Using IMRAD for writing abstracts

Abstract EN

The importance of an abstract lies in the fact that it mirrors the whole thesis, dissertation or academic paper.

It is the first lines that any peer reviewers, referees and examiners read; as such it must be attractive, clear and concise so that it stimulates the saliva of the readers.

Abstracts must leave a positive first impression on the readers, otherwise they would stop reading them, have a negative impression about them and the rest of the papers.

This paper tackles the standard linear structure of abstracts’ writing, namely IMRAD for Introduction-Methodology-Results-and-Discussion.

The methodology consists of a qualitative approach of more than 40 abstracts (n=43) dealing with epistemology and methodology in the field of EFL, and inquires about the use or not of IMRAD.

The results are disparate, since the majority of the abstracts do not comply with the norm but follow another trend, introduction-methodology-discussion, and neglect the results.

The latter conclusion invites for a larger discussion about the teaching of methodology as a backbone for any scientific research and academic writing.