The most important thing for me about the conclusions section of a high-quality research report is . . .

In the conclusions section of research reports I look for both a clear and succinct summary of the results as well as the implications of these results. By the time I get to the conclusions section, I should know how the study was done and what the detailed results were. Getting a clear summary of the significant results before the interpretation of the results is helpful.

The implications of the results follow from the summary of the results. A great research report will interpret the results and give implications that flow directly from them. Without an interpretation of the results it is easy to wonder whether the study has any significance. Even when a study gets a result that was unexpected, the interpretation of these results can make the study meaningful and significant for the reader as he or she seeks to apply the results to their own practice. When I am looking through articles to determine whether they are suitable for my topic, I first read the abstract. If I think it will help me in my own research then I go to the conclusion section to determine what the results were and how those results apply. Obviously if I use an article then I will go through it all but the conclusion section can give a helpful preview of the study’s findings and implications.

When trying to determine an article’s suitability for a topic you are interested in, where do you look first after reading the abstract and why?