The results section is where you objectively report and explain the key findings from your research. It should provide a clear, concise overview of the study’s outcomes without attempting to evaluate or interpret their larger significance.

Here are some best practices for structuring and writing a strong results section. The results should be:

  • Presented in the past tense for clarity and professionalism.
  • Concise, directly correlating to the volume of analyzed data.
  • Limited to findings that directly address research questions, excluding speculative language.
  • Supplemented with additional results in appendices or footnotes if necessary.
  • Organized from broad to specific, akin to categorizing shoes before detailing types like sneakers or sandals.

Reporting quantitative research results

For empirical, quantitative studies, your results section will report descriptive and inferential statistics related to your hypotheses or research questions.

The key steps are:

  1. Restate the hypothesis or question. Remind the reader of the specific claims or aims you set out to investigate.
  2. Summarize the data collection and analysis. Briefly reiterate your methodology, including response rates, sample sizes, measurement tools, and statistical techniques used.
  3. Report the relevant statistical findings. Present only those results that are directly pertinent to the hypothesis or question. Include descriptive statistics like means, frequencies, or proportions, as well as inferential test statistics such as t-tests, correlations, regressions, etc.
  4. Indicate the significance level. Report the p-value from each statistical test to indicate whether the finding was statistically significant based on your alpha threshold (typically 0.05).
  5. Use tables and figures selectively. Only include visuals like charts or graphs if they enhance the reader’s understanding of the results. Each should have a number and descriptive caption.
  6. Highlight any relevant limitations. Discuss issues like low response rates, missing data, or other factors that could impact the validity of the results.

Throughout the section, aim for an objective tone that allows the facts to speak for themselves. Avoid subjective evaluations about whether the results confirm or disprove the hypothesis—save any interpretations for the discussion section.

Reporting qualitative research results

For qualitative research studies, the results section presents an overview and analysis of the key data and emerging themes. Follow these guidelines:

  1. Categorize and summarize the data. Cluster any codes, quotes, narratives, or other evidence into relevant themes and categories. This forms the backbone of your results.
  2. Describe relevant patterns. Discuss any clear patterns that arose across interviewees or data points. Use detailed descriptions and representative examples.
  3. Note any outliers or contradictory data. Highlight any outlying responses or perspectives that diverged from the broader patterns you found.
  4. Support claims with evidence. For any assertions you make, include specific qualitative evidence like quotes, passages, or observations to validate your claims.
  5. Use visualizations as appropriate. Consider including charts, diagrams, or coding trees to help clarify and communicate complex findings.
  6. Avoid judging or overinterpreting. Instead, stick to objectively describing and categorizing your collected data without overanalyzing or drawing premature conclusions.

As with quantitative studies, save the interpretation and explanation of your qualitative results for the discussion section.

Results vs. discussion vs. conclusion

The results section sets up but does not include the actual interpretation of the findings. Depending on norms in your field and university guidelines, your results may be combined or separated from the discussion section.

Some key distinctions between the sections:

Results section

  • Objectively reports the outcomes, data, facts
  • Focuses narrowly on the specific results of your study
  • This may include statistical analysis and qualitative data
  • Limited subjective interpretation

Discussion

  • Explores the deeper meaning and importance of the results
  • Connects back to literature, hypotheses, objectives
  • Compares results to those of others
  • Allowed more subjective critique and analysis

Conclusion

  • Synthesizes the key takeaways and implications
  • Revisits the original research problem and objectives
  • Recommends areas for future research
  • Takes a more overarching perspective

Whether combined or separated, avoid conflating your factual results reporting with your subjective assessments and recommendations. Rigorously isolate the results first before advancing to the discussion and conclusion stages.

Checklist: effective research results

✔ Directly align with research questions and objectives

✔ Written objectively and precisely

✔ Structure logically around hypotheses/themes

✔ Report both significant and non-significant results

✔ Use tables, figures, and quotes judiciously

✔ Note all relevant limitations upfront

✔ Distinguish results from interpretations

✔ Comprehensively answer “What happened?”