What are the parts of a typical "IMRaD" article reporting empirical* research? Research articles in many disciplines, such as the natural and social sciences, are often arranged into these sections, although these exact headers may not be used:
*empirical adjective: based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic (source: New Oxford American Dictionary, 3rd edition)
For more information, see the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (copy at the Reference Desk) or "Writing Empirical Psychology Papers (For Beginners)" (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/depts/psychology/empiricalprimer.htm).