Science Research Project
Dr. Swanchara
Name __________________________
Date ________________________
RESULTS
Tips:
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Don’t forget formatting
The whole paper should be past tense
No personal pronouns!!
If your hypothesis is not supported, do not use the evaluation purely to explain why the experiment “failed;”
instead, consider what the data does mean, or what might have gone wrong.
Don’t overstate the significance of your findings.
This section should be at least ¾ of a page, double-spaced.
The Results are a summary of the statistical test in paragraph form and should include:
 Topic sentence
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Identify the IV and the DV
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State whether the data (DV) was quantitative (continuous) or qualitative (nominal, or ordinal).
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Include the numbers for the means for each group. Ex: “The means for organic and inorganic fertilizer were
23.5 cm and 35.6 cm, respectively.” Do include units. Refer to your graph (See Graph 1.)
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A description of the statistics done (what tests did you do? t-Test?)
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What was the P value for each test? Remember hypotheses are accepted or rejected based on the P value only.
“The means of the experimental groups were significantly different (P<0.05).” “The __ group was
statistically different from the control with a P<0.01.” “There was no statistically significant difference
between the means of ____ and _____ (P>0.05).”
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Refer to the statistical table(s) (no raw data) (See Table 1.) Make sure your table is labeled Table 1 (or 2…)
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State the null hypothesis (remember this means that the IV will have no affect on the DV)
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State whether the null hypothesis was accepted or rejected.
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Be specific! A few extra words can make the results easier for readers to understand, so use them. Do not use
the word “it.”
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State whether the alternative hypothesis was supported or not supported. The alternative hypothesis is your
original hypothesis – Make sure you review your original hypothesis and do not change it to match your
experimental outcome.
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The text should be about ¾ to 1page.
Place the table(s) and graph(s) on a separate page (s) using page breaks - it protects the formatting a little from text
edits. Shrink the tables in Excel before pasting in to Word.
TABLE
Headings (with UNITS) are required on all columns and rows.
Titles go above the table, typed in ALL CAPS (TABLE 1: PLANT HEIGHT (cm) VERSUS LIGHT
EXPOSURE). Shrink the table as much as possible in Excel before pasting into Word.
GRAPH
Be sure you are using the correct graph – refer to the PowerPoint handout for this.
Science Research Project
Dr. Swanchara
Name __________________________
Date ________________________
CONCLUSIONS
The conclusions section discusses why you got the results that you did. (Do not say “I got the results
because…” You should include:
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Introductory sentence
Claim – was the hypothesis supported or not supported (never proved!). Include P value (P>0.05 or
P<0.05)
It’s okay if the statistics do not support your (alternative) hypothesis – it is still a result worth sharing.
Reasoning - explain how the data support the claim. Never leave it up to your reader to draw
connections.
Evidence – refer to the data! Never make a claim without evidence.
Explain why the independent variable caused the change in the dependent variable.
Answer your initial research question (Statement of the problem)
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Briefly analyze the errors. Errors due to experimental design, random errors?
Was the instrumentation reliable (consistent in the readings) and accurate (give a true reading)?
How much can you generalize the results to broader scopes. Would all ___ react the same way?
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Improvements to the experimental design – procedure, sample size (be realistic), analysis
The “next step” – questions raised from your research that could lead future research (not by you,
probably, but by someone who might be interested)
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Tips:






Don’t forget formatting
The whole paper should be past tense
No personal pronouns!!
If your hypothesis is not supported, do not use the evaluation purely to explain why the experiment
“failed;” instead, consider what the data does mean, or what might have gone wrong.
Don’t overstate the significance of your findings.
This section should be at least ¾ of a page.
Science Research Project
Dr. Swanchara
Name __________________________
Date ________________________
SRP #11 Results and Conclusions
Criteria
Previous Revisions done
Points
Possible
15
Results
Topic sentence, identify variables
Type of data – qualitative vs quantitative
Continuous ratio or interval, nominal, ordinal
Summary of statistics – what tests were used, means or modes with units included,
state if P was <> 0.05 (or possibly <0.01)
2
2
5
Null hypothesis – accepted or rejected
3
Alternative hypothesis – supported or not supported
3
Table – table of statistics, not raw data
Table is referred to in body of Results
5
Graph – graph is appropriate for data type – not a graph of raw data
Graph is referred to in body of Results
5
Conclusions
Conclusions – well-written discussion of what the statistics mean.
Claim – was alternative (original) hypothesis supported or not – this is yes or no –
not “supported a little”
Give evidence for the claim -– refer to the data and statistical tests
5
3
Why did the IV cause/not cause a change in the DV? This is an important
explanation – the main purpose of the conclusions
5
Evaluate sources of error or uncertainty
Limitations – limits of instruments, methods available
3
Future – improvements to procedure or experimental design
2
The Next Question – What could be looked at next? What could be the next step?
2
On time
10
Total
70
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