Distinguishing an Author's Findings from Their Interpretation in Spanish

Distinguishing an Author's Findings from Their Interpretation in Spanish

In this lesson, you will separate three layers of a research article: the data collected, the findings produced by analysis, and the interpretation the authors offer to explain those findings. Section headings, reporting verbs, modal language, and limitations help you recover the distinction even when a paragraph combines more than one layer.

Research example

Question:

¿Cómo cambia la participación en un curso en línea cuando se envían recordatorios semanales? — How does participation in an online course change when weekly reminders are sent?

Data

Durante ocho semanas se registró el número de accesos y tareas completadas por 300 participantes. — For eight weeks, the number of logins and completed tasks by 300 participants was recorded.

This describes the information collected.

Finding

El grupo que recibió recordatorios completó, en promedio, un 11 % más de tareas que el grupo sin recordatorios. — The group that received reminders completed, on average, 11% more tasks than the group without reminders.

This is an analyzed result from the study.

Interpretation

Los autores proponen que los recordatorios pudieron reducir el olvido de tareas y mantener la atención sobre el curso. — The authors propose that the reminders may have reduced task forgetting and maintained attention on the course.

This is an explanation offered for the finding. The study did not directly measure “forgetting” as a psychological mechanism.

Do not turn interpretation into measurement

Wrong:

El estudio demostró que los participantes olvidaban menos las tareas. — The study proved that participants forgot tasks less often.

Accurate:

El estudio observó una mayor tasa de tareas completadas; los autores interpretan ese patrón como compatible con una reducción del olvido. — The study observed a higher rate of completed tasks; the authors interpret that pattern as consistent with reduced forgetting.

Use section headings

Common headings:

• Método — Method
• Resultados — Results
• Discusión — Discussion
• Limitaciones — Limitations

Resultados usually tells you what the analysis found. Discusión often explains what the authors think the findings mean, how they relate to earlier work, and what alternative explanations remain.

Use reporting verbs as clues

Finding language:

se observó — was observed.

se encontró — was found.

los resultados muestran — the results show.

Interpretation language:

los autores sugieren — the authors suggest.

los autores interpretan — the authors interpret.

podría explicarse por — could be explained by.

One paragraph can mix layers

Paragraph:

El grupo experimental obtuvo una puntuación media más alta. Esta diferencia podría reflejar una mayor familiaridad con la herramienta, aunque no se midió ese factor de forma independiente. — The experimental group obtained a higher average score. This difference could reflect greater familiarity with the tool, although that factor was not measured independently.

Finding:

El grupo experimental obtuvo una puntuación media más alta. — The experimental group obtained a higher average score.

Interpretation:

La diferencia podría reflejar una mayor familiaridad con la herramienta. — The difference could reflect greater familiarity with the tool.

Limitation:

No se midió ese factor de forma independiente. — That factor was not measured independently.

Do not expand the population

Study population:

300 participantes de un curso universitario en línea. — 300 participants in one online university course.

Too broad:

Los recordatorios mejoran la participación de todos los estudiantes universitarios. — Reminders improve participation among all university students.

Faithful:

En el curso analizado, el grupo con recordatorios completó más tareas en promedio. — In the course analyzed, the reminder group completed more tasks on average.

Interpretation can be plausible without being established

El mecanismo propuesto es plausible porque coincide con el patrón observado, pero no fue medido directamente. — The proposed mechanism is plausible because it matches the observed pattern, but it was not measured directly.

Findings can also be limited

Finding:

No se observó una diferencia clara en la semana ocho. — No clear difference was observed in week eight.

Do not rewrite this as:

Los grupos eran iguales en la semana ocho. — The groups were equal in week eight.

Lack of a clear observed difference is not proof of equality.

A practical findings-versus-interpretation method

1. Identify what was directly measured or recorded.
2. Identify what the analysis found from those measures.
3. Identify what mechanism or explanation the authors add afterward.
4. Use section headings and reporting verbs as structural clues.
5. Preserve uncertainty markers in interpretation.
6. Do not convert an inferred mechanism into a measured variable.
7. Do not generalize findings beyond the studied population or period.
8. Keep limitations attached to the claim they constrain.

From Findings and Interpretation to Source Integration

You can now distinguish what a study found from what its authors infer or explain. The next lesson teaches Citing and Integrating Sources into Spanish Academic Prose.