Write approximately one paragraph of text that explains the results of the experiment. This should be a written summation of the data. The text does not have to meet a certain length; for a simple experiment, the results may be a few sentences. State whether the experiment went as expected and describe any trends or interesting findings in the data. Use the past tense to refer to your data.
For example, you conduct an experiment on solubility and test one solvent's rate of solubility at temperatures from -20 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius at 10-degree intervals. Summarize the data in paragraph form and acknowledge any trends: The experimental data shows that the rate of solubility remained 0 from -20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius. At 50 degrees and higher the solubility increased at each 10-degree interval through 80 degrees Celsius; solubility was calculated at 5.3, 6.7, 8.8 and 11.4, respectively, at each interval.
For more complex results, use tables and figures to display the data and refer to those tables in the summary by their labels. Discuss major trends in the data as well as significant outliers.
Include tables for data that cannot easily be shown in sentence form. Do not repeat the same information that is in the text in a table and vice versa. Data should be relevant to the discussion on the experiment. Generally, if an occurrence can be described in one sentence, a table is suitable to display that data. If you conduct a growth experiment on bacteria with five trials and two conditions, the results could easily be represented in one or two sentences: Trials 1, 3, and 5 had growth under X condition only, while trials 2 and 4 experience growth under X and Y conditions. There is no need for a table in this case. If two more types of bacteria are added to the experiment and growth is measured quantitatively, a table will display the results better.
Improve the readability and clarity of tables by numbering and labeling your tables (i.e. Table 1). Use the table number when referring to a table in the text portion of the results. Title your table appropriately; for the previous example, "Table 1: Bacterial Growth" is an adequate title. Arrange the your table so it reads vertically, meaning like items read down, not across. Data that is meant to be compared should be in a single column. Considering the example, "Trials" will be in a column header and data from each trial (1 to 5) has its own row. The reader can easily compare the data from each trial by looking down the rows of data. Align numbers in the body of a table as if they would be added and do not use lines to separate columns in a table.
Use figures to visually represent data that does not fit well in a table format. Let us pretend the sample photograph shows the amount of rainfall each season for four areas in the country. The data is better displayed in a bar graph than a table because there are several variables involved. Graphs and other illustrations show data in an easy-to-read visual format. Include figures for substantial amounts of data that varies.
Opt for a figure over a table if you want to emphasize trends in data. Maps, drawings, flow charts, bar graphs, pie charts and line graphs are commonly used figures. Each should be labeled correctly and referred to by name (i.e. Figure 1 shows...) in the text portion of the results. If you use multiple figures, such as graphs, make sure they are clearly labeled and have an identical format and size. Do not repeat any information found in the text or tables in a figure. Avoid redundancy and use discretion when deciding which format is best to display specific experimental results.