PR 3 | Writing the Results Section

Results Section

• presentation of the results/findings and explanation of what they mean

• includes descriptive text, tables, and figures to help summarize the results/findings

• does not include interpretations

• clear, concise, and objective

Steps in Writing the Results Section

1. Restate the research questions/objectives to establish a connection to the previous section and create a smooth flow of information.

2. Systematically communicate the findings of your research based on the order research question.

3. Represent statistics with graphs, tables, and other figures to help illustrate the findings of your paper, especially if there is a large amount of data in the results.

4. Report all relevant results, even those that are not statistically significant.

Tables and Figures in the Results Section

• used to summarize your data

• makes it easy for readers to understand

Tips for Writing an Effective Results Section

1. Always use simple and clear language, and void the use of uncertain or out-of-focus expressions.

2. The findings of the study must be expressed in an objective and unbiased manner. Avoid overinterpreting the results.

3. If the research addresses more than one hypothesis, use sub-sections to describe the results to prevent confusion and promotes understanding.

4. Ensure that negative results are included in this section.

5. Wherever possible, use visual representations to showcase the results. Mention them in the text, but do not repeat the information that they convey.

6. For statistical data, it is adequate to highlight the tests and explain their results. Avoid mentioning the initial or raw data.

7. Ensure the results section is a relatively brief overview of your findings.

What to Avoid Writing in the Results Section

1. Cause-and-effect conclusions

2. Interpretations

3. Statistics without context

4. Raw data

5. Text alone

6. Repeated data

7. All findings (ensure to keep all relevant data)