Hi everyone. I'm Karen McKee and today I'm going to show you how to write the results section of a
scientific paper. What goes into it, how to organize it, and how to avoid boring your readers with it.
Stick around to the end of the video to hear my Pro tips for writing the results. The results
section is a major part of a scientific paper and is important because it shows what you found in
your study. It is usually the third major section just after the methods and before the discussion.
The results section contains the results of experiments and other data such as a field survey.
The results are summarized in tables, Illustrated in figures, and described in the narrative.
You will prepare your tables and figures first and then write the text.
Let's look at tables first. Each table is numbered one, two, three and has a title that goes at the top .
In this example, the soil variables measured are listed across the top and the grouping factors,
zone and condition, down the left side. This allows a reader to easily compare zones and conditions
for each soil variable. The data and tables are summaries such as the mean and standard error. You
can see that the mean salinity varied from 20 to 31 parts per thousand across zones and conditions.
At the bottom is outcome of the statistical test showing the F ratios and significance levels.
Below the table is some additional information about the data and statistical tests.
This information might also be put in the table title depending on the journal.
Here's another table with the variables along the left and the grouping factor intertidal
position at the top of the columns. You will have to decide which display works best for your data.
Statistical summaries may also be put into separate tables as in this one.
In addition to tables, the results section may have figures.
Figures may be composed of graphs, photographs, diagrams, maps, or a combination. I often put the
main findings of an experiment in a graph so that the reader can more easily see data patterns and
major differences across treatments at a glance . in this graph called a stack graph the reader
can see the mass of roots that accumulated at two marshes in 2005 and 2006 by depth interval.
Most roots were produced in the upper 10 centimeters at both sites and dates. At Big
Branch Marsh, root accumulation increased from one year to the next while it decreased at Pearl River.
Other types of grafts are line graphs, scatter plots, and box plots.
Figures may also include photographs or drawings. In this example, there is a photo showing
consumption of leaves by mangrove crabs. Figures should contain all the information necessary to
understand what is shown without reference to the text. Here both X and Y axes are labeled and
a legend shows the depth intervals plotted in the stacked bars. The figure title explains what is
plotted, mass of roots accumulated at two marshes before and after Hurricane Katrina and that the
mean and standard error for each group is what's plotted, each value based on eight observations.
The title of this figure describes what data are plotted--hourly water levels relative to
the marsh surface measured at stations established in saline areas dominated by
a marsh grass over the same period in 2007 and 2008. The drawings of vegetation heights provide
additional information showing that water levels during two hurricanes over topped the plants.
The inset grafts are also explained.
Be consistent with font type and size for figures and check author instructions for
recommended fonts. In preparing your manuscript for submission, the tables and figures may be
embedded in the text after first mention, appended at the end of the manuscript, or
provided as separate files to be uploaded to the submission platform. Check your journal
instructions. This one asks for the figures and tables to be embedded in the manuscript.
Once your figures and tables are done, it's time to write the narrative. But what do you say?
Basically, you want to describe the main patterns you see in the data. The reader is looking for a summary of
what you found. Let's look at an example. In this paper, I studied the relative flood tolerance of
three intertidal tree species. The results begin with a description of what happened when they
were subjected to two root aeration treatments. The graph shows the time course response of
internal root oxygen concentrations to aeration of the culture solution with air or nitrogen gas.
The nitrogen treatment led to a decrease in oxygen inside the roots of two of the three species.
In writing the narrative I just described what pattern I saw in the data and confirmed by
statistical analysis. Root oxygen concentrations declined from 16 to below 5 percent within six
hours after L. racemosa and A. germinans were subjected to N2 purging, figure one
On re-aeration, root oxygen concentrations began to recover to pre-treatment values. In contrast, oxygen
concentrations inside R. mangle roots were independent of external oxygen tensions, figure one.
That's a concise description of what happened.
The reader can then look at the graphs to see exactly how root oxygen fluctuated over time.
The narrative continues with descriptions of how root and shoot growth and morphology and
physiology were affected by species and treatment as shown in the rest of the tables and figures.
Now for some Pro tips. If you present data in a table or figure, you must mention it in the
narrative. If it does not help you interpret your findings, leave it out or put it into supplementary
material. Generally start with your most important finding and work your way through the results
in descending order of importance. In some cases, you may have run into problems during the study.
For example, an instrument may have failed to record for a period of time.
Avoid starting the narrative with a description of such problems encountered. Instead, explain
minor problems in the methods section and how they were handled when you analyzed the data.
If necessary, you might remind the reader in the results of the problem and solution.
The result should only contain a description of what was found, not an interpretation.
The interpretation of the data goes in the discussion section.
Don't describe every blip in the data when writing the text. Doing so will bore your readers.
Describe main patterns and let readers scrutinize the table and figures for details.
Don't direct the reader to a table or figure without a description of what's important.
For example, don't say plant response to aeration treatment is shown in figure two.
Instead, say root oxygen concentrations declined
in species A and B but not species C when purged with N2 gas, figure two.
Don't use statistical jargon to describe results. For example, leaf decay rates showed a significant
interaction between species and zone. This jargony statement doesn't tell the reader what happened.
Instead, say leaf decay rate of Species A was higher than the other two species
in zone one but not in zone two, species by zone interaction followed by the statistical results.
Don't put the data in a table and then also in a figure. Deciding what data should go into a graph
or table can be difficult but you must choose one or the other. And finally you will use past
tense to describe your results. Root respiration rates increased linearly... Arrhenius plots revealed...
Q10 values were significantly different. There may be instances when you use present tense to
state a known fact such as in this sentence, which explains that the hypocotyle or embryonic stem
develops while still attached to the parent tree. But generally you will use past tense.
Well those are a few guidelines to writing the results for a scientific paper.
Thanks for watching and please like my video if you found the information helpful.