What the Methods are supposed to do
In the Methods section, the reader will want to know exactly how you answered your research questions, and why you chose this approach over a different one. For a quantitative study, this can include:
- What variables were studied and why these were chosen to answer the research question
- What study location/population/etc. was selected and why.
- What model was chosen and why (model organism, statistical model, etc.).
- The experimental design: frequency of measurements in time and density across space, any subgroups that you studied.
- What protocols and procedures you used to collect data and why.
If the why is obvious, you don't need to explain it
If your audience will automatically understand why you used a certain model, there is no need to explain your reasoning. See also: I can’t tell how much detail is too much for more information of how to decide how much details you need to include in the Methods section.
Structuring the Methods
Given that the Methods explain how the research questions were answered, it’s helpful to organise the Methods by research question. Use a separate subsection for each (sub)question to explain how it was answered.
You may find that some (sub)questions share the same procedure. To avoid overlap, those can be merged into the same subsection:
- Subsection: Study location (applies to question 1 and 2)
- Subsection: Data collection and analysis for question 1
- Subsection: Data collection and analysis for question 2
Furthermore, within each research question subsection, the Methods should also be presented in a logical order. For example, it makes no sense to explain how you carried out the data analysis without first explaining how you collected that data.
The logical order is not the same as the chronological order in which you carried out your work. For example, if you ran experiments 1 and 3 simultaneously, then started experiment 2 but also started analysing the data for experiment 3, you should not use that order. Your reader will struggle to follow. Instead, follow the way in which they will be looking for information (e.g. first study location, then experimental design, then data collection, then data analysis).
Methods should be complete
Methods should describe how all data presented in the Results were obtained (and vice versa: if the Methods describe a measurement or analysis, readers will expect its results.).
Tip: if you’ve written the Methods section before the Results section, cross-check your Methods to make sure they’re complete.
Find examples of Methods sections in your field
Almost every study is different, so it’s not useful to give a one-size-fits-all example of how to structure your Methods. Have a look at some recently published papers in your target journal (or papers that have a similar study approach to yours) and observe how they structure the Methods section:
- What aspects of their study do they explain?
- How do they justify why they used a certain method or approach?
- How are the subsections organised: by research question, by method, by materials and procedures? What titles do they use for the subsections?
- How clear do you find this Methods section and what do you want to take away from it for yourself?