Writing Strategies for Compare Results

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Compare the Results with previous work is used to highlight similarities or differences between empirical findings, theoretical beliefs, or previously made assumptions or predictions. These comparisons can be used to support the explanation or interpretations of results by relating your study with what is known in the field. By making these inter-study connections, you can strengthen the credibility of your work by explicitly highlighting the area(s) in which your work adds new knowledge.

While this Strategy may be uncommon in many Results sections, published researchers do utilize this Strategy to compare a specific finding to previous literature. Again, we are not yet talking about the study as a whole. This level of commentary should definitely be left for the Discussion section or sections where the Results and Discussion sections are combined. Here is an example:

a. “Students’ increase in research writing strategy use was detected at each stage of the process, which is inconsistent with Author (YEAR).”

b. “The lack of this effect was also reported by Authors (YEAR).”

In example a, the language of comparison is tagged onto the end of a result and refers only to a specific result and not the study as a whole. This comparison also shows contrast between the present and previous research. In example b, the comparison takes place in a simple sentence, not taking up much discussion like what we would see in a Results and Discussion or a purely Discussion section. This example is also an instance where the Results are similar in nature. This is to say that comparisons can be made when results are similar or different from previous research.

Now let us take a look at some more language use templates: