Is copying the "format" of a previous published research study considered plagiarism?

I read a really interesting research study and I particularly liked their format better known as "Method". The way they described how they went about the experiment and what they did to get their results would work perfect with what I would like to experiment/research. I would like to do my own research study using the same type of method, but I'm worried that if I do this, this may be considered plagiarism. Does anyone know??

Is copying the "format" of a previous published research study considered plagiarism?
Plagiarism is taking someone elses words or ideas and not acknowledging the source. Using an existing format is merely a recognized method of arranging your research paper. This format is common to research papers as it provides a logical and recognizable way of communicating your entire project. This is not Plagiarism. Now if your just replaced only the details and left the text this would be a problem. When in doubt, you can give credit to the originator and stay out of possible trouble.





Hope this helps....
Reply:Unless you were also using data from this other experiment, I would not think it's plagiarism.





However, I would ask one of your research mentors or maybe one of the more experienced researches just to make sure. In these situations you don't want to take chances, since plagiarism is a serious offense in academia.