Differences Between Research Paper and IMRaD Report

In my English 102 class, we have written many assignments. Our most recent writing was a research paper and our next assignment will be an IMRaD report. These two assignments are extremely different. One difference between a research paper and an IMRaD report is the structure. In a research paper, you state the thesis in the beginning and continue to support the thesis in the body paragraphs. However, an IMRaD report is more structured. Before the actual paper, there is an abstract with a summary of the report. Then, the paper begins with the introduction followed by paragraphs that include methods, results, and discussion. Another difference between the two papers is the sources used. In a research paper, primary and secondary sources from other writers are used to back your ideas. In an IMRaD report, you conduct a poll or experiment and use the information that you have gained in the report. There is no need for many outside sources, which brings me to my next point: works cited page. In a research paper, a works cited page is extremely important because the information in the paper is supported by so many sources. A works cited page is needed to avoid plagiarism. However, an IMRaD report does not require a works cited page because most of the information is coming from the writers experiment or poll.

After analyzing both assignments, a research paper and an IMRaD report have many differences. One difference is the structure of the papers. Another difference is the sources used in the papers. Lastly, in a research paper, a works cited page is crucial; however, in an IMRaD report, a works cited page is not necessary. With these differences in mind, our class’s next writing assignment is clearer to me and should be uncomplicated to complete.