6 Evidence Appraisal: Research 139
The Results
Study results list the findings of the data analysis and should not contain com-
mentary. Give particular attention to figures and tables, which are the heart of
most papers. Look to see whether results report statistical versus clinical signifi-
cance, and look up unfamiliar terminology, symbols, or logic.
The Discussion
Results should be tied to material in the introduction. The research findings
should be discussed and meaning given to the results. The main weaknesses or
limitations of the study should be identified with the actions taken to minimize
them, and the broad implications of the findings should be stated.
The reviewer should be cautioned that writers may use language to sway the
reader. In his classic discussion on reading research, Graham (1957) notes that
researchers can overstate their findings or use an assertive sentence in a way that
makes their statement of findings sound like a well-established fact. (Critically
view vague expressions similar to “It is generally believed that...”)
The Conclusion
The conclusion should contain a brief restatement of the experimental results
and implications of the study (Lunsford & Lunsford, 1996). If the conclusion is
not called out by a separate header, it usually falls at the end of the discussion
section.
The Overall Report
The parts of the research article should be highly interconnected and provide suf-
ficient information so that the reviewer can make an informed judgment about
the connections. Any hypotheses should flow directly from the review of litera-
ture. Results should support arguments presented in the discussion and conclu-
sion sections.
An EBP team should be aware of duplicate publications—that is, more than
one publication that reports findings from the same research study. “Duplicate
publication of^ original research is particularly problematic, since it can^ result in
