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The Results Section

This article provides guidelines for writing a concise and informative results section in scientific papers. It emphasizes summarizing findings instead of providing excessive data and advises on verb tense usage. The suggestions are supported with examples and tips for organizing tables and figures. Small-group discussion prompts encourage active application of the content and evaluation of existing drafts.

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The Results Section

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  1. The Results Section Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH Texas A&M University bgastel@cvm.tamu.edu

  2. The Results Section • The core of the paper • Often includes tables, figures, or both • Should summarize findings rather than providing data in great detail • Should present results but not comment on them • (Note: Some journals combine the Results and the Discussion.)

  3. Verb Tense for the Results Section:Past Tense Examples: • A total of 417 of the customers replied. • _____ increased, but _____ decreased. • The average temperature was _____. • Three of the dogs died. • This difference was not statistically significant.

  4. An Exampleof a Results Section • From the following short paper: Pitkin RM, Burmeister LF. Prodding tardy reviewers: a randomized comparison of telephone, fax, and e-mail. JAMA 2002;287:2794-2795.

  5. The total number of enrollees was 383; 5 were excluded (2 reviewers claimed never to have received manuscripts and 3 claimed to have already sent reviews by fax or e-mail, but reviews were never received), for a final sample size of 378. The proportions who responded by producing a review within 7 days were virtually identical in the 3 groups (Χ2=1.102, P=.59): telephone, 85 (68%)

  6. of 125 (95% confidence interval [CI], 60 %-76%); fax, 86 (67%) of 129 (95% CI, 59%-75%); and e-mail, 84 (67%) of 124 (95% CI, 59%-75%). Among respondents, the number of days from contact to receipt of a review also did not differ significantly (phone, 4.4 days; fax, 4.7 days; e-mail, 4.6 days; F=1.49, P=.23).

  7. Results Sections of Paperswith Tables or Figures • How much should the information in the text overlap that in the tables and figures? • Not extensive overlap • In general, text should present only the main points from the tables and figures • Perhaps also include a few of the most important data • Remember to mention each table or figure. Do so as soon as readers might want to see it.

  8. Mentioning Tables and Figures:Some Writing Advice • In citing tables and figures, emphasize the finding, not the table or figure. • Not so good: Table 3 shows that researchers who attended the workshop published twice as many papers per year. • Better: Researchers who attended the workshop published twice as many papers per year (Table 3).

  9. Results: A Suggestion • Look at the Results sections of some papers in your target journal. • Notice items such as the following: • Length • Organization • Inclusion of subheads (or not) • Number of tables and figures • Use these Results sections as models.

  10. Thank you!

  11. Small-Group Discussion • Please discuss this morning’s lectures. What are the main points to remember? What questions do you have? How do you plan to use the content? • Identify a journal that seems suitable for your paper. Say why you chose this journal. If possible, now or this evening, look at the journal’s instructions to authors and at least one paper in the journal. • If you brought a draft of your paper, note some things that are good about the results section and some things that you plan to change. If you didn’t bring a draft, describe your plans for your results section. (Please keep the lectures in mind.) • Prepare a brief talk (5 to 10 minutes) presenting highlights of your group’s discussion.

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