How to Write the Materials and Methods Section of a Research Paper

The Materials and Methods section of a scientific paper is where the "how" behind your research comes to life. This is where you give other researchers enough information to replicate your work—but not so much that you're bogging them down with unnecessary detail.

Getting this section right is all about clarity, precision, and knowing what’s essential. Let’s break down how to do it effectively.

1. Don’t Over-Explain Common Techniques

Some methods are so well-established in the scientific community that you don’t need to go into detail about how they work. Techniques like PCR, Western blotting, or ELISA don’t need full definitions—just mention that you used them.

✅ Do this:

"Protein samples were analyzed via Western blot."

🚫 Not this:

"Western blotting was used, where proteins were separated on an SDS-PAGE gel, transferred to a membrane, and incubated with antibodies..."

Unless you're introducing a new or significantly modified method, keep it brief.

---

2. Use the Third-Person Passive Voice

Scientific writing often favors objectivity, which is best achieved using passive voice in the third person.

✅ Correct:

"RNA was extracted using the Qiagen RNeasy kit."

🚫 Incorrect:

"We extracted RNA using the Qiagen RNeasy kit."

While trends in writing style are shifting slightly in some fields, passive voice remains the standard in most scientific publications—especially in the methods section.

---

3. Name the Suppliers of Key Reagents

Transparency is crucial. If you're using any critical reagents, enzymes, assay kits, or chemicals, always mention the name of the company that supplied them. This helps others replicate your work accurately and shows accountability.

✅ Example:

"Reverse transcription was performed using SuperScript IV (Invitrogen)."

You don’t need to go overboard—basic lab supplies like pipette tips or culture flasks don’t need sourcing.

---

4. Use Published Papers as a Reference (But Don’t Copy!)

If you're unsure how to present your methods, look at published papers in your field with similar experiments. These can be excellent models for structure, terminology, and level of detail.

⚠️ Important: Use them for guidance only—do not copy text directly. Even standard methods can trigger plagiarism detectors if you use identical wording.

---

5. Skip the Obvious Labware

No one needs to know which brand of beakers, pipette tips, or cell culture flasks you used—unless they’re somehow critical to your results (which is rare). Keep your writing focused on meaningful details.

---

Final Thoughts

The Materials and Methods section doesn’t have to be flashy, but it needs to be accurate, clear, and replicable. Think of it as a recipe—include all the necessary ingredients and steps, but don’t explain how to boil water.