Given that every research project is different, it makes sense that when it comes to structuring and writing the section of a research paper devoted to findings, different researchers will employ slightly different approaches. The academic or scientific field in which the research is conducted, the area of expertise, the specific author or authors, the chosen journal or other publisher, and the editor making the publication decisions can all have a big impact. However, the practical guidelines provided below can be used to write about the results of even the most cutting-edge research, and they will be especially useful for early-career academics who are composing a research paper for their first publication.
Step 1:
Read research papers that have already been published in the targeted journal (or other publisher) and refer to any guidelines or instructions that are provided for authors. Pay special attention to papers that are similar to your own in terms of topic, approach, or findings. The published articles will offer solid illustrations of effective strategies, and the guidelines will typically outline specific requirements for the results or findings section. Keep an eye out in particular for content and length restrictions. For example, interpretation is frequently combined with findings in qualitative research papers; however, this is not always the case. Interpretation is typically saved for the discussion section. On the other hand, earlier sections of a research paper almost always contain background information and descriptions of the methods. Offering basic comparisons between the findings of your study and those of other studies is usually appropriate in a findings section, but it’s crucial to understand exactly what the journal is looking for in a report of research findings. It is also extremely helpful to learn as much as you can about the goals and audience of the journal.
Step 2:
While organizing the findings section of your paper, carefully consider your research findings in light of the requirements of the journal. Select for a specific focus any experimental findings and other research findings that are especially pertinent to your research questions and goals. Include them even if they are unexpected or contradict your theories and hypotheses. Use subheadings to simplify and clarify your report, especially if it is lengthy and complex. This will help you avoid writing excessive or tangential details, and it will also make it easier for your reader to comprehend and remember your findings. For raw data that might be of interest to specialists but is too lengthy or distracting for general readers, consider appendices. It is wise to summarize key findings at the end of the findings section, providing a smooth intellectual transition to the interpretation and discussion that follow in most research papers. The opening paragraph of a findings section frequently restates research questions or attempts to refocus the reader’s attention. There are numerous efficient ways to arrange research findings. Your research questions and hypotheses may guide the organization of your findings section, or it may follow the format of your methods section. It might be beneficial to arrange the main themes or categories in a meaningful hierarchy, chronological order, or meaningful grouping. Explaining the results of each trial or test right away after reporting them may make the content clearer and easier for your readers to understand. Alternatively, it may be best to present all the pertinent findings before explaining them and your analysis of them. Think about your research objectives, your audience, and your strongest supporting evidence.
Step 3:
Create compelling visual representations of your research findings to complement the textual report of your findings. Reporting research findings typically involves tables in a variety of styles and figures of every kind, including graphs, maps, and photographs. However, it is important to check the journal’s guidelines for information on the number of visual aids that are permitted, any necessary design components, and the preferred formats for numbering, labeling, and placement in the manuscript. Tables and figures should generally be numbered according to their first appearance in the paper’s main text, and each one should be clearly introduced and briefly explained therein so that readers are aware of the information being presented and what they can expect to see in a specific visual component. However, since tables and figures should also be self-explanatory, their layout should include all definitions and other details required for a reader to comprehend the conclusions you intend to present without having to refer back to your text. Tables and figures can act as focal points to help you tell a clear and informative story about your findings and prevent needless repetition if they are created before you draft your findings section. Although some authors even organize the findings section (Step 2) before working on tables and figures, it’s important to keep in mind that the textual report of findings is still the most important part of the process. Visual aids can enhance and clarify text but they cannot replace it.
Step 4:
Factually and impartially write your findings section. The objective is to convey information, sometimes a lot of it, as clearly, accurately, and precisely as possible. For this reason, well-constructed sentences with a clear structure will be much more effective than expressions and phrasing that are difficult to understand. Publishers and authors of writing guides frequently advise using the active voice, and the past tense is appropriate because the research has already been conducted. To effectively communicate your meaning, make sure your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are accurate. Statements that are unclear, imprecise, or ambiguous frequently cause readers to become confused or misled, and a verbose style adds little more than padding while squandering words that could be used much more effectively in concise, comprehensible explanations. When reporting results, some specialized terminology may be necessary, but anything that might be unclear or confusing for readers and hasn’t already been defined earlier in the paper should be explained. The same rule applies to unusual or nonstandard abbreviations. Instead of wasting time looking up terms to fully comprehend what you are saying, your readers will want to understand what you are reporting about your results. As you explain, highlight, provide analysis, and summarize the information required for readers to understand the discussion section that follows, a logical approach to organizing your findings section (Step 2) will assist you in telling a logical story about your research findings.
Step 5:
Review the findings section draft and edit and revise it until it accurately communicates your key findings to your readers. Verify the data’s accuracy and consistency across the section’s entire visual design. Aloud reading your writing will help you spot grammatical mistakes, awkward phrases, and abrupt transitions. Make sure the order in which your results were presented was the most effective for drawing readers’ attention to your research goals and preparing them for the interpretations, conjectures, suggestions, and other parts of the discussion that you were planning. This will entail reviewing the paper’s introduction and production background information as well as planning the discussion and conclusion sections, and this is the ideal time to review and reflect. A little extra time to step back and consider the bigger picture from the research door you have opened is a wise investment since getting and analyzing your research results took a lot of time. Any additional readers you can enlist, whether they are close family and friends or professional mentors and colleagues, will frequently prove to be extremely valuable as well.
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