Biological Sciences: Scientific Writing Guide

Good scientific writing is:

• clear - it avoids unnecessary detail
• simple - it uses direct language, avoiding vague or complicated sentences. Technical terms and jargon are used only when they are necessary for accuracy
• impartial - it avoids making assumptions (Everyone knows that...) and unproven statements (It can never be proved that...). It presents how and where data were collected and supports its conclusion with evidence
• structured logically - ideas and processes are experessed in a logical order. The text is divided into sections with clear headings
• accurate - it avoids vague and ambiguous language such as 'about, approximately, almost'
• objective - statements and ideas are supported by appropriate evidence that demonstrates how conclusions have been drawn as well as acknowledging the work of others. 

Developed by the University of Surrey.

"IMRaD" is a type of format used by many scientific disciplines to structure experimental research, such as lab reports. It stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.