Research findings trial#

The goal is to communicate information – in some cases a great deal of complex information – as clearly, accurately and precisely as possible, so well-constructed sentences that maintain a simple structure will be far more effective than convoluted phrasing and expressions. Step 4: Write your findings section in a factual and objective manner. Visual aids can clarify and enrich the text, but they cannot take its place. Some authors will even work on tables and figures before organising the findings section (Step 2), which can be an extremely effective approach, but it is important to remember that the textual report of findings remains primary. If you construct your tables and figures before drafting your findings section, they can serve as focal points to help you tell a clear and informative story about your findings and avoid unnecessary repetition. Tables and figures should also be self-explanatory, however, so their design should include all definitions and other information necessary for a reader to understand the findings you intend to show without returning to your text. As a general rule, tables and figures should be numbered according to first mention in the main text of the paper, and each one should be clearly introduced and explained at least briefly in that text so that readers know what is presented and what they are expected to see in a particular visual element. Tables of various styles and figures of all kinds such as graphs, maps and photos are used in reporting research findings, but do check the journal guidelines for instructions on the number of visual aids allowed, any required design elements and the preferred formats for numbering, labelling and placement in the manuscript. Step 3: Design effective visual presentations of your research results to enhance the textual report of your findings. Keep your audience, your most important evidence and your research goals in mind.

Research findings trial#

It may be best to present all the relevant findings and then explain them and your analysis of them, or explaining the results of each trial or test immediately after reporting it may render the material clearer and more comprehensible for your readers. A chronological order or hierarchy of importance or meaningful grouping of main themes or categories might prove effective. The structure of your findings section might be determined by your research questions and hypotheses or match the arrangement of your methods section. There are many effective ways in which to organise research findings. The opening paragraph of a findings section often restates research questions or aims to refocus the reader’s attention, and it is always wise to summarise key findings at the end of the section, providing a smooth intellectual transition to the interpretation and discussion that follows in most research papers. Consider appendices for raw data that might interest specialists but prove too long or distracting for other readers. Streamline and clarify your report, especially if it is long and complex, by using subheadings that will help you avoid excessive and peripheral details as you write and also help your reader understand and remember your findings. Choose for particular focus experimental results and other research discoveries that are particularly relevant to your research questions and objectives, and include them even if they are unexpected or do not support your ideas and hypotheses. Step 2: Reflect at some length on your research results in relation to the journal’s requirements while planning the findings section of your paper. Learning as much as you can about the journal’s aims and scope as well as the interests of its readers is invaluable as well. In most cases it is appropriate in a findings section to offer basic comparisons between the results of your study and those of other studies, but knowing exactly what the journal wants in the report of research findings is essential. Background information and descriptions of methods, on the other hand, almost always appear in earlier sections of a research paper.

Interpretation, for instance, is usually reserved for a later discussion section, though not always – qualitative research papers often combine findings and interpretation. Watch particularly for length limitations and restrictions on content. The guidelines will generally outline specific requirements for the results or findings section, and the published articles will provide sound examples of successful approaches. Step 1: Consult the guidelines or instructions that the targeted journal (or other publisher) provides for authors and read research papers it has already published, particularly ones similar in topic, methods or results to your own.