how to write the results section of a research paper apa

The results section of a quantitative research paper is where you summarize your data and report the findings of any relevant statistical analyses. The APA manual provides rigorous guidelines for what to report in quantitative research papers in the fields of psychology, education, and other social sciences.

Here are a few best practices: Your results should always be written in the past tense. While the length of this section depends on how much data you collected and analyzed, it should be written as concisely as possible. Only include results that are directly relevant to answering your research questions.

Structure your results section around tables or figures that summarize the results of your statistical analysis. In many cases, the easiest way to accomplish this is to first create your tables and figures and then organize them in a logical way. Next, write the summary text to support your illustrative materials.

The results section is where you present the results of your research-both narrated for the readers in plain English and accompanied by statistics. Note: Depending on the requirements or the projected length of your paper, sometimes the results are combined with the discussion section. Organizing Results. Continue with your story in the results ...

The APA results section summarizes data and includes reporting statistics in a quantitative research study. The APA results section is an essential part of your research paper and typically begins with a brief overview of the data followed by a systematic and detailed reporting of each hypothesis tested. The interpreted results will then be presented in the discussion sections.

Research results refer to the findings and conclusions derived from a systematic investigation or study conducted to answer a specific question or hypothesis. These results are typically presented in a written report or paper and can include various forms of data such as numerical data, qualitative data, statistics, charts, graphs, and visual aids.

To structure your methods section, you can use the subheadings of "Participants," "Materials," and "Procedures.". These headings are not mandatory—aim to organize your methods section using subheadings that make sense for your specific study. Note that not all of these topics will necessarily be relevant for your study.

In this section, we look at how to write an APA-style empirical research report, an article that presents the results of one or more new studies. Recall that the standard sections of an empirical research report provide a kind of outline. ... For student papers that are not being submitted for publication—including theses—author notes are ...

When writing the results section, avoid doing the following: Discussing or interpreting your results. Save this for the discussion section of your paper, although where appropriate, you should compare or contrast specific results to those found in other studies [e.g., "Similar to the work of Smith [1990], one of the findings of this study is ...

Papers usually end with a concluding section, often called the "Discussion.". The Discussion is your opportunity to evaluate and interpret the results of your study or paper, draw inferences and conclusions from it, and communicate its contributions to science and/or society. Use the present tense when writing the Discussion section.

How to write an APA results section ... In the methods section of an APA research paper, you report in detail the participants, measures, and procedure of your study. 264. APA format for academic papers and essays Learn how to set up APA format for your paper. From the title page and headings to references and citations.

Chapters 4 through 7 consider the typical sections of a qualitative research paper— the introductory sections, Method, Results, and Discussion. These chapters emphasize aspects of reporting that are unique to qualitative research. They describe the general elements that should be reported in qualitative papers and can assist authors in devel-

Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5 in. using the tab key or the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. Page numbers: Put a page number in the top right corner of every page, including the title page or cover page, which is page 1. Student papers do not require a running head on any page.

This document is specifically about how to report statistical results. Refer to our handout "Writing an APA Empirical (lab) Report" for details on writing a results section. Every statistical test that you report should relate directly to a hypothesis. Begin the results section by restating each hypothesis, then state whether your results ...

APA Results section of a research paper should start with a brief reminder. Briefly restate your main goal and hypotheses that you wanted to test. ... Before writing the APA results section, make sure that the data is meaningful and can potentially contribute to further research. Academic writing is peculiar as the presentation of information ...

General formatting rules are as follows: Do not put page breaks in between the introduction, method, results, and discussion sections. The title page, abstract, references, table (s), and figure (s) should be on their own pages. The entire paper should be written in the past tense, in a 12-point font, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins ...

Use one-inch margins on all sides of the paper. 3. The text should be left-justified (a straight line), and the right side should be "ragged" (do not justify on both sides) 4. Paragraphs should be indented at the beginning (please use paragraphs!) 5.

Step 1: Consult the guidelines or instructions that the target journal or publisher provides authors and read research papers it has published, especially those with similar topics, methods, or results to your study. The guidelines will generally outline specific requirements for the results or findings section, and the published articles will ...

Build coherence along this section using goal statements and explicit reasoning (guide the reader through your reasoning, including sentences of this type: 'In order to…, we performed….'; 'In view of this result, we ….', etc.). In summary, the general steps for writing the Results section of a research article are:

Arrange information in the same order as the sections in the paper: Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. Each section of the paper requires at least one sentence in the abstract. Methods and Results usually require more than one sentence each. Single paragraph. Abstracts are written as one paragraph. How to Proceed 1. Write the paper ...

To build trust in your analysis, Morrow recommends keeping your results section separate from your discussion, as in quantitative studies, so that readers can distinguish "data-based interpretations" from your own conclusions. STAY FOCUSED. While complex analyses and formatting guidelines can seem like formidable barriers to writing up your ...

To write your methods section in APA format, describe your participants, materials, study design, and procedures. Keep this section succinct, and always write in the past tense. The main heading of this section should be labeled "Method" and it should be centered, bolded, and capitalized. Each subheading within this section should be bolded ...

One good way of determining the right level of detail is to keep the figures in mind when writing the results section. Many times, authors will use the text only as a vehicle to introduce the figures. However, the proper way is actually the opposite, where the figures provide additional depth and detail for the text.

Practical guidance for writing an effective results section for a research paper. Always use simple and clear language. Avoid the use of uncertain or out-of-focus expressions. The findings of the study must be expressed in an objective and unbiased manner. While it is acceptable to correlate certain findings in the discussion section, it is ...

Bottom Line. The general steps for writing the Results section of a research article are: Check the guidelines of your target journal. Read published articles in similar topics to your study. Catalogue your findings in relation to the journal requirements. Design figures and tables to organize your data. Write the Results section following the ...

Table of contents. Step 1: Restate the problem. Step 2: Sum up the paper. Step 3: Discuss the implications. Research paper conclusion examples. Frequently asked questions about research paper conclusions.

Citing sources in an APA research paper format is essential for acknowledging the work of others and maintaining the credibility of your own research. Let's explore the key aspects of APA citation with concise examples: In-Text Citations. In APA, in-text citations include the author's last name and the publication year.

Build your quantitative results section around a relevant research question and present a hypothesis. Provide relevant results by including statistical analysis. Evaluate the importance and reliability of the results of a research paper briefly. Do not speculate about the meaning of the results, but mention your research objectives.

Interweaving various sources together in the work without citing. Citing some, but not all, passages that should be cited. Melding together cited and uncited sections of the piece. Providing proper citations, but failing to change the structure and wording of the borrowed ideas enough (close paraphrasing).

The Style and Grammar Guidelines page on the APA Style website has resources for learning the new seventh edition style. We have archived the sixth edition frequently asked questions for authors, editors, and students working on papers in the previous style. We will keep this archive available until further notice.