Statistical analyses in a research paper
Statistical analysis in a research article is its central part, which is presented in the results section. Experienced scientists start writing their manuscripts from the results section because it is the easiest part for the person who carried out the study. Organizing your results first will also help you write other manuscript parts, which all refer to your findings.
Main message
Not all statistics calculated for your data will be worth publishing. Instead, you must select the most relevant findings and organize them into your main message. The main message will be the backbone of your paper, with all manuscript parts built around it. In clinical studies, the main message typically consists of the results related to the primary and several secondary endpoints. For example, the main message in our report is as follows:
Baseline concentrations of the monoclonal protein were unrelated to overall survival, but patients with concentrations above the median had an increased risk for conversion to multiple myeloma.
In preclinical studies, the main message may tell a longer story, with each part presented in a separate paragraph. The main message should be clear. Showing your main message on figures is a good idea, as you can see in our report: Fig. 2A i 2B.
Tables and figures
Before writing the results section, it is best to prepare tables and figures. Tables and figures should be standalone so the reader can understand them without the main text. Other researchers expect your tables and figures to be standalone because they sometimes look over them without reading the entire paper. Editors may browse your tables and figures to get a quick overview of your research before deciding whether to send your paper for review. So always have your tables and figures clear and neat. In our report, you can get the main message from the tables and figures alone. Fig. 1 shows participant selection; Tab. 1 describes the sample in detail; Fig. 2 presents the key results; and Tab. 2 follows up on them with more detail. Having your tables and figures will help you write the results section.
Results section
In the results section, ensure your main message comes out clearly. Describing the most relevant findings in separate paragraphs and showing them in figures may help achieve that. Place directly in text additional information, such as p-values or effect size measures, but do not include too much data. The results section should guide the reader through your analyses and not overwhelm them with unnecessary detail. Instead, try presenting complex results in tables. You should avoid repeating in text the results from tables and figures, but repetition is sometimes necessary for consistency.
Conclusions
- Write the results section before other manuscript parts
- Present your results around the main message
- Prepare tables and figures before writing the results section
- Tables and figures should be standalone
- Do not repeat information from tables and figures in text
Can I expect the statistician to prepare publication-ready results?
Unfortunately, statisticians usually do not have sufficient subject matter knowledge to organize analyses for an original research paper. They also typically do not publish as first authors and are unaware of how to put together the results section. Instead, statisticians may give you countless disconnected statistics. At PaperAccepted.net, we believe you should expect the statistician to deliver a well-organized statistics report, not a pile of data. Just as you want an interior designer to give you a functional project, not randomly arranged furniture. Our statistical reports are well thought out, tell a logical story, and are ready for publication.
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