Writing Textbooks Boundless Writing Writing Across Disciplines Writing in the Natural and Social Sciences: The Research Paper and the IMRAD Model
Writing Textbooks Boundless Writing Writing Across Disciplines
Writing Textbooks Boundless Writing
Writing Textbooks
Writing
Concept Version 20
Created by Boundless

Results

The results section of a scientific paper objectively presents the empirical data collected in a study.

Learning Objective

  • Identify the information that belongs in the results section

Key Points

    • After discussing the methodology of your study, describe the outcomes that you measured or observed. 
    • When presenting the findings, avoid drawing conclusions. Instead provide and explain the data you collected. This is your opportunity to tell the reader what you found without drawing any explicit conclusions from it.
    • Use charts, tables, or graphs to present your findings in a way that is clear and easily understood.

Terms

  • summary

    A condensed version of the background or main ideas of a text.

  • results

    The section of a scientific paper that objectively presents the data collected or observed in a research study.

  • methodology

    A detailed explanation of specific components of a research project, such as phases, tasks, methods, techniques, and tools.

Full Text

Writing the Results Section

The results section is where you state the outcome of your experiments. It should include empirical data, any relevant graphics, and language about whether the thesis or hypothesis was supported. Think of the results section as the cold, hard facts.

Style

Since the goal of the scientific paper is to present facts, use a formal, objective tone when writing. Avoid adjectives and adverbs; instead use nouns and verbs. Passive voice is acceptable here: you can say "The stream was found to contain 0.27 PPM mercury," rather than "I found that the stream contained 0.27 PPM mercury." 

Presenting Information

Using charts, graphs, and tables is an excellent way to let your results speak for themselves. Many word-processing and spreadsheet programs have tools for creating these visual aids. However, make sure you remember to title each figure, provide an accompanying description, and label all axes so that your readers can understand exactly what they're looking at.

Was Your Hypothesis Supported?

This is the part where it is the most difficult to be objective. If you followed the scientific method, you began your research with a hypothesis. Now that you have completed your research, you have found that either your hypothesis was supported or it was not. In the results section, do not attempt to explain why or why not your hypothesis was supported. Simply say, "The results were not found to be statistically significant," or "The results supported the hypothesis, with $p < .05$ significance," or the like. Be objective—there will be time for interpretation later. 

Getting Ready for the Conclusion

It will be tempting to start drawing conclusions as you write the results section. You may also want to compare your results to the outcomes of other researchers' experiments. Resist the urge! You'll get your chance to draw conclusions in the conclusion section. The most you should do in the results section is present the data your experiments produced. Think of it as laying the foundation for what you will conclude later on in your paper.

[ edit ]
Edit this content
Prev Concept
Methods
Discussion and Conclusion
Next Concept