Presentation and Discussion of

Study Findings
Learning Objectives

1.Summarize the parts of a presentation of findings

2.Explain the discussion of findings, study hypotheses, and
statistical and clinical significance
3.Describe the purpose of conclusions, implications, and
recommendations for research studies
Learning Objective One

1.Explain the discussion of findings, study hypotheses, and

statistical and clinical significance
2.Describe the purpose of conclusions, implications, and
recommendations for research studies
3.Summarize the parts of a presentation of findings
Presentation of Findings of the Study

• Most research reports present findings in both a narrative form

and in tables.
• According to the publication manual of the APA, if the text
discusses every item in the table, the table is unnecessary.

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Presentation of Findings of the Study

• Findings of the Study

• The findings of a quantitative study are presented in the form of empirical data or
facts.

• Findings come from the analysis of the data obtained in the study.

• Descriptive statistics are always used to describe the sample and to present the
findings.

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Presentation of Findings of the Study

• Narrative Presentation of Findings

• Clear and concise

• Qualitative studies
• Narrative predominates
• Direct quotes and discussion of patterns and themes from data
• Quantitative studies
• Present data that support or fail to support each hypothesis
• Should include the statistical test used, test results, degrees of freedom, and
probability value

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Presentation of Findings of the Study

• Tables
• Means of organizing data
• More easily understood and interpreted
• Table composition
• Columns
• Rows
• Cells
• Boxes formed where rows and columns intersect

• A footnote should include:

• Test results
• Degrees of freedom
• Probability value

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Presentation of Findings of the Study

• Figures
• Any type of visual presentation other than a table

• Includes graphs, diagrams, line drawings, and photographs

• Particularly useful in presenting demographic data about subjects

• Example:
23 10
(9.54%) (4.15%)
101
49 (41.91%)
(20.33%)
58
(24.10%)

60-65 66-70
• Example: Graph
Discussion of Findings and Significance

• More subjective section than the presentation of the findings

• Allows the researcher to make interpretations of the findings
• Discusses aspects of results that agree and those that do not agree
with previous research and theoretical explanations
• Reports study limitations
• Not the time to focus on every fault of the study

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Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations

• Conclusions
• Show knowledge gained
• Researcher returns to the study problem, purpose, hypothesis, and theoretical
framework
• Researcher must consider the sample size and the population from which the sample
was drawn
• Findings are concrete and tied into specific data; conclusions are more abstract and
presented in more general terms.
• Conclusions should go beyond the findings.
• Generalization of findings is of great interest to quantitative study investigators.
• Generalizations are risky business.

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Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations

• Implications
• Gives the researcher an opportunity to be creative
• Contain the should or what needs to happen next
• Common to see implications that call for:
• More research in the subject area.
• Certain changes to be made based on the conclusions of the study.
• For every conclusion of a study, there should be at least one implication.

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Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations

• Recommendations
• Last section of every research report should contain recommendations for further
research.
• May propose:
• Replication of the study
• Involves carrying out a study similar to one previously done

• New study in which the present study limitations are considered

• Some logical extension of the present study.

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Communication and Utilization of
Nursing Research
Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Researchers can communicate results of studies in two ways

• Talk about them
• Write about them
• Researchers have the prime responsibility of communicating
findings.
• Other nurses and nursing organizations also bear responsibility.

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Preparing a Research Report

• Research report
• Written or oral summary of a study
• No research project is complete without a final research report.
• Written out, even if verbal presentation planned
• Clear, accurate, concise
• Not meant to be humorous or entertaining
• Should not be dull
• Presents results in an interesting and informative manner

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Preparing a Research Report

• Research report should be presented In the order of the research process
• Major part written in the past tense.
• Study has already occurred.
• Hypotheses and conclusions are written in the present tense.
• Implications and recommendations are directed toward the future.

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Presenting Research Results at Professional Conferences

• Journal publication is often first consideration.
• Delay may be two years or longer
• Presentations at conferences provide more rapid distribution.
• Two ways to disseminate research results at professional conferences
• Oral presentations
• Poster presentations

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Presenting Research Results at Professional Conferences

• Many opportunities to present study results
• Nursing organizations sponsor research seminars.
• Nursing schools, regional nursing associations, and large medical centers also
sponsor research conferences.
• Call for abstracts
• Request for a summary of a study that the researcher wishes to present at a
conference
• Each conference or seminar will provide special guidelines.
• Generally, individuals selected receive no pay and are required to cover their own
travel expenses.

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Presenting Research Results at Professional Conferences

• Presenting a Research Paper
• Oral presentation is usually referred to as a paper presentation.
• Presenting research results at a conference has advantages over publishing.
• Opportunity to present findings that are recent
• Opportunity to interact with people who are interested in the same phenomena
• Handouts or audiovisual aids are helpful.
• Usually allotted 15 to 30 minutes

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Presenting Research Results at Professional Conferences

• Presenting a Research Poster
• Visual presentation
• Viewed by large number of people in short time period

• Contents of a research poster

• Research questions
• Hypothesis or hypotheses
• Description of the sample
• Methods, findings, and major conclusions
• Diagrams, graphs, and tables

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Publishing a Journal Article

• Preparing the Article
• Journal articles provide somewhat brief coverage of research reports.
• 10 to 15 typed pages
• Format and sections vary by journal.

• Most articles contain:

• Introduction
• Review of literature
• Methods
• Findings
• Discussion

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Publishing a Journal Article

• Selecting a Journal
• Impact factor (IF)
• Number used to evaluate influence of a particular journal
• Higher impact factor number, more influence the journal is thought to have on the
scientific community
• IF rating is based on how frequently articles in a particular journal are cited

• H-index.
• Ranking generated from the number of articles in which authors have cited your
publications in comparison to your actual number of publications.

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Publishing a Journal Article

• Choosing Between Refereed and Nonrefereed Journals
• Refereed journal
• Subject experts chosen by editorial staff evaluate manuscripts
• Nonrefereed journal
• Uses editorial staff members or consultants who are not necessarily content experts
• Peer review
• Evaluation by professional colleagues who are content or methodological experts
• Blind review
• Reviewers are not aware of author’s identity.
• Open review process
• Reviewer signs his or her comments associated with the review.

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Publishing a Journal Article

• Sending Query Letters
• Determine the journal’s interest in the manuscript
• Contain manuscript outline and important information about manuscript

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Publishing a Journal Article

• Reasons for Manuscript Rejection
• Highest-ranked reason for rejection
• Manuscript was poorly written.
• Other reasons
• Topic was not relevant to the focus of the journal.
• Manuscript had methodology problems.
• Manuscripts were “too short and superficial.”
• Rejection of an article does not necessarily mean that it is not a good article.

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Communication of Nursing Research Findings

• Preparing Theses and Dissertations

• Theses and dissertations are means of communication of research studies conducted
to fulfill educational requirements.
• Dissertations
• Refine existing theories or generate new theories
• Theses
• Test existing theories
Utilization of Nursing Research Findings

• Nurses should be able to justify the decisions they make and the
care they give.
• Study findings must be implemented in nursing practice.
• Utilization of research findings in nursing practice means going
beyond

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Utilization of Nursing Research Findings

• Additional Barriers to Nursing Research Utilization

• Inadequate Dissemination of Research Findings
• Findings are Not Ready for Use in Practice

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Critiquing Quantitative Research Reports

• Abstract
• Summary of study
• Typically 150 to 250 words in length
• Should describe
• Problem under investigation or purpose
• Participants
• Essential features of the study method
• Basic findings
• Conclusions and implications.

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• References:
• Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing Evidence for Nursing Practice by
Polit and Beck
• Polit and Beck. (2017). Nursing Research: Generating and Assessing
Evidence for Nursing Practice, 9th Edition, Mc Graw Hill
• Nieswiadomy, Rose Marie and Bailey. (2018). Catherine Foundations of
Nursing Research