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Writing up Research: Results

• make results meaningful to the reader
• results should be presented in a graph, diagram, written text, or table
• text should accompany graphs, table, and diagrams to point out important results
• don’t repeat results shown by graphs, tables, and diagrams but point out significant parts to grab the reader’s attention
• two basic ways to present results: present all info then give discussion or present a part of info then give discussion; present other part of info and give discussion
• the way results are presented depends on the type of results collected

Discussion

• interprets info that was already known about the subject
• explains new understanding of info now that results have been collected
• always connects to intro
• use an active voice, don’t be wordy, be concise
• don’t restate results
• relate new work done to previous work done on the topic
• don’t introduce new results in this section

Conclusion

• frames thoughts and bridges ideas for the reader
• gives the writer the last say
• end on a positive note
• make new connections and elaborate on previous findings mentioned in the paper
• use strategies that will make conclusion stronger(“so what” or “why should anyone care”)
• return to theme(s) in intro
• avoid strategies that may stray the reader from the actual focus of the paper

 Results

• present and illustrate findings
• describe question being addressed by making oberservation
• analyze data and present it in a table, graph, diagram
• avoid interpreting results
• don’t include raw data
• don’t present same data more than once
• use past tense
• number figures and refer to them as figure 1,2, etc
• figures and tables should be within, and in order, of results section or at the end of the paper
• number figures consecutively
• each figure or table must be complete

Discussion

• relate results to intial hypothesis or thesis
• try to make sense of patterns found in results
• speculate on variables not found in study, but be specific and back up assertions
• speculate about future research that could be done
• talks about what was learned thus far and where one is headed next

 Conclusion

• read over paper and summarize info
• start with sentence or two that summarizes objective of the paper
• state how the objective of the paper was met
• remind reader of topics covered in the paper
• end with a sentence or two of what the reader should take away from the paper
• be concise and clear

References

Deddus. (n.d.). How to Write a Strong Conclusion. How To Do Just About Everything!. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/how_2141341_write-strong-conclusion.html

Discussion. (n.d.). Psych 202. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from psych.hanover.edu/Classes/PSY220/ResultDisc.html

How to write a research paper. (n.d.). Rice University Web Calendar. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html

What i feel is most important as i start to think about how i’m going to write the reults, discussion, and conclusion sections of my paper is just being able to get to the point with presenting information. When i write i feel as if i make things wordy. in these sections of the paper there really is no room to be wordy. it is also important to keep in mind that one must back up his/her own ideas with actual research that has led him/her to that conclusion.