Introduction

The results section of a research paper is where the research audience learns the outcomes of a study and it lays the groundwork for establishing the research's contribution to scientific knowledge. The challenge in qualitative research, however, is comprehensively yet concisely presenting the specific aspects of key findings. When the salient points of your qualitative data analysis cannot be easily reduced to tables and figures alone, how do you present the main findings in a way that persuades your research audience? This article provides a comprehensive explanation of what constitutes a results or findings section in a paper to offer guidance for those who may be inexperienced writing research papers. This article outlines the place of a findings section in a research paper, and the different strategies employed when writing a findings section to reduce complex information down to a concise overview of a research study.

What is the results section of a research paper?

Most research papers follow a logical sequence to report on the various aspects of a study, from the introduction section to the discussion. This sequence outlines the research problem underpinning the study itself, then the methods employed and data collected, followed by a description of the analysis or organization of that data into a meaningful form that addresses the study's research questions. From this description, the researcher presents the findings or results of this data analysis. The findings section illustrates and explains the key details or insights that the researcher identifies from the study. It is these findings that form the basis of the discussion that details the main takeaways of the research. In other words, while other sections of a particular paper discuss the study's theoretical developments and contributions to scientific knowledge, the findings section lays out the evidentiary warrants that support those developments. Without this evidence, a research paper runs the risk of presenting unsupported opinions about theory and research.