The results show what you found, in order and without interpreting it. Interpretation belongs to the discussion; here, every figure must be verifiable.
What it should contain
Follow the same order as the analyses in the method:
- ParticipantsHow many cases there were at each stage and why they were excluded, ideally with a flow diagram.
- DescriptivesMeans, standard deviations, sample characteristics and test assumptions.
- InstrumentsValidity and reliability in your sample, if not reported in the method.
- HypothesesOne test per hypothesis, with its full statistic.
How a statistic is reported
FTest (2, 287)Degrees of freedom = 14.23,Value p < .001,Probability η² = .09Effect size
How it should sound
- No interpretation. “We found”, not “which shows that”.
- Complete. Statistic, degrees of freedom, p and effect size for every test, significant or not.
- No repetition. What is in a table is not copied figure by figure into the text: the text highlights the key points.
- Self-contained tables and figures. With a number, a title and a note explaining what is needed to understand them.
Before and after
| Weak version | Problem | Improved version |
|---|---|---|
| There were significant differences between groups (p < .05). | No statistic, inexact p, no effect size | The groups differed, F(2, 287) = 14.23, p < .001, η² = .09. |
| The correlation was .42, which confirms the theory. | Interprets and omits p and the interval | The correlation was positive and moderate, r = .42, p < .001, 95% CI [.31, .52]. |
| There were no significant results for H2. | Leaves out the data | The relationship between the H2 variables was not significant, r = .08, p = .214. |
What each journal decides. Whether tables and figures go in the text or at the end, their format, their maximum number and the decimal separator change from one journal or conference to another. Check their author guidelines.
Before you call it done
- Does it follow the order of the analyses in the method?
- Does every test have its statistic, degrees of freedom, exact p and effect size?
- Does it also report nonsignificant results?
- Does it avoid interpreting or comparing with other studies?
- Does every table and figure have a number, title and note, and is it cited in the text?
The Manuscript Diagnosis checks statistical reporting: exact p values, effect sizes, degrees of freedom and that the sample size is the same throughout the text. The participant flow diagram is produced by Data Cleaning.
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., & Vandenbroucke, J. P. (2007). The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies. PLoS Medicine, 4(10), e296. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040296
Wilkinson, L., & Task Force on Statistical Inference. (1999). Statistical methods in psychology journals: Guidelines and explanations. American Psychologist, 54(8), 594–604. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.8.594