Communication and Presentation of Findings
Reporting Inquiry Clearly and Honestly
Communication translates your investigation for an audience. Structure reports with question, background, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion, and tailor language and depth to the audience (peers, teachers, community). Use visuals purposefully: labeled axes, units, legends, and captions that let a figure stand alone. Present results (what you found) separately from discussion (what it means), and state limitations and next steps. Acknowledge contributors and cite sources.
Concepts to Know
- Audience adaptation and clear, precise language.
- Data visualization ethics: no distorted scales, no misleading color or cropping.
- Uncertainty communication: ranges, caveats, and confidence language.
- Oral presentation skills: signposting, pacing, anticipating questions.
- Honest reporting: sharing null or unexpected results, not just favorable ones.
Traps in Questions
- Mixing interpretation into the results section.
- Presenting graphs without labels, units, or captions.
- Overstating conclusions beyond what the data support.
- Hiding inconvenient or null findings.
- Using jargon or detail mismatched to the audience.
Worked Example / Rule of Thumb
Rule of thumb: a reader should be able to reproduce your study and interpret each figure without your narration. Example: instead of a slide stating "our program worked great," present a labeled bar chart of pre- and post-scores with the sample size, then a separate slide noting the gain, its size relative to variability, and the limitation that no control group was used.