Research methods are an indispensable part of a scientific paper, explaining how researchers solve problems and reach conclusions. For high school students, clearly expressing research methods is crucial for showcasing research skills and enhancing the quality and credibility of the paper. A detailed description of research methods allows others to understand your process and verify your conclusions.

When writing about research methods, we need to follow certain norms and practices. Norms are rule-based and relatively easy to introduce, while practices are related to disciplines, fields, problems, and specific research, making them harder to cover comprehensively here. Considering the complexity and diversity of norms and practices, this text provides basic suggestions to help high school students understand how to present research methods.

Purpose of Introducing Research Methods

Including research methods in a paper is important because readers perceive them as serving multiple purposes:

1. Understanding Results: Almost all readers want to know how research results were obtained, a fundamental element of academic papers, along with the problem, purpose, results, and conclusions.
2. Reproducibility: Readers particularly interested in our results may reuse the methods to check if they can replicate them, especially for results that garner significant attention, as people want to verify findings before accepting them.
3. Evaluation: Experienced readers, including reviewers, generally assess the validity of the methods to judge whether the results are correct or trustworthy.
4. Learning: Less experienced readers may learn the research methods we introduce to solve similar problems.
5. Experience Sharing: Readers using similar methods can gain more insights from our method descriptions.
6. Comparison: Some readers using different methods for similar problems will compare their results with those obtained using our methods to validate their results or methods. For example, if we use computer simulations and they use mathematical theory to get similar results, they will want to compare the two. If they match, it further proves the validity of their results.
7. Improvement: Readers addressing broader or deeper issues may refine the methods we introduce to apply them to different problems or achieve more valuable discoveries.

How to Determine the Placement of Research Methods

If we consider the introduction, methods, results, and discussion as the core elements of a paper, the way these elements are organized is called the macrostructure of the paper. Common macrostructures include three types:

• Standard Structure (IMRaD Structure):
  The highest-level outline is sequentially Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The advantage of this structure is that it makes the paper appear very standardized. The disadvantage is that there seems to be no direct relationship between the results and methods, especially when discussing results, as you may need to revisit which research results are being discussed.
• Logical Structure:
  Apart from the introduction, each section title serves as a logical node, with methods interspersed where needed. For example, in many mathematical papers, methods consist of an overall approach (typically introduced in the introduction) and mathematical sections of derivations and proofs throughout the text. Readers feel like they are conducting research alongside the author.
• Free Structure:
  Organized by themes or other arbitrary forms. For example, Section 1 is the introduction, Section 2 is the study of Problem A, Section 3 is the study of Problem B, etc. In a free structure, the introduction of methods might be a separate main section or sub-section, or dispersed across different themes (if each theme has its own methods). The advantage is that both the standard and logical structures are special cases of this, allowing greater freedom to organize material. For instance, you can organize sections by theme if suitable, or by process if that fits better.

How do you decide where to introduce methods? Look at how similar papers in your target journal handle this. If most papers use a particular structure, you can adopt that structure.

Introduction to Research Methodology: Factors to Consider

In general, when introducing research methodology, five key factors should be taken into consideration. For structured papers or partially free-form papers, these factors are typically presented in a single chapter or section in sequential order. For papers with a logical structure or another form of free structure, these factors can be logically dispersed throughout various sections of the paper.

What is the overarching approach of our research? 

This is a top-level design question. The research approach should be briefly outlined in the introduction. If the research methodology is presented in a distinct first-level outline, the approach can be introduced at the beginning. The top-level approach can be summarized in one of the following three parts.

What existing and self-made tools did we utilize?

The term "tools" here refers to mathematical tools, computer software or programs, instruments, materials, samples, locations, existing theories, empirical models, databases, data, or any other necessary resources. For some tools, it is essential to discuss the performance aspects closely related to the research outcomes (such as accuracy, resolution, etc.). For instance, if the data measured falls within a specific frequency range, the instrument's measurement frequency should cover that range.

How did we employ these tools and obtain results?

 This may involve steps or processes in using the tools, key details to be mindful of, strategies employed when faced with critical issues, and more. For processes, it could entail measurement, observation, investigation, documentation, calculation, inference, statistics, comparison, design, and so forth.

How was the data organized?

 The term "data" here is a broad concept. In certain contexts, it may refer to numbers and their representations in tables and graphics. If your results are quantitative, data collection and processing are necessary. This involves explaining how the data was acquired and how it was analyzed and processed. For instance, if dealing with a large data set, it’s important to elaborate on how software tools were used for statistical analysis or for graphical representation of data. Qualitative research may also involve data collection and processing. At times, it may involve extracting certain features (such as form, frequency, extreme values, range, slope, etc.) or logical/mathematical relationships from seemingly chaotic data using a mathematical tool or method.

Provide a rationale and limitations of the research methodology.

 For instance, explain how errors were avoided and whether the results are reliable. Some issues might involve interactions with animals and humans, thus ethical considerations may arise. Demonstrating the reliability of the methodology can be done through replicating known results or comparing the results with those of other established methods. Sometimes, merely comparing and demonstrating an understanding of other researchers' methodologies can suffice.

The specific forms of these five factors and the level of detail required for each are closely related to the discipline and the problem under investigation, making it challenging to provide a uniform guide. The following recommendations are for reference purposes only.

1. If certain parts of the method are familiar or even common knowledge to the target audience, a simple introduction suffices.
2. If parts of the method are unfamiliar to the audience, especially new or self-developed methods, a detailed explanation is necessary.
3. If research results depend on specific details of the method, provide enough detail to allow the audience to replicate these details.
4. If the research results are highly sensitive to certain aspects of the method (e.g., parameter selection), this should be highlighted.
5. If some parts of the method are difficult to understand, use diagrams and examples for clarification.
6. If certain parts involve too many details that might be useful to some readers, consider placing them in an appendix.
7. If the paper benefits from interspersing the method throughout, rather than presenting it separately (as in some mathematical papers), outline the overall approach in the introduction and clarify relevant methods in each section as needed.

In all cases, the approach should be guided by the impact on the reader (as mentioned in the seven points above) and be results-oriented. This means enabling readers to understand how results were obtained, assess their validity, and, in some cases, replicate the methods to reproduce the results.

Balancing the details, clarity, and length of a methods section is an art that requires refinement and is closely related to the specific discipline, research direction, and research question. This discussion aims to provide some general suggestions from a unified perspective, but these should be considered as preliminary insights. A more effective approach is to write the methods section, then put yourself in the reader's shoes to see if there are unmet needs or unclear points, and further modify and improve.

When introducing methods, if the tools are readily available, you can briefly describe them and supplement details by citing literature. If the tools (such as samples or algorithms) require precise design, then detailed explanation is necessary. Non-critical steps can be simplified or omitted, while parts crucial to the results, such as mathematical derivations and empirical research processes, should be elaborated. Try to present important content as explicit knowledge (similar to teachable knowledge in textbooks) to enhance clarity and practicality.

Additionally, you can use John Morley's sentence templates to standardize and enrich the language of the methods section. Morley points out that the methods section should be clear and detailed enough for others to replicate the research. If novel, unfamiliar, or potentially controversial methods are used, and the target audience comes from multiple disciplinary backgrounds, a more systematic explanation is required. His sentence templates include practical categories such as:

• describing existing research methods;
• explaining the reasons for choosing or rejecting a method;
• introducing established methods;
• describing sample characteristics;
•  explaining the research process;
• pointing out the limitations or issues of the methods.

For high school students, writing the research methods section requires careful consideration and organization. A clear and logical methods introduction can help readers better understand your research process, thereby enhancing the quality and credibility of your research paper.

How Embark Helps Students Excel Academically

At Embark, our team of experts, including graduates from renowned institutions like the Ivy League, MIT, and Caltech, is dedicated to offering personalized mentorship to students. We work closely with students to help them develop distinctive research topics that stand out in the academic world. Through one-on-one guidance, students can collaborate with Embark mentors to craft high-quality projects, dive deep into STEM disciplines, and produce research papers suitable for publication in prestigious journals. These publications not only showcase their academic excellence but also serve as a valuable asset when applying to top-tier universities.

In addition, Embark motivates students to showcase their research by participating in esteemed STEM competitions like Regeneron ISEF and Regeneron STS, helping them gain global recognition and further boosting their academic profiles.

For more details on how Embark supports students in reaching their research and academic aspirations, please visit our website.