Artículo de Investigación
4 Items
Guidelines for Writing an IMRaD Scientific Article
Based on international standards and best practices outlined in academic writing manuals, such as the Manual of Scholarly Writing for Reported Discourse, the following are the essential guidelines for writing a scientific article.
1. General Structure (IMRaD)
A scientific article typically follows the IMRaD structure, widely accepted in the scientific community:
- Title
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusions
- Acknowledgments (optional)
- References
- Appendices (optional)
2. Content and Style Guidelines
a) Title
- It should be clear, concise, and informative.
- Reflect the main content of the study.
- Include relevant keywords for indexing.
- Generally, it should not exceed 15 words.
b) Abstract
- Written in the third person.
- Includes: objective, methodology, main results, and conclusion.
- Length: between 150 and 300 words.
- In English and Spanish (in bilingual journals).
c) Introduction
- Presents the research problem and its relevance.
- Briefly reviews the state of the art (background).
- Identifies the knowledge gap or research question.
- Formulates the study's objectives or hypotheses.
d) Methodology
- Describes the research design in a reproducible manner.
- Includes: participants, materials, procedures, and analysis techniques.
- Must be detailed enough to allow replication.
- In quantitative studies: specify the statistical tests used.
e) Results
- Presents the findings objectively and in an organized manner.
- Uses tables, graphs, and figures to support the presentation.
- Does not include interpretation or discussion (only data).
- Tables and figures must be numbered and titled.
f) Discussion
- Interprets the results in relation to the objectives and hypotheses.
- Compare with previous studies (similarities and differences).
- Explain the theoretical or practical implications.
- Acknowledge the study's limitations.
- Suggest future lines of research.
g) Conclusions
- Directly address the stated objectives.
- Be concise and derived directly from the results.
- Avoid introducing new information.
- May include recommendations if the study justifies them.
3. Citation and Reference Guidelines
a) In-text citations
- Must follow APA style.
- All sources consulted must be acknowledged.
- Plagiarism and self-plagiarism are prohibited.
- Long quotations (more than 40 words) should be in a separate paragraph, indented, and without quotation marks.
- Short quotations should be enclosed in quotation marks.
b) References
- Complete and up-to-date list.
- Listed alphabetically or numerically, depending on the style.
- Include all the necessary information to locate the source.
- Common errors should be checked: misspelled authors, incorrect years, incomplete titles.
4. Writing and Language Guidelines
- Clarity and precision over literary elegance.
- Objective tone, avoiding emotive or subjective language.
- Use of specialized terminology from the discipline.
- Third person (it is recommended to avoid "I" or "we").
- Short and cohesive paragraphs.
- Avoid repetitions and redundancies.
- Thorough proofreading for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
5. Ethical Considerations
- Originality: the article must not have been previously published.
- Proper attribution: cite all sources.
- Conflict of interest: declare any existing conflicts.
- Authorship: include only those who made significant contributions.
- Informed consent and confidentiality in studies involving humans or animals.
- Data integrity: Do not falsify or manipulate results.
6. Format and Final Presentation
- Follow the author guidelines of the target journal.
- Review requirements for maximum length, font, margins, and spacing.
- Include keywords (usually between 5 and 6).
- Ensure that tables and figures are of publication quality.
- Peer review before submission (if possible).
7. Final Revision and Editing
- Review the text for coherence and cohesion.
- Verify that all citations are included in the references and vice versa.
- Correct typographical and stylistic errors.
- Request feedback from colleagues or mentors before submission.
In-Depth Study of Scientific Article Writing
Below are key aspects of each section of the scientific article, with examples, recommendations, and strategies for effective and academically rigorous writing.
1. Title: More Than Just a Name
Functions:
- Attract the reader.
- Accurately reflect the content.
- Facilitate indexing and searching.
Title types:
- Declarative: “The use of artificial intelligence reduces diagnostic error in radiology”
- Descriptive: “Analysis of cardiovascular risk factors in young adults”
- Interrogative: “Does meditation
