Results

Top tips for good results section

For SL the heading is: E. Results For HL
the heading is: E. Results: Descriptive
This is worth 4 marks out of 20 for SL; 2
marks out of 28 for HL.
Refer to checklist!
Table
Include a table of the raw data in an appendix.
Provide a table with appropriate descriptive
statistics (mean, median, mode) as well as a
measure of variance to describe your data.
Students should not just include all of these
measures of central tendency. They must justify
their use. For example - if the mode is not important
to the aim of the study, it should not be included.
Type of data measurement
Identify the level of data: nominal,
ordinal, interval, or ratio. Justify your
choice of statistics based on the level of
data.
Data
Raw data (what comes out of data collection)
Levels of measurement of data:
Nominal: discrete categories e.g. the number of
people who helped or not
Ordinal: Measurements that can be ranked or put in
position but intervals unknown she came in first, he
came second etc.
Interval and ratio: measurements based on scales
temperature (interval) and time in seconds (ratio)

Graph - http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/

Draw a graph which has a title that reflects the
aim/hypothesis as well as correctly labelled
axes.
It is important to emphasize that the graph must
reflect the hypothesis. And that there should be
ONE graph. Students should not include - for
example - graphs that show gender differences. It
is also important that students do not simply
graph all of their raw data. Their graph should
"answer the research question."
Description
Write a short paragraph which explains what is
in the descriptive stats table as well as the
meaning of the graphed data.
This paragraph is short, but it should clarify the
table and the graph. In particular, the students
may address any outliers that may have skewed
the data and which may account for any high
standard deviations.
Descriptive statistics
Not all stats can be applied to all levels of
data

Mode : most frequent score (nominal data)
Median: middle value when scores are
placed in rank order (ordinal data)
Mean: average value of all scores (interval
and ratio data)
HL
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