It's quite easy to get these two areas mixed up!
The results section is where you include details about what you found (just the facts, ma'am). While the discussion section is where you synthesize what you've found and talk about possible meanings and implications.
We've provided a breakdown of what information you should be including following PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
The results section of your review provides details about your search results, your process for reviewing those results, and the evidence you extracted from the results. It will include the following elements:
Links for More Information
Dr Fihn (2019), shared a list of examples of issues that were most relevant to clinical research, including misreporting of results by selectively reporting or focusing on favorable outcomes related to the study, disregarding results that contradict the hypothesis, or misleading interpretations. Situations where misinterpretations of results occur can be detrimental to not just other clinicians and research scientists, but also to the lay community, as they "may not have the expertise to interpret the important subtleties of statistical testing and are necessarily reliant on authors and editors to convey results in a balanced and accurate manner. Failure to do so can lead to exuberant adoption of marginally effective, useless, or even harmful clinical interventions as well as create unfounded anxiety among patients."
The discussion section of your review is where you will synthesize your own results and possibly bring into the context of the field by referencing other sources. It will include the following elements:
A PRISMA Diagram is a flow chart that shows the decision making path you took to eliminate search results and land on a final group of information sources to review. The content can vary based on the type of review and the types of sources you choose to include. Here is an example:
Resources to Find Templates
Check out our Survival Guide for articles to help you with writing your research.
