Dealing with Data » Reaching Conclusions from Data

From results to a conclusion

Key terms:

• Pattern: a clear trend in the data, such as one condition having a higher mean than another.

A conclusion is the interpretation of the patterns in the data to make a reasoned decision about whether the results support the research aim. Look at the two halves of that definition. First you find the pattern. Then you decide what it means for the aim.

How to reach a conclusion

Follow these four steps every time.

1. Read the aim. The aim tells you what the researcher wanted to find out.
2. Find the pattern. Compare the means (or other scores) in the table or the heights of the bars. Which condition is higher? By how much?
3. Decide. Does the pattern match the aim? If the data shows what the researcher expected, the results support the aim. If it does not, they do not support it.
4. Write it as a sentence that uses the numbers and the words from the scenario.

Worked example: a table

A researcher wanted to find out whether a tidy desk helps pupils to finish more sums in 10 minutes. Half the pupils worked at a tidy desk and half at a messy desk. The table shows the mean number of sums finished.

Condition	Mean number of sums finished
Tidy desk	12
Messy desk	12

Notice that a conclusion can say the aim is not supported. That is still a good conclusion if the data backs it up.

Worked example: a bar chart

A researcher wanted to find out whether a plant in the room helps pupils to do better in a spot-the-difference task. A bar chart showed two bars. The bar for "Plant in room" reached 14 and the bar for "No plant" reached 9 on a y-axis labelled "Mean number of differences found (out of 20)".

Take care with your wording

• Say "the results support the aim" rather than "this proves it". One study with a small sample cannot prove anything for certain.
• Check that the condition you name matches the bar or the row. Reading the wrong bar gives the wrong conclusion.
• If two means are very close, be careful. A tiny difference may not show a clear pattern.
• Stay with the data you are given. Do not bring in what you think should happen, or other studies.

Research methods checklist for Section D

Section D is the research methods section of both papers. Paper 1 asks about experiments and Paper 2 asks about non-experimental methods, and Sections 7.5 to 7.9 appear in both. Use this checklist for any new scenario.

• Read the aim first. Everything in your answer should link to it.
• Name the method. Is it an experiment, an observation, a questionnaire, an interview or a case study?
• Use the scenario. Put the names of the people, the task and the numbers into every answer.
• Check the basics. Think about variables, design, sampling, validity, reliability and ethics where the question asks.
• For data, go in order. Read the table or chart, find the pattern, then write a conclusion that links to the aim.
• Match the marks. One mark is one clear point. A 3-mark question needs three separate points.

Common mistakes

Exam-style question

A researcher wanted to find out whether pupils understand a text better when they take notes by hand than when they type notes. Pupils read the same article and then took a comprehension test out of 20. The table shows the mean test score.

Way of taking notes	Mean comprehension score (out of 20)
By hand	15
Typing	11

(a) State the pattern shown in the data. [1 mark]

(b) Write a conclusion for this study. [2 marks]

(c) Explain why a conclusion is different from a result. [2 marks]