The structure of a STEM journal paper is very roughly as follows: () = optional - Abstract - intro - (lit review) - methods - results - (discussion) - co

The structure of a STEM journal paper is very roughly as follows: () = optional - Abstract - intro - (lit review) - methods - results - (discussion) - conclusion - references - (appendices) I would say this ordering doesn't quite map to the pyramid principle and nor should it. Academic writing prioritizes explanation whereas business writing prioritizes decision-making. They serve different purposes. If we were to hypothetically rewrite an academic paper using the pyramid principle, it might look like this: - Combined abstract + conclusion (1-3 points) - Results (1-3 points) - Discussion (1-3 points) - Everything else goes into the appendix.