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理工系大学院生のための学術英語

Academic Reading

Academic Reading #2: Find the Shape of a Research Paper

中級 / Intermediate10 分

Academic Reading • Science & Engineering

Find the Shape of a Research Paper

Every section has a job. Learn to recognise the job.

LESSON 02 / 08 · INTERMEDIATE · READ + PRACTISE

A paper becomes easier when you can see its shape. Instead of asking only “What does this word mean?”, also ask “Why is this paragraph here?”

The roles of four paper sections: why, how, what, and what it means.A MAP OF SECTION PURPOSESINTRODUCTIONWhy this question?METHODSHow was it studied?RESULTSWhat was found?DISCUSSIONWhat does it mean?

Swipe across the diagram to read every label.

Original teaching diagram. A visual guide to this lesson’s reading skill.

Four questions guide the reader

Many experimental papers use IMRaD: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The introduction explains the problem and the research question. Methods explain what the researchers did. Results show what they found. The discussion explains how the findings may answer the question and where the answer remains limited. The abstract gives a compact overview.

The order can change

IMRaD is a useful map, not a rule for every journal. Methods may appear after the discussion or in supplementary materials. Results and discussion may be combined. A short report may have few headings. In theoretical work, definitions, assumptions, and proofs may organise the argument. Find the function of each passage instead of forcing it into one layout.

Follow one claim through the paper

Choose one important result. Find the figure or table that supports it. Then locate the method that produced that evidence. Finally, read the interpretation in the discussion. Draw arrows between these locations in your notes. If you cannot find the supporting evidence, leave the claim marked as unverified.

Check the kind of article

A research article reports original work. A review brings together earlier studies. A commentary or feature develops a perspective. A news story explains research for a wider audience. Each can be useful, but their purposes differ. Record the article type, journal, and year before you take detailed notes. A famous journal name does not make every item an experimental paper.

Try it yourself

Your reading task

Find the four main sections in the Foldscope paper. Which section would help you answer “How was the test performed?” Which would help you answer “What might this result mean?”

Open the model answer or self-check

Use Materials and Methods for the procedure, and Discussion for interpretation. You may also need the relevant Results paragraph and figure caption. Section names guide you, but evidence often crosses section boundaries.

Keep learning

Explore: Science in the Classroom

Compare the headings of a short Science report with those of the PLOS ONE paper. Notice where supplementary methods are linked.

Open the learning resource →
All eight reading lessons
  1. Read with a Purpose, Not a Dictionary
  2. Find the Shape of a Research Paper (this lesson)
  3. Read Titles and Abstracts as a Research Story
  4. Follow the Argument and Its Signposts
  5. Unpack Long Sentences and Technical Words
  6. Read Figures, Units, and Uncertainty
  7. Judge Claims, Methods, and Limits
  8. Turn Reading into Notes, Questions, and a Short Talk

Built for Japanese science and engineering students. Paper spotlights are teaching paraphrases, not quotations. Practice sentences and diagrams are original teaching material. Read the linked original before citing a scientific claim. Continue with Academic Listening or Academic Presentation.

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