According to the Asian Language Institute of Technology Language Center, the purpose of a results section in a research paper is “to present the results and make them meaningful to the reader” (Writing up research, 2003). A results section should include a statement and explanation of all results obtained within the research study. As summarized from the Bates College online article of how to write a research paper, a results section is written after analysis of data is complete and a writer is ready to present the findings both in text and also occasionally in illustrations such as a bar graph, pie chart, etc. D. Caprette (2007), goes on to say that a results section should present your facts, but not interpret them, or discuss results beyond the facts within this section. The discussion should be where all results are interpreted and explained in further detail by the writer. The conclusion is where the writer has a chance to determine if the research hypothesis was supported an also, this is the time to make suggestions for future research.
Asian Institute of Technology: Language Center (2003). Writing up Research. Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html#results
Bates College: Department of Biology (2008). A strategy for writing up research results. Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWstrategy.html#results
Rice, D. (2007). Writing research papers. Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html#results
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: The Writing Center (2007). Conclusions. Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/conclusions.html
