Presenting the data of a research project, writing strategies '

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Lecture 2.1

• Presenting the data of a research project,
  writing strategies .

2.1. How to present the data of your research
project, - and how data are presented in
different disciplines. 2.2. Important points
when presenting a research project, - and how to
critically read a research article.
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The different ways of presenting data of a
research project commonly varies greatly from
discipline to discipline.

• - Between disciplines
• What are the different writing styles within the
  article on traditional knowledge and use of
  natural resources in Guatemala by Nesheim et al.,
  and the article by Stige et al. concerning
  climate and agropastoral production in Africa,
• - And among disciplines
• What are the different writing styles between
  the among articles and the article by Ortner, or
  Wilhite et al. 2001?

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• Form and structure.
• Length of texts different scientific traditions
  in natural and social sciences.
• Note the different length of the articles in the
  compendium.
• Seldom foot-notes in text of natural sciences..
• Take two minutes and think of differences
  advantages and disadvantages with long texts
  versus short texts!

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• Rigid structure versus non rigid structure.
• i.e. do not follow the purpose, methods, results
  discussion structure.

• The structure by headlines in the article by
  Nesheim et al., compared to the article by Ortner.

• By Nesheim et al.
• Introduction
• Study area
• Methodology
• Data analysis
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion

By Ortner 1. Geerts, Culture and power 2. Death
and orientalism 3. Thick resistance, the cultural
construction of agency 4. Death happens 5.
Conclusions Ironies of theory
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Still, in most written texts variants of the
below points are included.

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion

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Introduction (and study area)

• Introduce the subject of interest.
• Purpose
• Ex. Peres et al. article Here we show that
  patterns of variation in population size
  structure are consistent with recruitment
  bottlenecks resulting from long-term harvest.
• The need for the study!
• As an example, the need for the study is clearly
  stated in the article by Stige et al. We need
  detailed knowledge about how different crop and
  livestock types respond...
• Background, situate the frame of the study within
  the larger context.

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Introduction (and study area)

• Hypothesis / Research questions.
• The hypothesis or the research questions must be
  specifically focused.
• Make sure that the questions are answered in the
  research article.
• Place of research (study area).
• includes information of the natural environment.
• the history of the area.
• various characteristics concerning the human
  population in the area.
• A figure of the study area are often imbedded in
  the article.

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Background

• Include a more in-depth introduction of the
  subject to be discussed.
• It could include historical facts, or other
  information of importance for the subject of
  focus.
• Generally a different headline in the paper.
• Ex. In Nesheim et al. 2006 The migrant
  community and the study area, in Wilhite et al.
  1996 Contrasts in background variables.

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Methodology and (statistical analysis).

• Methodology is important for the validity of the
  data and the comparability of the data.
• Collect data in a systematic way using an
  explicit methodology, to show how we arrived at
  our conclusions.
• Plot design and data collection must be
  accurately described.

10 m
100 m
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Methodology and (statistical analysis).

• Who and what will be studies?
• How were the informants selected?
• Which variables are measured and what are the
  units.
• Statistical analysis/analysis of data, often as a
  separate under-section.
• how are data coded and categorized
• which analysis is being preformed and how it is
  being preformed.

RPij k0 S0(longi, lati)
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Results/Findings

• The result section should include own results
  only, and no elements of discussion.
• Tables and figures may visualize data in a nice
  way.
• Tables and figures must be mentioned in the text.
  
• Tables and figures must be clearly labeled.

The road
skid trails
felling gaps
The logging 4 plot.
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Results/Findings
Fig. 1
-The density of seedlings and high, e.g. 180
230 seedlings for then to decline rapidly in
the subsequent dbh classes (fig. 1). -The
climate effects we observe are strong, and
particularly so for southern Africa, and
particularly
Regeneration classes of Calophyllum brasiliense
Table 1.
so for maize(Table 1) (Stige et al. 2006).
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Results

• Dont use inaccurate interpretation of your
  findings to make them agree with the conclusions
  youre after.
• Dont report conclusions that are unsupported by
  your actual research
• Dont cover up results that you dont like.
• Report your findings accurately and rethink your
  original position.

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Discussion

• Each paragraph should have four parts, main
  message, critical assessment, comparison with
  other studies and conclusion.
• The same relates to papers in which the findings
  and the discussion is written together.
• Start with the main message answering the
  question posed in the introduction, and include
  the main supporting evidence.
• Our results imply that African food production
  may be severely reduced if the global climate
  changes toward more El Niño-like conditions, as
  most climate models predict (IPC 2001). (Stige et
  al. 2006).
• The clear message is that current Brazil nut
  harvesting practices at many Amazonia forest
  sites are not sustainable in the long term (Peres
  et al. 2003).

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Discussion

• All kinds of explanation or forming of questions
  should be stated here.
• Discuss similarities and differences between
  different papers.
• Similar results by other scientists should be
  used to support your result.
• Documentation of different results is important
  to throw light on differences in f. instance
  methodology, or simply that the issue is more
  complex. Differences could also be used to put
  focus on a situation.
• Ex. Nesheim et al. page 121 in the compendium.
• Build up arguments based on findings
• The process of knowledge transmission have
  changed form long-term learning to short-term
  learning and may be part of the reason why people
  have changed their resource use and consumption
  pattern Nesheim et al. 2006.

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Discussion

• Put in text documentation and source information
  in proper form, i.e. remember references..
• A statement should be supported by other research
• A similar finding should be referred for support
  to your finding.
• It is allowed to speculate, but be aware of
  speculation that is not documented.

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Conclusion

• Draw the lines.
• Comments, that is comments on possible
  implication and suggestions for further research.
• Dont report conclusions that are unsupported by
  your actual research.
• Dont introduce new material.
• In most natural science papers, the conclusion is
  part of the discussion..