Prompt
For this writing assignment, you will write a results section of a scientific research paper.
How to write a results section
The main purpose of a results section is to communicate the findings of a study. It follows the information communicated in the methods. Therefore, it does not need to repeat information that would be included in a methods section. Additionally, a results section should be very straightforward and should not include additional interpretation of the results. Interpretation is saved for the discussion section.
Results should be presented in a logical order. This order could coincide with the order of experiments or the order of the research questions.
A results sections includes:
Past-tense language
An introductory context for understanding the results by restating the research problem that underpins the purpose of your study
This should be brief, but provide enough information to give the reader context.
Keep in mind that an introduction and methods would proceed this information, so it does not have to have a lot of detail.
Data in the form of tables, charts, or graphs (known as “figures”).
A written summary of the findings depicted in the figures – this should include very straightforward language, do not expand the ideas to discussion ideas
For example, The study showed that Species A generated 40% more Oxygen than Species B (Figure 1).
Notice that I show a direct comparison with numbers to support that comparison. I also included reference to the graph (Figure 1) that shows the information I am describing in the sentence.
Use of the wording “support/does not support”
Important things to remember when writing a results section:
The results of a study do not PROVE anything. Rather, the results support a hypothesis. Please use the language “support” “does not support” rather than “prove” in your writing.
The length of a results section is based on the amount of figures you provide, the complexity of the data, and the number of suppliemental materials needed.
