Using IMRAD to write your journal paper abstract

Quick Takeaways:

et al.' means 'and others'.
Use 'et al.' to cite works with three or more authors.
The presentation (et al., et al., or rarely et al) depends on the style guide or journal guidelines

The English language has a rich history of borrowing words from other languages, especially from Latin. Latin abbreviations such as ‘a.m.’, ‘p.m.’ and ‘CV’ have become part of our everyday vocabulary. Such abbreviations are also frequently used in academic writing, from the ‘Ph.D.’ in the affiliation section to the ‘i.e.’, ‘e.g.’, ‘et al.’, and ‘QED’ in the rest of the paper.

This guide explains when and how to correctly use ‘et al.’ in a research paper.

In this guide:

1)Meaning of ‘et al.’
2)When and how to use ‘et al.’
- a)Table: Correct use of ‘et al.’ by style guide
- b)Unusual scenarios

Why are abstracts so important in academic writing?

How do you identify interesting articles? You probably skim abstracts and only read full articles if the abstracts are interesting, well-written and relevant, right?

An effective abstract is one of the most powerful tools you can use to grab readers’ attention, so it should provide all the information readers need to judge whether the study is important and relevant.

What do you put into your abstract?

As an abstract plays a such crucial role in the academic world, it is of utmost importance for researchers to ensure that the most relevant information is presented in the most effective format.

The memory aid IMRAD can help you to focus on the 4 key sections of an academic abstract:

Your abstract may be structured using the IMRAD headings listed above, or unstructured in a single paragraph, but either must contain essentially the same information within a strict word limit – usually 100 to 250 words.

Information to be included in each section of your abstract

Let’s talk more about each of those sections individually.

1. Introduction

You should try to briefly state the problem addressed by your study, usually in three sentences at most.
You need to cover the following points:

2. Method

You should briefly describe how the study was conducted. In most cases, an effective method section should cover:

3. Results

In this section, you do not need to write everything you have gleaned; try to include only the most important or relevant results. You should keep in mind that the results mentioned here can be referenced to highlight the relationships identified in answering the research question you present in the introduction section.

4. Discussion

In the last section of an abstract, you need to state the implications of the findings. Try to ask yourself the following questions when preparing for this section:

Last but not least, be sure to end your abstract with a strong conclusion!

Common bad practices to avoid

Other than following the advice given above, it is always helpful to be aware of bad practices.

Remember you should NOT:

Cite other work if it is not directly related to yours.
State anything that is not in your main text.
Use technical terms or jargon not understandable by a general readership.
Use abbreviations unless terms are very long and repeated often – if you must do so, be sure to define abbreviations the first time you use them.

And one final, very practical piece of advice: check carefully, get others to give feedback and revise your abstract until it can’t be improved any more!

QUICK ASIDE

Wondering why some abbreviations such as ‘et al.’ and ‘e.g.’ use periods, whereas others such as CV and AD don’t? Periods are typically used if the abbreviations include lowercase or mixed-case letters. They’re usually not used with abbreviations containing only uppercase letters.

Unusual Scenarios

Our latest online workshop built on the success of face-to-face workshops we developed specifically for local universities. Over 30 faculty members joined the session, presented by our Chief Operating Officer, Mr Nick Case, to learn from our case studies on editing research proposals.

The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out. The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out. The response to our workshop, which included a constructive and insightful Q&A session, was very positive.Drawing on our extensive experience working with hundreds of Hong Kong researchers targeting the GRF and ECS every year, we used examples of poor and subsequently improved proposals to show the attendees how they can make their applications stand out.

QUICK ASIDE

Author Resources

Check out AsiaEdit’s professional research grant proposal editing service.
Read more about our training services covering all aspects of academic writing tailored for local institutions.

More resources on research grant proposal writing: On-demand Webinars
Preparing an effective research proposal – Your guide to successful funding application
Preparing an effective research proposal – Your guide to successful funding application (Part 2)

About the Author

Dr Rachel Baron

Co-Chief Editor & Managing Editor (Social Sciences)

Rachel first joined us as a freelance editor in 2001, while completing her PhD. After spending a few years as a post-doctoral researcher and then lecturing in psychology, she returned to us in 2010 and focused her career on academic editing. She took on the role of Assistant Chief Editor in 2018, and became co-Chief-Editor in 2020. Unable to leave academia behind completely, she also teaches Psychology at an English-speaking university in Italy, where she is now based. With extensive experience in both academia and publishing, Rachel has an excellent overview of both the client and editor sides of the business.