The result and discussion portion of a research paper is crucial in leading towards the conclusion of the paper itself. This is also a crucial aspect of the paper because it contains the outcome of a certain study. An effective results and discussion section aims to inform readers of what can be learned from the experiment and provides a context for the results (Stran, 2021). By the time of the discussion and the results, the researchers have already introduced the purpose and process of the research paper. The discussion informs readers of the larger implications of the study based on the results (Stran, 2021). Results should be displayed in the manner of which they were obtained, whether that be quantitative, qualitative, or other research methodologies. Successful results and discussion sections should include the results of the research, a discussion of related research, and a comparison between the results and the initial hypothesis (Stran, 2021).Some questions that one can form their foundation on when writing the results and discussion section include was the hypethesis correct, what can be learned from the results if the hypothesis was partially correct or incorrect, how do the conclusions reshape or add to existing knowledge, and why are the results important or relevant to the audience (Stran, 2021).

Researchers Akiba et al. (2020) conducted a research study titled “The role of patient-provider communication: a qualitative study of patient attitudes regarding co-occurring depression and chronic diseases in Malawi.” Data was collected through a semi-structed interview starting with determining patients’ reactions to images depicting individuals with varying levels of depression symptoms (Akiba et al., 2020). The transcripts of the interviews were first read to gain familiarity with the data and subject matter, and during the second reading of the interviews, notes were taken and codes were created (Akiba et al., 2020). The codes included depression causes, symptoms, and treatment sources (Akiba et al., 2020). This aided in reducing the amount of raw data that was collected in the interviews and sort the responses into categories. The research team was also engaged in real-time conversations of the analysis in order to validate findings (Akiba et al., 2020). Time of each interview was listed as an average of 59 minutes each, which the researchers found to be plenty of time to receive information needed for this study (Akiba et al., 2020). And finally, transformation was solidified as cross-verification of participant responses were conducted, ensuring that there were no other interpretations of the findings (Akiba et al., 2020). The findings were listed in 3 categories: patient perspectives on the causes, symptoms, and treatments of depression, the appropriateness of screening services, and the role of the patient-provider dynamic (Akiba et al., 2020). In regards to patients’ perspectives, researchers found that patients consistently reported causes of depressive symptoms as interpersonal conflict (Akiba et al., 2020).

In my opinion, I believe this qualitative research study clearly defined the results and implications of the study in the results and discussion portion. The results and discussion portion of this paper clearly laid out the categories of the interviews and findings, the timing of the interviews, how they were delivered, and the discussions that were shared within these interviews. I also found it very impactful that the researchers performed cross-verification of the results in order to avoid any other interpretation of the findings.I found myself, as a reader, to have minimal questions about the findings and results of the study and I personally believe they were displayed in a way that was clear and easy to interpret as the reader.

References

Akiba, C. F., Zimba, C. C., Thom, A., Matewere, M., Go, V., Pence, B., Gaynes, B. N., & Masiye, J. (2020). The role of patient-provider communication: a qualitative study of patient attitudes regarding co-occurring depression and chronic diseases in Malawi. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02657-2

Stran. (2021, May 20). How to write discussions and conclusions. PLOS. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://plos.org/resource/how-to-write-conclusions…