Readers need to see which data and analyses support a report’s conclusions. Clear writing helps them follow the argument, while source notes and methodological details let them check it. Before sharing a report, review its main findings alongside the tables, calculations, and methodological notes that support them.
Main Findings
For each main claim, identify the source, the group it describes, the time period, and the analysis that supports it. Check that the number in the summary matches the number in the results section, including its denominator, units, and rounding.
For example, an increase in the number of people completing a program does not necessarily mean that the completion rate increased. The number enrolled may also have changed. The report should name the measure and explain why it matters to the research question.
Analytical Choices
Explain how your team handled missing information, exclusions, and changes in definitions. If you used weights or other adjustments, describe their purpose and assumptions. Keep sufficient records of the data preparation and analysis for an appropriate reviewer to follow the work.
Charts and tables need clear labels, source notes, and consistent terminology. Readers should not have to guess whether two figures refer to the same group or use the same definition.
Conclusions and Limitations
Read each conclusion alongside the study’s design and limitations. A difference between groups, or a change over time, does not by itself establish a cause. Distinguish observed findings from possible explanations, and explain where a recommendation also depends on practical judgment.
Readers can judge a conclusion more carefully when the report explains how the team reached it. They can then decide how to use the finding and what further evidence they need.