Writing Strategies for Indicate Alternative Presentation of Results

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This Strategy is used to point to and/or summarize results in order to direct the reader to results that are visually displayed elsewhere (e.g., tables, graphs, charts, pictures, etc.). Also, this Strategy is utilized to help the reader see complex results in a more comprehensible, concise form, and to facilitate understanding of the results presented alternatively.

Using visual methods to present data is a great way of making your Results section easy to follow. If appropriate, consider using charts, graphs, tables or figures to present results, but make sure to title all alternative presentations carefully so that they are representative of the content they contain. Readers should be able to read and comprehend your visuals in isolation from the rest of the text. You should also point to these alternative presentations in text before they are inserted in the manuscript, usually in the paragraph immediately preceding its placement in the text.

If you are presenting data in figures or tables, the accompanying text should add new information or emphasize only the most important results that lead to the take-home messages of the research. That is, rather than simply repeat what your reader can already see in the figure/table, try to avoid repetition. If you are doubtful about how much information to include in your Results, you can usually add an appendix to streamline writing the Results section. Inserting your raw data into the appendix section or as supplementary data (if the publisher has such an option) allows readers to follow or replicate your calculations.

Here are a few additional tips when Indicating Alternative Presentations of Results:

• Figures and tables should be numbered consecutively in the order in which you mention them. Check journal guidelines for special considerations. In some cases, any alternative presentation of the results should be added at the end of the manuscript instead of within the text. Again, journal guidelines should specify what is expected upon submission.
• Your text should complement the graphical information and vice versa. If you are not able to describe information like controls, statistical analyses, actual p values, and key observations in your figure legends, table notes, or title descriptions, then include this information in the text of the Results section. As stated earlier, be sure to avoid repetition when possible or when repetition does not add value to your message.
• Summarize your results in the text, drawing on the figures and tables to illustrate your points. You should refer to every table or figure in the text. Anything you don’t feel the need to highlight can safely be removed.

Now, take a moment to look through a set of articles for instances when the researcher points to a table or figure.

• What verb tense is being used? 
• What verb tense is used when the researcher is reporting the findings in the text?
• Is there a difference?

You will notice that the authors often report findings within the text in the present or past tense. However, when referring to alternative presentation of results, the verb tense is often in the present tense as in the following sentence:

a. “Table 3 shows means and standard deviations for both groups of participants for gender and number agreement across the four conditions.”

Other verbs may include: illustrates, visualizes, summarizes, presents, and contains. Here are some additional Language Use patterns: