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Data Interpretation

This document provides a concise cheat sheet for data interpretation in research papers, outlining the structure and phrasing necessary for the 'Data Interpretation' or 'Results & Discussion' section. Key components include restating the research question, summarizing results with statistical evidence, interpreting findings in context, comparing with existing literature, acknowledging limitations, and concluding with a link to research objectives. It emphasizes a structured approach to reporting results, ensuring clarity and relevance to the research goals.

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33 views2 pages

Data Interpretation

This document provides a concise cheat sheet for data interpretation in research papers, outlining the structure and phrasing necessary for the 'Data Interpretation' or 'Results & Discussion' section. Key components include restating the research question, summarizing results with statistical evidence, interpreting findings in context, comparing with existing literature, acknowledging limitations, and concluding with a link to research objectives. It emphasizes a structured approach to reporting results, ensuring clarity and relevance to the research goals.

Uploaded by

naofumiiwatani1223
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Got it 👍 — for a research paper, data interpretation should be concise, formal, and tied to your

research objectives, not like a full business report. Let me slim it down into a research-style
data interpretation cheat sheet:

📝 Data Interpretation Cheat Sheet (for Research Papers)

Structure (what to write in your “Data Interpretation” or “Results & Discussion” section)

1. Restate the research question/variable briefly


→ “This section interprets the results of [test/analysis] on [variable].”

2. Summarize the key result (numbers first, words after)


→ “The mean score of Group A (M = 85.2, SD = 4.3) was higher than Group B (M = 78.1,
SD = 5.0).”
→ “A t-test confirmed this difference was statistically significant, t(48) = 2.67, p < 0.01.”

3. Interpret the meaning (connect numbers to context)


→ “This suggests that Group A performed better, possibly due to [factor/mechanism].”
→ “The result supports Hypothesis 1, which predicted that…”

4. Compare with previous studies/literature


→ “These findings are consistent with [Author, Year], who also found…”
→ “In contrast, [Author, Year] reported no significant difference…”

5. Acknowledge limitations
→ “However, the sample size was limited, which may affect generalizability.”
→ “The data only covered [time/place], so further studies are needed…”

6. Conclude with a link to your objective


→ “Overall, the data indicate that [main conclusion], addressing the study’s objective
of…”

Phrasing Templates

 Neutral reporting:
“The analysis revealed that…”
“Results indicated a significant/non-significant relationship between…”

 Interpretive phrasing:
“This finding suggests that…”
“This may be explained by…”
“The result supports/contradicts…”

 Cautious statements:
“This could imply that…”
“One possible interpretation is…”
“Although the trend was observed, it should be interpreted with caution due to…”

Example (short, research-style)

The analysis revealed that students who studied with visual aids scored higher (M = 87.5, SD =
3.2) than those without aids (M = 81.4, SD = 4.7). A t-test confirmed this difference was
significant, t(58) = 3.21, p < 0.01. This suggests that the use of visual aids positively impacts
performance. These findings align with the work of Cruz (2020), who also reported improved
outcomes with visual learning strategies. However, the relatively small sample size limits
generalizability. Overall, the results support the hypothesis that visual aids enhance academic
performance.

👉 For a research paper, think:


Numbers → Interpretation → Link to literature → Limitations → Tie back to objective.

Would you like me to turn this into a ready-to-fill template (like a Word or PDF form you just
plug your values into)? That way you can copy-paste directly into your research paper.

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