3.

How to write Results and Discussion

Jilong Shen
Dept. of Parasitology, the Key Laboratories of Parasitology and
Zoonoses Anhui (Anhui Medical University)
 RESULTS

The Facts and Nothing But the Facts

 How to write a good Results section

• 1.Summarize the study in a diagram

• 2. Put your results in tables and figures
• Take time to make good Tables and
Figures
(1)Key elements of well-written Results
section

Should be ordered around primary and

secondary outcomes in the same order
listed in the Abstract, Materials and
Methods;
Should be stated clearly and simply.
Emphasize what you have found, using
words and numbers;
Use tables and figures for the main number.
Double check the number of subjects
stated in the abstract, text, tables, and
figures
Minimize use of abbreviations
Do not duplicate information in the text
and tables.
“ABCDEFG”?
• Describe the results from each table or figure in a
separate paragraph;
• Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence but DO
NOT simply repeat the sentence in the table or figure
legend
• Importantly, account for your facts in the Discussion,
not in the Results (Avoid implication or mechanism
discussion in this section).
discuss later

Repetition is boring…
(2) Report your results objectively
• This section consists of text, tables, and figures.
• Describe objectively the findings you have obtained in
clinical or lab investigation.
• It should report the data to prove or disprove the
hypotheses of your study.
• Organize the tables and figures in the sequence that
will be presented (in logical sequence):
• Check the guide to the authors of the
intended journal for specific instructions on:
a. Length;
b. Number of the tables allowed;
c. Number of the figures allowed;
d. Formatting requirements of the journal.
(3)Text
• Describe the subjects included and excluded
—sample selection)
• Provide the reasons for selection of subjects
so as to assure the readers that no bias was
present

Ensure a good
design!
• This section should not include references
• Avoid excessive use of abbreviations, that
will make the text cumbersome to read (e.g.
COPD,COP, IFA, etc.)

Facts only!

HIJK…(He is just kidding!)

• Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that
gives the reader the summary of data in the table or
figure where the results can be found:
e.g. Myocardial infarction size of the intervention and
controls is shown in table 1 （ or figure 1 ）
• Provide the results that answer the study’s
hypotheses or primary outcome before addressing
the second outcome
• Do not simply repeat the table or figure heading
• Data derived from human subjects must be devoid of
patient-identifying information （ name, age, gender,
date of surgery, and residence, etc. ）
• Similarly, data in the table and figure should not be
repeated in the text
(bad topic sentense: Myocardial infarction size in the
intervention animals was 40.3% whereas myocardial
infarction size in the controls was 28.6%)

Even though repetition

sometimes constitutes a more
beautiful picture.

monozygotic twin
• To first direct the reader to where the
data are listed:
good e.g.“Myocardial infarction size in the
intervention animals was less than that in the
controls(p=0.004)” , see table 3.
• Check for the consistency of the results
between the sections of the manuscript
(abstract, tables, figures, and
discussion)
• The past tense should be used in the
result section
• Use “associations”, “ correlations”
• Avoid using qualitative terms of “markedly,
significantly, or impact, influence” since the
readers do not know what constitutes “
significant”,or “impact”

• Inappropriate: “Significant impact of Asprin on the

frequency of myocardial infarction in animals ”
• Appropriate: “An ameliorated effect of asprin on the
frequency of myocardial infarction in animals(p=0.004)”

Who influences
whom?
(4)Tables
• Should provide the readers with a narrative of
the study results in a manner which is easy to
follow.
• Each table should be on a separate page and
sequentially numbered in the order referred in
the text
• A table is used to present the data that would be too
much to be included in the sentence format
• Simultaneously, it is unnecessary to set up a table
for only 2 or 4 data values that can be easily placed
in the text
• Remember: a table is used not only to present the
dada, but also to show relations of the data
(A table is sometimes not a series of lists, in which the
content of one cell has no relation to the content in
the nearby cell )
 The table shows the relations of each cell value

dosages
mortality
The data are presented in table because they are too much to be
shown in the text although there is no relation of the data
between the columns.
Exception: It just presents the data rather than
shows the relations
• The table consists of a legend or title, body and
footnote
• The title should be concise and deliver the main
context of the table content
• The body contains columns and rows of cells
• Each cell should contain only one value
• Each column should has column heading
denoting its content
• The number of subjects(“n”) of each group is
listed under column(or row) heading
title

body

Footnote
Readers see values faster and more accurately in tables
• It implies that genotypes of Chinese isolates are different
from those of the other regions of the world
 Hints on constructing tables
• Make the tables easy to read;
• Begin each table on a separate page and number in
order referenced in the text;
• Do not repeat data in more than one table or figure;
• Place only one value in each table cell;
• Provide a concise legend that summarizes the
content of the table
 Hints on constructing tables

• Provide definition in each of the abbreviation

in the table legend or footnote so the reader
does not have to refer to the text;
• Include a heading for each column and
clearly denote the number of subjects in each
group(“n”);
• P-value for comparison as an annotation with the actual value
provided in a footnote may be appropriate when there few
comparisons;
• More detailed comparisons warrant a separate column that lists
all p-values
 • Provide the actual p-value usually not terms as
p<0.05
• Provide units of measurement , preferably within
parentheses after the variation in the row heading

Sometimes, a p-value of 0.06 may have a different meaning

to a reader than a value of 0.86 for an important
comparison.
Tab 2 The differences of the antioxidant and peroxidation products among three groups （ n=30 ）

Control T.Gondii NAC

GSH （ μMol/gprot ） 9.29±2.26 4.18±1.54* 9.42±2.40#

MDA （ μMol/gprot ） 0.41±0.16 0.52±0.23* 0.45±0.21**

8-OHdG （ μg/gprot ） 1.77±0.65 3.88±0.89* 3.42±1.63

#, p=0.004 vs. T. gondii infection; *, p=0.006 vs.control; **, p=0.02 vs. T. gondii infection.
Exceptions: P-values are presented by …..
Cell, 2012
• Remember: the reader should not have to
refer to the text for any information when
viewing a table.
• Each abbreviation should be defined for each
table either in the legend or as a footnote
 （ 5 ） Graphs and Figures
Each figure, as a table, should present ONE STAND-ALONE MESSAGE

Don’t overload them with numbers or ink

Figure should be entirely understandable on its own, without looking at

the whole paper or reading the text of the result section
 Too heavy color and contrast

Readers see patterns of values faster and more

accurately in graphs
Good for publication but poor for projection
Good for projection and publication
 Problems with graphs
Do not use a 3-dimensional graph to show
2-D data
2-D data graph
Example
Example:
Advice for preparing figures and illustrations

• Use scientific graphics programmes, not

simple graphics generated from a
spreadsheet
• If using colors, keep the background white,
and avoid faint yellow and other colors that
are difficult to see
• Axes of line drawing should be black and not
less than 0.25pt.
• If scanning a hard copy of a figure, submit as
TIFF or JPEG (not powerPoint) with at least
600 dpi and 15-cm margin;
• Label all axes clearly;
• Figures should be numbered in the order that
appears in the text
• Provide a title for each figure that describes
the data and all annotations
• Figure should stand alone (the reader should
not need to refer to the text for definition)

In TIFF or JPEG
• If a figure has several parts (A,B,C.D), they should be presented in
the order to being read (from left to right; from the top to the bottom)
Conclusion of the RESULTS section

This section may be the most important part of the

manuscript;
Writing manuscript is compared with writing a story.
Introduction and M&M provide the setting, the characters
and motives of the story.
The discussion is the epilogue that ties all the
information together.
• The results section is what the
readers have been Waiting For…
• The skilful use of text, tables and figures
will provide the readers with the
essence of the story in a well-organized
and concise manner.
(5)How to write Discussion
•Statement of your principal finding(s)
 Discussion: general format
• Statement of your principal finding(s)
• Appraisal of Materials and Methods (if necessary)
• Comparison of your findings with the previous work of
yours or others
• Clinical and scientific implications (if any)
• Suggestion of further work
Many students find this section to be the most
difficult to write
Poor discussions have no structure, try to cite all
publications found during the literature search
and present boredom to the reader.
Keep it short, snappy, and relevant.
You are most unlikely to have your manuscript
rejected just because the discussion is too short!
 A. Principal findings
• It is important to remind the readers of the key findings after
they finish reading of your results.
• Begin with 2 or 3 sentences that summarize the results.
• This should be “take home message”, clear and unambiguous.
Major
findings
Previous work of others cited
•It should not be more than one-third of the total
length of the manuscript.

•Analysis that is not closely associated with

your data should not be undertaken in the
Discussion.

Common errors include repetition of the dada

already given in the Results section.
B. Never ignore previous literature that disagrees
with your findings (since this”selective citation” is not
a good manner of a scientist and will be spotted very
quickly by assessors, you will lose credibility)

• Be impartial when dealing with the previous

contradictory work, explain the reasons for some
differences
C. Implications

• Discuss your findings that may change the clinical practice

or the basic knowledge of medical sciences, and state how
the understanding has been improved due to the results of
your work. But:
• Your findings may not be a major breakthrough, so do not
exaggerate the importance of your work (do not speak too
highly of your work).

Tell it as it is!
• A person should act humbly and in low profile

“The highest level of

moral is like
water ， which is
beneficial for all things,
without striving for fame
and gain”-----Laozi
 D. Further studies
• Suggest further work in the area based on your findings
and the previous work of others (should be short and
concise)
• However, you are advised to have started the work
before you give away the best idea; otherwise,
sometimes but not always, other guys will publish first.

(if you do not intend to continue working in this area, a

suggestive discussion would be useful)
 (6) Conclusion
• Traditionally, the author finish the discussion with a
brief concluding paragraph (or a sentence) to
highlight the major findings
• Ensure that it is not a direct repetition of previous
parts of the manuscript
• Some editors dislike this conclusion as it often repeats information that
has already appeared in the abstract , results , and the start of the
discussion.

• I prefer to end the manuscript with conclusion

Be Quiet 致虚…
Calm-minded 守
静…
Sharpness-reduced
锉锐…
Desireless 解纷…
Expectation is enjoyable…..
Success is pleasant ….
期待和成功总是幸福的……