How to Write a Medical Research Paper

A medical research paper reports a study so that others can understand, evaluate and use it. The standard structure is IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion), and the most reliable way to write one is to plan the message, follow the matching reporting guideline and revise in stages.

Before you write

1. Define your message in two sentences: the question and the main finding.
2. Choose the target journal and read its instructions for authors.
3. Find the reporting guideline for your design (CONSORT, STROBE, STARD, PRISMA, CARE) and use it as an outline.
4. Agree authorship and roles (see What Are the ICMJE Authorship Criteria?).
5. Prepare tables and figures first. They carry the results.

Suggested writing order

1. Methods (you know exactly what you did).
2. Results (describe the tables and figures, no interpretation).
3. Introduction (set up the question that the Results answer).
4. Discussion (interpret, compare, state limitations).
5. Conclusion, abstract and title.
6. References and declarations.

Revision

Revise for logic first (does each section answer its purpose?), then for clarity and concision, then for consistency of numbers and style. Ask a co-author and one outsider to read it.

Illustrative example

Invented for teaching. A student's draft Discussion repeats the Results. Her mentor tells her to start with one sentence stating the main finding, then compare with two or three key studies, explain differences, state limitations and finish with implications. After revision, the section is shorter and clearer.

Common pitfalls

• Writing the abstract first and then drifting from it.
• Not following the journal's format.
• Overinterpreting results.
• Inconsistent numbers between text, tables and abstract.

Key takeaways

• Plan the message, use the reporting guideline and write in a sensible order.
• Revise in layers and check every number.

This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.