The document provides guidance on how to write the methods section of a research paper. The methods section should describe: 1) the materials used in the study, 2) how measurements were made and calculations performed, and 3) how the data was analyzed. It must contain sufficient detail that others could replicate the study and judge whether the conclusions are valid. The methods section should be written in the past tense and chronological order.

1. HOW TO WRITE THE METHODS SECTION
OF A RESEARCH PAPER
Dr. Shobhit Gupta,
SR, Neurology,
GMC, Kota

2. INTRODUCTION
“Materials” refers to :
1. What was done?
2. Where it was done?
3. Time frame?
4. Various treatments (eg, drugs)
5. Instruments (eg, EEG, NCV, ventilators) used in the
study.
“Methods” refers to
1. How Materials were manipulated to answer the
experimental question,
2. How measurements and calculations were made,
3. How the data was analyzed

3. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE METHODS
SECTION?
 Allows a researcher to replicate a study
 Scientists can judge whether the conclusions
drawn can be reached?
 Permits inferences to be drawn regarding the
quality of the study

4. CONTENT
1. Describing the materials used in the study
2. Explaining how the materials were prepared
3. Describing the research protocol
4. Explaining how measurements were made
and what calculations were performed
5. Stating which statistical tests were done to
analyze the data

5. FLOW
DIAGRAM

6. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE METHODS
SECTION?
 Provides the information by which a study’s
validity is judged.
 It must be written with enough information
so that:
1. The experiment could be repeated by others
to evaluate whether the results are
reproducible,
2. The audience can judge whether the results
and conclusions are valid.

7. WRITING STYLE
1. Should be written in direct and precise way
2. Should be written in past tense.
3. Should be organized chronologically.
4. If large amount of information be presented
divide in subsections
5. Within each section and subsection, material
must be organized from most to least
important.
6.Avoid
a. Unimportant details.
b. Compound sentence

8. MATERIALS & METHODS
 Study design
 Study setting
 Study population
 Study period
 Sample size & Sampling frame
 Inclusion & exclusion criteria
 Procedure of data collection
 Operational definitions
 Data entry & analysis
 Test of significance used
 Significance level
 Ethical considerations

9. PROTOCOL DESIGN
 Sequence of manipulations and measurement
procedures that make up the experiment.
 Description should follow the exact sequence
1. First it involves description of baseline
conditions and any associated baseline
measurements.
2. Sequence of manipulations of the independent
variable
3. Measurement of changes in the dependent
variable.

10. STATISTICS
 Describe sample size estimation and
methods by which bias was eliminated –
Randomization methods
• State how data are summarized (central
tendency and variation)
• Identify the statistical tests used (which
variable and what test)
• State the level of significance
• Details of computer Software used

11. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
 Mention whether approval of ethics
committee was obtained.
• Indicate whether the procedures followed
were in accordance with the ethical
standards.
• State whether informed consent from patients
were obtained.
• If using photographs, state whether
permission to use them was obtained from
the patient.