Descriptive Presentation of Research Results
The results section reports what the study found in a logical sequence aligned with the objectives. Descriptive presentation summarises participant flow, characteristics, exposures, outcomes and data quality without interpreting causes or repeating every value.
Learning objectives
- Organise results according to objectives.
- Present categorical and numerical variables appropriately.
- Write clear narrative summaries of tables and figures.
- Report missing data, denominators and participant flow.
Recommended sequence
- Recruitment and participant flow.
- Completeness and missing-data information.
- Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.
- Primary outcome findings.
- Secondary objectives and subgroup findings.
- Qualitative themes where applicable.
Match summary to data
| Variable | Preferred summary | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal | Frequency and percentage | Sex, diagnosis, facility |
| Ordinal | Frequency/percentage or median and IQR | Disease severity category |
| Symmetric continuous | Mean and standard deviation | Normally distributed height |
| Skewed continuous | Median and interquartile range | Length of hospital stay |
Worked narrative example
Of 420 eligible patients, 378 consented and 360 completed the questionnaire, giving an analysis response of 85.7% of eligible participants. Median age was 44 years (IQR 35–57), and 218/360 (60.6%) were women. Missed follow-up occurred in 142/360 participants (39.4%; 95% CI 34.4%–44.6%).
This paragraph reports denominators, appropriate summaries and uncertainty without explaining why appointments were missed.
Tables and narrative
Tables contain exact values; text directs attention to the most important pattern. Avoid “Table 1 shows…” followed by every cell. Instead state the main finding and cite the table. Titles should allow understanding without searching the main text.
Reporting qualitative results
Organise findings into themes and subthemes supported by concise participant quotations. Explain who contributed the view and protect identity. Do not treat the number of quotations as statistical frequency unless the method supports counting.
Missing data
- Give the denominator for each major analysis.
- State the amount and pattern of missingness.
- Explain exclusions from analysis.
- Do not silently change denominators.
- Report sensitivity analysis where performed.
Common errors
- Interpreting causes in the results section.
- Using mean and SD for strongly skewed data.
- Reporting percentages without counts or denominators.
- Duplicating identical results in text, table and figure.
- Highlighting only statistically significant findings.
- Presenting more decimal places than measurement precision supports.
Results-alignment matrix
| Objective | Variables | Analysis | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate prevalence | Binary outcome | n, %, 95% CI | Sentence or table |
| Describe age | Continuous age | Distribution, centre, spread | Table/histogram |
| Explore experiences | Interview transcripts | Thematic analysis | Themes with quotations |
Review questions
- Write a results paragraph from a supplied frequency table.
- Choose summaries for age, sex and waiting time.
- Explain how qualitative quotations support themes.
- List five rules for transparent missing-data reporting.
References
- UAHEB. Research Proposal and Report Writing Guidelines.
- EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines.
Educational content only; follow the reporting guideline appropriate to the study design.
