Why does my results section feel disjointed after peer review?
I am a PhD candidate in molecular biology and my first draft of the results and discussion was rejected by the department's writing center. The feedback said the narrative jumps around and the statistical tables are not integrated, even though I followed APA 7 guidelines and kept the section under 2500 words. I have two weeks before the conference deadline and need to restructure the section for clearer argument flow.
1 Answer
Your results section feels disjointed because you are likely presenting data as a chronological list of experiments rather than as a cohesive narrative that directly supports your central research question. To fix this, you must reorganize your findings into thematic modules that build a logical argument, ensuring each statistical table is explicitly introduced and interpreted within the text rather than left to stand alone as a reference. The most effective way to unify your findings is to draft a single sentence summary for each paragraph that explains how that specific data point advances your core hypothesis. When you treat your results as a story where every figure serves as a plot point, you stop the reader from getting lost in the technical details. For instance, if you are analyzing protein expression levels, don't just list the p-values; instead, frame the paragraph by stating how the observed variance confirms or challenges your initial expectation for that pathway. By linking the statistical significance directly to the biological implications in every paragraph, you transform isolated tables into a compelling chain of evidence that guides the reviewer through your logic. This approach forces you to cut any data that doesn't actively contribute to your main argument, which naturally tightens your word count and improves the overall flow. If you find yourself struggling to justify why a specific table is included, it is likely cluttering your narrative and should be moved to the supplementary information. Focusing on the "why" behind your data rather than just the "what" will make your results section feel intentional and professional.
Have a similar question?
Ask the community →