Essentials of writing biomedical research papers Essentials of writing biomedical research papers Mimi Zeiger ISBN: 0-07-112998-7 Results Yao Dung Hsieh DDS, PhD, EMBA Dental Department, Veterans General Hospital Kao Hsiung Dental School, National Defense Medical Center

Functions To state the results of the experiments described in Materials and Methods. Either to present data that support the results or to cite figures or tables that present data.

Content Report only results pertinent to the question. Included results whether or not they support your hypothesis. Keep data to a minimum in the text. Present most data, in particular important data, in figures and tables. G:\dback\Regularly update\Article\-1-published-----IEJ----RCT86\published RCT paper 2007.pdf Present data after stating the result they support, not instead of stating the result. Give a clear idea of the magnitude of a response or a difference by reporting percent change or the percentage of difference rather than by quotating exact data.

Content Report only results pertinent to the question. If you assessed an indicator of a variable, describe results for the indicators. Be sure that data are accurate and internally consistent. For normally distributed data that have been analyzed statistically, report the mean and a statistic that estimates the variation from the mean (for example, the standard deviation) and specify which statistic you are reporting. Also give the sample size (n) and probability values for tests of statistical significance. G:\dback\Regularly update\Article\7-Published COIR- 小米Ortho-implant\Electronic version of published article.pdf For non-normally distributed data that have been analyzed statistically, report the median and the inter quartile range.

Overall Organization Organize the Results section either chronologically or from most to least important. For most to least important, put results that answer the question (s) at the beginning of the Results section or at the beginning of paragraph 1 and successive paragraphs.

Organization Within Paragraphs Organize information in each paragraph of the Results section from most to least important. State a result at the beginning of each paragraph. If explanatory details and data are necessary, put them in supporting sentences after the result. Subordinate controls by describe control results along with or after experimental results whenever possible, not before experimental results.

Organization Within Paragraphs Subordinate methods, for example by making them the subject of the sentence or by putting them in a transition clause. Method as a topic sentence (undesirable) We administered propranolol during normal ventilation. The beta-blocker decreased phospholipid. Method subordinated as the subject; result in the verb +object Propranolol administered during normal ventilation decreased phospholipid. Method subordinated in a transition clause; result in main clause When propranolol was administred during normal ventilation, phospholipid decreased

Organization Within Paragraphs Subordinate figure and table citations by putting them in parentheses after a sentence stating a result, usually the first result relevant to the figure or table. Subordinate data by putting them in parentheses after the result. If data are presented in a table or a figure, do not repeat them in the text.

Correlation Between Results and Methods Check that for every result in the Results section there is a method in the Methods section.

Length Keep the Results section brief and uncluttered so that the reader can see the forest for the trees. If the outcome of one experiment determines what the next experiment will be, describe the protocol in the Results section, and keep details to a minimum so that the trees do not overshadow the forest. G:\dback\Regularly update\Article\26-Pub - J Formosal med associ- rapid diagnosis of bact menigitis with microrray\[J Formos Med Assoc 2008 107 448–453.pdf

Details Mention the species and the material studied at least once in the Results section, preferably in the first sentence. Use A,B,C, etc., to identify individual human subjects, or 1,2,3,etc., for more than 26 subjects. Report results in the past tense. When comparing results, do not use “compared with.” In particular, avoid ambiguous comparisons such as “X was increased compared with Y.” Distinguish between “could not” and “did not” and between “did not” and “failed to.” Quantify qualitative terms such as “markedly.”

Details Use “significant” and “significantly” for statistically significance. Write means and standard deviations in the form “48.7± 1.3 (SD) ml.” Use a similar form for means and standard errors of the mean. For statistical comparisons, if a single statistic (for example, standard deviation) and a single sample size (n) apply to all the data and are identified clearly in the Methods section, do not repeat these details each time you give data; mention them only the first time. If probability values are given in figures or tables, do not give them in the text. Give actul P values both for significant and for nonsignificant differences. Do not write “n = .” Specify not only the samples size but also what the sample is (for example, in 16 rabbits”).

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