Manuscript writing_ResultsSectionofmanuscript.pptx

dsecribes how to write results exhaustively to answer the research question and objective.

1. MANUSCRIPT WRITING Results

2. the results section The Results section is to objectively present your key findings, without interpretation They should be: Orderly Using both text and illustrative materials (Tables & Figures) One paper shouldn’t have more than 3 key messages (becomes too much) Always begins with text, reporting the key findings and referring to your figures and tables as you proceed The Results section should be organized around Tables and/or Figures that should be sequenced to present your key findings

3. Key messages Descriptive Usually too limited for a full manuscript Mainly for communicating new information Comparative Most full articles Has an exposure and an outcome Will be the focus for this training

4. Basic flow of the results section Describe your study population Often includes the socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender and education level) Only characteristics important for your study Avoid including outcomes in this section Best presented as a table (Often table/paragraph 1) Results of the primary outcome (Key message you want to communicate for this paper) Will often include effect estimates (relative risk or odds ratio) Will also include the 95% confidence intervals Best presented as a table (Table 2) Results of secondary outcome (add/strengthen primary outcome)

5. Illustrative materials (TABLES and figures) Figures and tables (display/illustration items) are often the quickest way to communicate large amounts of complex information Many readers will only look at your display items without reading the main text Tables and figures should stand alone from the text and communicate clearly your most significant results They eliminate numerical data and long explanations in text

6. deciding which of your results to present in tables & Figures When deciding which of your results to present as display items consider the questions: Are there any data that readers might rather see as a display item rather than text? Do your figures supplement the text and not just repeat what you have stated? Have you put data into a table that could easily be explained in the text?

7. When USING tables and figures Check out what your target journal has to say on the issue (guideline to authors) Some journals limit the number of tables and figures and also have specific guidelines on the design aspects of these display items Decide whether to use tables and figures or text to put across key Information Choose the display item that best fits your purpose based on what you wish readers to focus on and what you want to present. Follow the best-practice guidelines to design tables/figures

8. How to choose between tables, figures, and text Use a table Use a figure Use test To show many and precise numerical values To show trends, patterns and relationships across and between data sets when the general pattern is more important than the exact data value When you don’t have extensive or complicated data to present To compare and contrast data values or characteristics among related items To summarize research results (data plots, maps , pie charts) When putting data into a table would create a table with <= columns To show the presence or absence of specific characteristics To present a visual explanation of sequence of events, geographical features When data is irrelevant to the main study findings

9. This data requires a table

10. These results DON’T require a table

11. tables Divide the data into clear and appropriate variables Present the data in columns and rows Data to be compared must be presented next to one another ( e.g male/female), statistical information (means, standard deviations, N values) must be presented in separate parts of the table. Note De-clutter your table: Ensure that there is sufficient spacing between columns and rows Combine repetitive tables All abbreviations used need to be explained in full in a footnote below the table All columns and rows are titled accurately and descriptively Tables need to be produced in a way that the reader is able to understand without reading any text

12. Elements of Tables Table numbers Number all tables with Arabic numerals sequentially Do not use suffix letters (e.g. Table 3a, 3b, 3c); instead, combine the related tables Titles Each table must have a clear and concise title Headings Each column should have a heading Body is the main part of the table includes all the reported information organized in cells Leave cells blank if the element is not applicable Numerals should be expressed to a consistent number of decimal places Never change the unit of measurement or the number of decimal places in the same column

13. Table 1: Characteristics of the study population Also called the baseline characteristic table in a clinical trial Describes characteristics of the participants in the study Usually has: socio-demographic characteristics medical history and clinical characteristics of the study participants Gives the reader some idea of the extent to which study findings can be generalized to their own local situation Categorical variables (are in categories) are best described by the number (and %) Continuous variables are presented as mean (SD) or median with (interquartile range)

14. Table 2: Main outcomes /key message Usually have the results of the analyses of the primary outcome measures Will often include effect estimates (average difference, relative risk or odds ratio) Effect estimates should always be included with the 95% confidence interval. For (multiple) linear regression analysis the regression coefficients should be included for all cases with their standard errors or a confidence interval. In (multiple) logistic regression analyses odds ratio(s) and their 95% confidence interval are included

15. Guidelines for figures Ensure image clarity Use legends to explain the key message (Use them to draw attention to the central message as well as to explain abbreviations and symbols) Label all important parts (axes, curves) Give specifics: Include scale bars in images and maps; specify units wherever quantities are listed

16. Features of a good figure The informative title that immediately tells the reader what to expect in the graph. The axes are labeled clearly. The key clearly identifies what each element in the graph stands for. A figure legend at the bottom draws the reader’s attention to the graph's key points. A note at the bottom acknowledges the source. The graph is 2-dimensional, with no clutter.

17. Impact of PBO versus pyrethroid chlorfenapyr LLINs on malaria incidence

18. IMPACT of different ipt regimens on parasitemia Abbreviations: SP: Sulfadoxine -pyrimethamine; DP: dihydroartemisinin -piperaquine, AQ: amodiaquine ( Nankabirwa et al 2010 )  

19. Text Write the text of the Results section concisely and objectively The passive voice will likely dominate here but use the active voice as much as possible. Use the past tense Avoid repetitive paragraph structures. Do not interpret the data here. The transition into interpretive language can be a slippery slope.