A useful results section example separates measured findings from explanations about what those findings mean. The results report observable data, while the analysis interprets the data and connects it to the research question. A clear analysis outline also helps place a newspaper source in the discussion without treating journalism as the study’s primary evidence.
Results section example: observable data with clear labels
Consider the research question: Does a 10-minute retrieval quiz improve students’ scores on a later unit test? A study assigns 60 students to either a retrieval-quiz group or a control group. The quiz group completes a short practice quiz after each lesson; the control group reviews the lesson normally.
A results section could present the findings as follows:
- Sample: The study included 60 students, with 30 in each group.
- Retrieval-quiz group: The mean unit-test score was 82%, with a standard deviation of 9 percentage points.
- Control group: The mean unit-test score was 75%, with a standard deviation of 11 percentage points.
- Difference: The retrieval-quiz group’s mean score was 7 percentage points higher than the control group’s mean score.
This wording reports what was measured and observed. It does not claim that retrieval practice caused the difference, explain why the scores differed, or recommend a teaching method. If an assignment requires separate results and discussion sections, interpretation should remain out of the results section.
Results versus analysis: what belongs where
The results section answers, “What did the study find?” It presents sample characteristics, measurements, statistical tests, patterns, and differences in a neutral order. Labels, units, percentages, averages, and significance values make the findings easier to verify.
The analysis section answers, “What do these findings mean for the research question?” It explains the importance of a pattern, considers possible reasons for it, compares it with relevant research, and identifies limits on the claim. The analysis may state that the score difference is consistent with a benefit from retrieval practice, but that interpretation should follow the reported evidence rather than replace it.
Analysis outline: claim, evidence, interpretation, limits, and the research question
The following structure can organize one analytical paragraph or a longer section:
- Claim: State the answer suggested by the finding. For example, the retrieval-quiz group performed better on the unit test.
- Evidence: Identify the precise result supporting the claim, such as the 82% versus 75% means and the 7-point difference.
- Interpretation: Explain what the pattern may mean. Retrieval practice may have strengthened recall, but the data alone may not establish the exact mechanism.
- Limitations: Identify factors that restrict the claim, including the small sample, one course, unequal attendance, or the absence of random assignment.
- Connection to the research question: Return directly to whether the evidence answers the question and state how confidently it does so.
A model analysis might read: “Students who completed retrieval quizzes scored seven percentage points higher than students in the control group. This pattern is consistent with the possibility that frequent recall supported later performance. However, the sample came from one course, and students were not randomly assigned, so prior motivation or study habits may have contributed to the difference. The findings therefore support a cautious association between retrieval quizzes and higher test scores rather than a definitive causal conclusion.”
Using a newspaper source in the analysis
A newspaper article can provide current context, public reaction, or an example of how the research issue appears outside academic literature. It should support the interpretation, not substitute for the study’s data or a peer-reviewed source. For example, an article about schools adopting retrieval quizzes could show that the issue has practical relevance. The analysis should distinguish the source’s report from the study’s finding: the newspaper describes an educational development, while the study supplies the measured score difference.
Introduce the source with an accurate signal phrase, such as “Nguyen (2024) reports that several districts are testing short review quizzes.” Then explain the connection: the report provides context for why the study’s results may matter, but it does not prove that the intervention caused the observed outcome.
APA citation for a newspaper article: online, print, and no-author patterns
For an online newspaper article with an individual author, use the author and year in the text. Parenthetical form: (Nguyen, 2024). Narrative form: Nguyen (2024). The reference-list pattern is:
Nguyen, L. (2024, October 8). Schools test later start times to improve attendance. The Daily Ledger. https://www.example.com/article
For a print article with an individual author, replace the URL with the page number:
Nguyen, L. (2024, October 8). Schools test later start times to improve attendance. The Daily Ledger, p. A3.
When an online newspaper article has no individual author, move the article title into the author position. In text, use a shortened title and year: (“Schools Test Later Start Times,” 2024). The reference-list pattern is:
Schools test later start times to improve attendance. (2024, October 8). The Daily Ledger. https://www.example.com/article
For a no-author print article, omit the URL and add the page number after the newspaper title. Article titles use sentence case in the reference list; the newspaper name is italicized. These patterns allow the newspaper evidence to be identified without confusing it with the paper’s own results.
