s); this should clearly correspond to the research question addressed in your introduction.
    • You may include any of the following:
      • defense of the conclusions
      • explanation of unexpected results
      • importance and novelty of the results
      • implications for future research or disease therapy
      • speculation (what the results may mean about the thing studied)

Part 2: Proposals

  • Abstract

    This is a one-paragraph version of your proposal, which includes

    • one to two sentences of background
    • your hypothesis
    • your specific aims and corresponding experiments
  • Specific Aims (approximately one page)

    State the purpose of the proposed research by describing

    • a problem or unknown
    • a hypothesis (and optional brief rationale)
    • a broad description of your approach
    • two to four independent goals/questions (one sentence each)
  • Background and Significance (approximately two pages)

    This section should

    • explain how the proposed research will address an important problem
    • convince committee members or reviewers that you understand the field and that the proposed research is innovative
    • provide rationale for your hypotheses (you might also explain or defend your choice of experimental
      approach)
  • Preliminary Data

    Preliminary data provides experimental support for your hypotheses and proposed methods.

    For each experiment, explain:

    • why and how it was performed
    • what was observed
    • what the results mean
  • Research Design and Methods

    Describe how the project will be carried out.

    • For each aim, describe the set of experiments (and their controls) that you will use to test the
      corresponding hypothesis.
    • For each experiment, identify outcomes that would confirm the hypothesis and potential problems and how they will be addressed.

Last revised: 07/2010 |聽Adapted for web delivery: 02/2021

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