This section of a paper is always boring but almost always necessary. We've all read papers where we've wondered "where did they get this data?" or "what exactly do the data, at the most basic level, mean?". This section should answer those questions. It should not tell what kinds of plots were made, because readers will see that easily enough when they look at the figures. There should be enough information here to allow another scientist to repeat your experiment. Look at other papers that have been published in your field to get some idea of what is included in this section. If you had a complicated protocol, it may helpful to include a diagram, table or flowchart to explain the methods you used. Do not put results in this section. You may, however, include preliminary results that were used to design the main experiment that you are reporting on. ("In a preliminary study, I observed the owls for one week, and found that 73 % of their locomotor activity occurred during the night, and so I conducted all subsequent experiments between 11 pm and 6 am."). (L.B. Railsback and Mumpton F.A)