Chapter 4: Writing the Methods Section

Chapter 4 Synopsis: Writing Methods Sections

We have now reviewed the three communicative goals and a variety of strategies that you can use to help write the Methods section of a research article. The image below provides a snapshot of this chapter:

Table reviewing the goals and strategies of Methods' sections. Table depicts the goals as "Contextualizing the Study Methods," "Describing the Study", and "Analyzing the Data."

Key Takeaways

There are three main goals of the Methods section that can be used to provide necessary detail about the study procedures:

  • Contextualizing the study methods
  • Describing the study
  • Analyzing the data

Explore + Apply

Before you begin applying what you’ve learned in this chapter to your Methods section, explore published writing in your discipline or in a target journal that you’ve identified. Look for the goals and strategies presented here to see where you might find similarities and differences that are discipline- or journal-specific.

 

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