Background
In your results section, you should display the experimental data in tables and figures in an easy-to-understand form. You should briefly describe your findings, identifying the most important results in terms of the aims of the experiment. You need to report your results in a logical sequence, linking from one result to the next. Your tables and figures should be clearly presented with appropriate legends and annotations.
The 2 main difficulties with results sections are:
- A results section that contains only tables and figures. This tells the reader nothing about why the results are presented in this way or order.
- A results section that contains explanations of the significance of the results. This belongs in the discussion section.
Dos and Don'ts
| Do refer to your tables and figures and introduce their content. | Don’t simply repeat the content of the figures and tables. |
| Do highlight the most important result(s). | Don’t generalise or interpret your results. |
| Do summarise and compare results. | Don’t just list the results. |
| Do write with certainty about your results. | |
| Do identify unexpected results. |
Click on the exercise icon to find out what you already know about writing a results section.