research findings deutsch

Advertising - LEO without ads? LEO Pur

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker.

Would you like to support LEO?

Disable your ad blocker for LEO or make a donation.

Donate via bank transfer

Donate via paypal.

Suchrichtung

Preferred vocabulary, in multi-word searches ­.

Popular search terms

Bitte aktualisieren Sie Ihren Browser. Ihr Browser ist veraltet, daher kann es zu Einschränkungen in der Funktionalität kommen.

Die reine Wörterbuchsuche wird im InternetExplorer in Version 8 und 9 noch unterstützt (ohne Gewähr auf funktionierende Zusatzdienste wie Aussprache, Flexionstabellen etc.). Siehe dazu auch die offizielle Ankündigung durch ­ Microsoft zum Support-Ende der verschiedenen InternetExplorer-Versionen.

Other actions

• Special characters  
• Type Chinese Pinyin syllables to get a list of corresponding Chinese characters.  
•   Transliteration aktiv Tastaturlayout Phonetisch

What you’re looking for is not yet in our dictionary? Ask the LEO community.

•   App für Android / iPhone
•   Tools for browsers
•   About us / LEO’s history
•   Advertising with LEO
•   My account
•   Change password
•   Unread forum posts
•   unread private messages
•   Learn today’s words
•   Continue the language course

NMSU research center in Clayton debuts new amenities, research findings at field day Sept. 16

• Pinterest LinkedIn E-Mail

While New Mexico State University’s Clayton Livestock Research Center usually showcases research during its annual field day event, this year’s event will feature a number of new amenities, as well as an opportunity for the public to meet the center’s new research director.

This year’s field day will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 16 at the center, located at 15 NMSU Lane in Clayton, New Mexico.

Mozart Fonseca began his role as Clayton’s research director in 2024 and is also an associate professor of animal and range sciences at NMSU. Coinciding with Fonseca’s arrival at the center are a number of upgrades that have taken place through funding from the New Mexico Legislature.

The center now features new signage and a renovated workroom and sample prep area, as well as a foyer. There is also a feed mill augmented with upgraded electrical and computer-controlled operations for state-of-the-art ration blending and delivery. The center also has a new pivot irrigation system, digital individual animal feeders and waterers, greenhouse gas emissions monitoring equipment, and soil carbon measuring instrumentation that will provide opportunities for additional funding and research to help meet the needs of the livestock industry.

Research presentations at this year’s field day include:

• Impact of bovine respiratory disease on finishing heifers: DART scores, performance and carcass quality.

• Evaluation of perennial versus annual forage production as a sustainable grazing strategy for the southwestern United States.

• The relationship between fiber, starch and isoacids: unlocking gut health dynamics.

• Water use, smoke and sustainable grazing systems for New Mexico and beyond.

The field day is free and open to the public. Individuals with a disability who are in need of an auxiliary aid or service to participate may contact Luiza Cardone at 575-646-3586 or [email protected] . To register to attend, visit https://rsvp.nmsu.edu/rsvp/clayton .

PHOTO CAPTION: The Clayton Livestock Research Center in Clayton, New Mexico, will host its annual field day Sept. 16. The field day will highlight research presentations, along with a number of facility upgrades to the center. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Aerial photo

• Open access
• Published: 19 October 2021

German translation and pre-testing of Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC)

• Verena Regauer   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6942-5790 1 , 2 ,
• Eva Seckler 1 , 2 ,
• Craig Campbell 3 ,
• Amanda Phillips 2 ,
• Thomas Rotter 4 ,
• Petra Bauer 5 &
• Martin Müller 5  

Implementation Science Communications volume  2 , Article number:  120 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

4413 Accesses

7 Citations

7 Altmetric

Metrics details

Implementation frameworks may support local implementation strategies with a sound theoretical foundation. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) facilitates identification of contextual barriers and facilitators, and the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) allows identifying adequate implementation strategies. Both instruments are already used in German-speaking countries; however, no standardised and validated translation is available thus far. The aim of this study was to translate the CFIR and ERIC framework into German, in order to increase the use of these frameworks and the adherence to evidence-based implementation efforts in German-speaking countries.

The translation of the original versions of the CFIR and ERIC framework was guided by the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for the process of translating and adapting both conceptual frameworks. Accordingly, a four-step process was employed: first, forward translation from English into German was conducted by a research team of German native speakers with fluent knowledge of the English language. Second, a bilingual expert panel comprising one researcher with German as his mother tongue and expert command of the English language and one English language expert and university teacher reviewed the translation and discussed inconsistencies with the initial translators. Third, back-translation into English was conducted by an English native speaking researcher. The final version was pre-tested with 12 German researchers and clinicians who were involved in implementation projects using cognitive interviews.

The translation and review process revealed some inconsistencies between the original version and the German translations. All issues could be solved by discussion. Central aspects of the items were confirmed in 60 to 70% of the items, and modifications were proposed in 30% of the items. Finally, we revised one CFIR-item heading after pre-testing. The final version was given consent by all involved parties.

Conclusions

Now, two validated and tested implementation frameworks to guide implementation efforts are available in the German language and can be used to increase the application of agreed-on implementation strategies into practice.

Peer Review reports

Contributions to the literature

To increase the application of CFIR and ERIC implementation frameworks in German-speaking countries, these concepts are now available in German

The conceptual frameworks can be used by clinicians, researchers, managers and organisations to increase adherence to evidence-based implementation activities, and to improve the transferability of this experience into local practice

The frameworks were translated into German using a standardised WHO approach, including pre-testing with German health care professionals, researchers, and clinicians

Many interventions in health care are considered to be effective, but efficacy in terms of achieving desired changes in patient-relevant health outcomes is critically dependent on successful implementation [ 1 , 2 ]. Lack of information about a study’s local context and poor reporting of implementation strategies employed may be accountable for the critical gap between implementation research and clinical practice [ 2 , 3 ]. The use of implementation frameworks may help to increase adherence to evidence-based implementation strategies and to establish a consensus terminology for German-speaking implementation experts [ 4 ].

The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) [ 1 ] provides a tool box of different constructs arranged across five domains that should be used in a range of settings. It can help to identify potential barriers and help facilitators to change, and can be used as theory-based constructs for developing effective implementation strategies [ 1 ].The Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) systematically catalogued implementation strategies via input from a wide range of stakeholders and structured them into different categories and definitions [ 5 , 6 ].

Identifying barriers and facilitators at different dimensions and tailoring interventions appear crucial to successful implementation of interventions into practice. Moreover, a Cochrane review [ 7 ] concluded that tailored interventions addressing implementation barriers are more likely to improve professional practice than untailored interventions, e.g., clinical practice guidelines alone, while more research is needed on the causal mechanisms for successful implementation and how to address these determinants. As a first step for implementation researchers, the CFIR provides a systematic framework to categorise potential barriers and facilitators. As a second step and to tailor the implementation, ERIC catalogues potential implementation strategies. To connect those, a tool was built that linked the context assessment using CFIR and implementation strategies to be considered using ERIC, the CFIR–ERIC–matching tool (available under www.cfirguide.org ) [ 8 ].

Both taxonomies are already used in various studies with a wide range of objectives, methods, and settings [ 9 ] including German-speaking countries [ 10 ]. However, no standardised and validated translation into German was available thus far.

The aim of this study was to develop a German translation of both CFIR and ERIC in order to increase adherence to evidence-based implementation activities in German-speaking countries.

Study design

We followed the translation process suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) [ 11 ] that comprises forward translation, expert panel discussion, back-translation, and pre-testing (see Fig. 1 ).

Flowchart describing the WHO translation and pre-testing process [ 11 ]. Legend: R = Randomisation

Forward translation

The research team, all familiar with the content of CFIR and ERIC and German native speakers with fluent knowledge of the English language, translated the original English version of CFIR [ 1 ] and ERIC [ 6 ] into German. The aim was to find conceptually equivalent wordings and phrases.

Expert panel and back-translation

First, a small (unilingual) expert panel with a German-speaking researcher, who already had translated and used a German version of CFIR, and members of the research team was established. Differences between the result of the forward translation of CFIR and the older version were discussed and led to the revision of some items.

Second, a bilingual expert panel discussed both the translation of CFIR and ERIC. The expert panel, which consisted of a collaborating Canadian researcher (TR) with German as his mother tongue and expert command of the English language and one English language expert and university teacher (CC), revised the German translation. They recommended changes of distinct phrases. Inconsistencies were discussed among the research team and the bilingual experts.

The work of the expert panels led to a first German version of CFIR and ERIC.

Back-translation

Back-translation of the instruments into English was conducted by an independent English native-speaking researcher (AP) living and working in Germany for several years. As recommended by the WHO method, the back-translator had no specific knowledge of the instruments. Inconsistencies between the back-translation and the original versions were discussed among the research team using dictionaries and several online translators. This resulted in the second version of the German translation that went into pre-testing with potential users of the tools.

Pre-testing

Research team.

VR and ES conducted the individual, semi-structured interviews with experts working in implementation and/or health care research and who could potentially use the translated instruments. The interviewers knew some of the participants personally. No bias or assumptions are to be reported from the interviewers.

Recruitment and design

We conducted individual semi-structured interviews. Potential participants, in particular health care researchers were recruited from universities and research institutes in German-speaking countries and were approached via e-mail. To limit the burden for the participants, we decided to present only a subset of the items to each participant. Considering a total number of 112 items and an estimated interview time of about 2 min for each item, we predefined a sample size of 12 participants to discuss 10 items per 20-min interview. Items of each instrument were randomised to the number of participants using a computer-generated sequence number (Random Sequence Generator, available at https://www.random.org/sequences/ ). All participants gave written informed consent and filled in a short sociodemographic questionnaire prior to the interview.

Data collection and analysis

Since there was no established strategy for pre-testing or validating of these instruments, we had to develop our own strategy. This contains cognitive interviews that involve a “think-aloud-probing” procedure, in which interviewers instruct participants to verbalise thoughts while answering the posed questions [ 12 ]. In parts, we relied on the key stages of cognitive interviewing according to Willis et al. [ 13 ]. This full strategy comprised five steps.

Step 1: To warm up with the item during the interview, the interviewees were asked to describe the given definition in their own words.

Step 2: Interviewees were asked to formulate a heading that describes the content best after reading the detailed definitions. The aim of this step was to generate information about the perceived central focus of those items.

Step 3: Then, the translated heading in German was compared with the interviewee-suggested heading and discussed afterwards.

Step 4: To rate this comparison, a traffic light system was used to rate whether our translated heading was perceived as appropriate. In this rating system, “green” means “approved”, “yellow” “partially approved”, and “red” “rejected”. Additionally, text notes were made about why the participants rate “yellow” or “red”.

Step 5: Items rated “green” were immediately considered to be accepted. In the case of “yellow”, the proposed modifications were recorded and discussed within the research team and adapted if the considered modifications were rated to be meaningful. In the case of ”red”, the item was re-tested in a second interview. When the item was then rated as “green”, it was considered approved. In any other case, we revised the item as recommended by the two interviews and amended the heading with our initial translation in brackets.

Interviews were conducted by phone. Researchers had a short interview guide, and questions were allocated by the randomised items per interviewee. The interview guide was pilot tested with two persons and adapted prior to the interviews. Our initial pilot-tests revealed that rating CFIR barriers together with ERIC strategies was too complex and confusing due to the different foci. Thus, we decided to present items of only one respective framework per interview. In our interviews, we provided the example of implementing an electronic assessment system in a general practice or physiotherapy practice to support participants contextualising implementation items.

No repeated interviews were carried out. All interviews were guided and audio-recorded by one of the two experienced research associate (VR or ES). Field notes were made during the interviews. Audio-records were neither transcribed nor coded. Interviews were recorded to be available as backup for the field notes. Field notes were used to categorise items, and percentages of ratings per interview were calculated. Total percentages were calculated using mean values of percentages for each tool.

CFIR-ERIC-Matching Tool

We translated the short instructions of the tool into German and contacted the authors. We inserted the final versions of CFIR and ERIC into the matching tool and checked its function.

Our initial forward translation of each instrument (see Additional file 1 ) was revised by the expert panel. Recommendations for changes and our decisions for or against changes are described in Additional file 2 . The recommendations included correctness and style like using linguistic synonyms, keeping the ideas of “and/or”, using correct grammar and punctuation marks. For example: CFIR; Item no. 2.3: Peer pressure . Initial translation: Druck durch Kollegen . Recommendation by the expert panel: Change “Druck durch Kollegen” into “Gruppenzwang” because this word is more usual . All issues could be solved by discussion. Then, these first versions were translated back into the original language (see Additional file 3 ). Then we compared the original English version to the back-translated version, and synonyms were identified. For example: CFIR; Item no. 1.5: Trialability . Backtranslation into original language: Testability . ERIC; Item no. 61. Original: Stage implementation scale up ; Backtranslation into original language: Proceed step by step with the implementation .

Cognitive interviews

Characteristics of participants.

We contacted 12 individuals, all of whom agreed to participate. Mean age of the participants was 36 years, and most of the participants were female ( n = 10; 83%). All participants had at least a master’s degree, and most were working as research associates ( n = 10; 83%) and had experience in implementation of health care interventions (see Table 1 ). The interviews lasted between 9 and 36 min.

In brief, the similar central focus of our German translations of CFIR and ERIC compared to the English original was confirmed in most items.

Among the CFIR items (see Table 2 ), two items (5%) were rejected in the first round and presented in a second interview. Of these, one item was again rejected, and one was partially approved. In total, 27 items (69%) were approved in the first round. Modifications were proposed for 11 (28%) items. Only one item (3%) had to be revised after pre-testing. Recommendations for modifications can be seen in Additional file 4 .

Among the ERIC items (see Table 3 ), two items were rejected in the first round and accepted in the second round. In summary, 47 items (64%) were approved. No item had to be revised. Modifications were proposed for 26 items (36%). Recommendations for modifications can be seen in Additional file 4 .

Final version

After pre-testing, we revised the rejected item, but kept our pre-tested translation in brackets (see Additional file 5 ). The final versions were agreed upon by all parties involved in the translation process. A German version of CFIR-ERIC-Matching tool is available upon request.

Main findings

A German version of two conceptual frameworks for shaping implementation activities in health care, CFIR and ERIC, as well as the corresponding matching tool, are now available.

A rigorous translation and pre-testing process guided us through the WHO translation process to a final version of each framework. The pre-testing process proved to be feasible.

In our initial forward translation, we aimed to keep the original linguistic structure as far as possible. In the expert panel, we discussed alternative translations to items which appeared to be in “Denglish” jargon (a variety of German containing a high proportion of English words), but accepted English words which are common in German (e.g., CFIR, headings 2 and 3, “Äußeres/Inneres Setting”; ERIC, item 35, “Champions identifizieren und vorbereiten”). Beside this, we also tried to keep a coherent structure of the Original and our German translation as possible. Since we referred to Powell et al. [ 6 ] in carrying out our forward translation of ERIC, we did not additionally translate the nine categories outlined in Waltz et al. [ 5 ]. When using the CFIR-ERIC-matching tool, the categories above the implementation strategies appear not crucial to know, but we would recommend its translation when using ERIC itself in a conceptual context.

Faced with the high number of items, the bilingual expert panels were quite time-consuming. Both ERIC and CFIR documents were very detailed, including health care-specific vocabulary, and nuances that required careful translation, all of which led to taking a lot of time. We recommended a considerable number of changes to the early translation.

Regarding back-translation of the instruments, we predominantly found synonyms to the English original. Close attention was given to the health care-specific vocabulary. This remained a difficult task for the back-translator:

We were not able to identify and use an established strategy for pre-testing or validating these frameworks. A developed checklist in form of a traffic light system to test the usefulness of the translated heading was successful.

The translation and pre-testing process also revealed that even headings in the original version did not comprise the whole content of the detailed definition. For example, CFIR 4.1; Original heading: Knowledge and Beliefs about the Intervention ; Original description: Stakeholders have negative attitudes toward the innovation, they place low value on implementing the innovation, and/or they are not familiar with facts, truths, and principles about the innovation . Pre-tested description: Beteiligte haben negative Einstellungen gegenüber der Innovation, sie schreiben ihr geringen Wert zu und/oder sind mit den Fakten, Wahrheiten und Prinzipien der Innovation nicht vertraut ; Pre-tested heading: Wissen und Überzeugungen über die Innovation ; Selected heading by the interviewee: Ablehnung der Innovation; Recommendation of the interviewee: The negative perception is missing in the original heading .

Limitations

During the translation, expert panel and back-translation process, several issues were discussed and kept in the original English language to provide a clear and correct message.

In total, 4 of 112 items were discussed in a second interview. This might indicate selection bias in terms of our interview participants (e.g., allocating an item to “yellow” (partly approved) rather than to “red” (rejected) because participants wanted to be perceived as nice). Since we predominantly tested one item per interviewee, a different sample of participants might have rejected more items. Our sample comprised different researchers and academics experienced in specific terms like “evidence” or “validity”. A pre-test with a different sample of non-academic individuals might have led to different results.

Transferring theoretical frameworks from one language to another is challenging beyond the linguistic perspective but also from the perspective of validity since the contained constructs and relationships between them largely depend on context, such as different health care systems. However, since both frameworks are already being used in German health care, we believe that a standardised and agreed on translated version may increase understanding, uptake, transparency, and reproducibility of implementation research in German speaking countries. Moreover, the standard of English may differ widely between healthcare professionals in Germany.

Future applications of the translated German version of CFIR and ERIC should monitor and report problems and limitations and may lead to further revisions.

Both translated frameworks can now be used within implementation research in German-speaking countries. This might improve adherence to evidence-based implementation into practice in German-speaking countries. We recommend a patient version of the translated implementation frameworks, which use a lay language (not exceeding German 6th class middle school writing).

Abbreviations

• Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research

Expert Recommendations for Implementation Change

World Health Organisation

Damschroder LJ, Aron DC, Keith RE, Kirsh SR, Alexander JA, Lowery JC. Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: a consolidated framework for advancing implementation science. Implementation Sci. 2009;4(1):50. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-50 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Pfadenhauer LM, Gerhardus A, Mozygemba K, Lysdahl KB, Booth A, Hofmann B, et al. Making sense of complexity in context and implementation: the Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions (CICI) framework. Implementation Sci. 2017;12(1):21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0552-5 .

Waters E, Hall BJ, Armstrong R, Doyle J, Pettman TL, de Silva-Sanigorski A. Essential components of public health evidence reviews: capturing intervention complexity, implementation, economics and equity. J Public Health (Oxf). 2011;33(3):462–5. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdr064 .

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Nilsen P. Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implementation Sci. 2015;10(1):53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0 .

Waltz TJ, Powell BJ, Metthieu MM, Damschroder LJ, Chinman MJ, Smith JL, et al. Use of concept mapping to characterize relationships among implementation strategies and assess their feasibility and importance: results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) study. Implementation Sci. 2015;10(1):109. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0295-0 .

Powell BJ, Waltz TJ, Chinman MJ, Damschroder LJ, Smith JL, Matthieu MM, et al. A refined compilation of implementation strategies: results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project. Implementation Sci. 2015;10(1):21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0209-1 .

Baker R, Camosso-Stefinovic J, Gillies C, Shaw EJ, Cheater F, Flottorp S, et al. Tailored interventions to address determinants of practice. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015:CD005470. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005470.pub3 .

Waltz TJ, Powell BJ, Fernández ME, Abadie B, Damschroder LJ. Choosing implementation strategies to address contextual barriers: diversity in recommendations and future directions. Implementation Sci. 2019;14(1):42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-019-0892-4 .

Kirk MA, Kelley C, Yankey N, Birken SA, Abadie B, Damschroder L. A systematic review of the use of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Implementation Sci. 2016;11(1):72. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-016-0437-z .

Breimaier HE, Heckemann B, Halfens RJG, Lohrmann C. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): a useful theoretical framework for guiding and evaluating a guideline implementation process in a hospital-based nursing practice. BMC Nurs. 2015;14(1):43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-015-0088-4 .

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

World Health Organization. Process of translation and adaptation of instruments. www.who.int/substance_abuse/research_tools/translation/en/ . Accessed 26 Mar 2020.

Beatty PC, Willis GB. Research synthesis: the practice of cognitive interviewing. Public Opinion Quarterly. 2007;71(2):287–311. https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfm006 .

Willis GB. The practice of cross-cultural cognitive interviewing. Public Opinion Quarterly. 2015;79(S1):359–95. https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfu092 .

Download references

Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Centre for Research, Development and Technology Transfer, Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstraße 1, 83024, Rosenheim, Germany

Verena Regauer & Eva Seckler

Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistraße 17, 81377, Munich, Germany

Verena Regauer, Eva Seckler & Amanda Phillips

University of Saskatchewan Language Centre, 221 Cumberland Avenue North, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 1M3, Canada

Craig Campbell

School of Nursing, Queen’s University, 82-84 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada

Thomas Rotter

Faculty for Applied Health and Social Sciences and Centre for Research, Development and Technology Transfer, Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstraße 1, 83024, Rosenheim, Germany

Petra Bauer & Martin Müller

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Verena Regauer .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Ethics approval and consent: both implementation frameworks (CFIR and ERIC) have been published in the literature, and are publicly available. The Ethical Committee of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich has approved the study protocol under the number 20-801. Moreover, all interviewed participants are close collaborators of the senior author and gave their written informed consent to participate in the interviews.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Additional file 1..

Initial forward version

Additional file 2.

Summary of recommendations by the expert panel

Additional file 3.

Additional file 4..

Summary of problems found during the pre-testing of the instrument and the modifications proposed

Additional file 5.

Rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Regauer, V., Seckler, E., Campbell, C. et al. German translation and pre-testing of Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC). Implement Sci Commun 2 , 120 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-021-00222-w

Download citation

Received : 08 February 2021

Accepted : 30 September 2021

Published : 19 October 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-021-00222-w

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Implementation science
• Implementation strategies
• Knowledge translation strategies
• Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change

Implementation Science Communications

ISSN: 2662-2211

• Submission enquiries: Access here and click Contact Us
• General enquiries: [email protected]

• Privacy Policy

Home » Research Findings – Types Examples and Writing Guide

Research Findings – Types Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Research Findings

Definition:

Research findings refer to the results obtained from a study or investigation conducted through a systematic and scientific approach. These findings are the outcomes of the data analysis, interpretation, and evaluation carried out during the research process.

Types of Research Findings

There are two main types of research findings:

Qualitative Findings

Qualitative research is an exploratory research method used to understand the complexities of human behavior and experiences. Qualitative findings are non-numerical and descriptive data that describe the meaning and interpretation of the data collected. Examples of qualitative findings include quotes from participants, themes that emerge from the data, and descriptions of experiences and phenomena.

Quantitative Findings

Quantitative research is a research method that uses numerical data and statistical analysis to measure and quantify a phenomenon or behavior. Quantitative findings include numerical data such as mean, median, and mode, as well as statistical analyses such as t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis. These findings are often presented in tables, graphs, or charts.

Both qualitative and quantitative findings are important in research and can provide different insights into a research question or problem. Combining both types of findings can provide a more comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon and improve the validity and reliability of research results.

Parts of Research Findings

Research findings typically consist of several parts, including:

• Introduction: This section provides an overview of the research topic and the purpose of the study.
• Literature Review: This section summarizes previous research studies and findings that are relevant to the current study.
• Methodology : This section describes the research design, methods, and procedures used in the study, including details on the sample, data collection, and data analysis.
• Results : This section presents the findings of the study, including statistical analyses and data visualizations.
• Discussion : This section interprets the results and explains what they mean in relation to the research question(s) and hypotheses. It may also compare and contrast the current findings with previous research studies and explore any implications or limitations of the study.
• Conclusion : This section provides a summary of the key findings and the main conclusions of the study.
• Recommendations: This section suggests areas for further research and potential applications or implications of the study’s findings.

How to Write Research Findings

Writing research findings requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some general steps to follow when writing research findings:

• Organize your findings: Before you begin writing, it’s essential to organize your findings logically. Consider creating an outline or a flowchart that outlines the main points you want to make and how they relate to one another.
• Use clear and concise language : When presenting your findings, be sure to use clear and concise language that is easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or technical terms unless they are necessary to convey your meaning.
• Use visual aids : Visual aids such as tables, charts, and graphs can be helpful in presenting your findings. Be sure to label and title your visual aids clearly, and make sure they are easy to read.
• Use headings and subheadings: Using headings and subheadings can help organize your findings and make them easier to read. Make sure your headings and subheadings are clear and descriptive.
• Interpret your findings : When presenting your findings, it’s important to provide some interpretation of what the results mean. This can include discussing how your findings relate to the existing literature, identifying any limitations of your study, and suggesting areas for future research.
• Be precise and accurate : When presenting your findings, be sure to use precise and accurate language. Avoid making generalizations or overstatements and be careful not to misrepresent your data.
• Edit and revise: Once you have written your research findings, be sure to edit and revise them carefully. Check for grammar and spelling errors, make sure your formatting is consistent, and ensure that your writing is clear and concise.

Research Findings Example

Following is a Research Findings Example sample for students:

Title: The Effects of Exercise on Mental Health

Sample : 500 participants, both men and women, between the ages of 18-45.

Methodology : Participants were divided into two groups. The first group engaged in 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five times a week for eight weeks. The second group did not exercise during the study period. Participants in both groups completed a questionnaire that assessed their mental health before and after the study period.

Findings : The group that engaged in regular exercise reported a significant improvement in mental health compared to the control group. Specifically, they reported lower levels of anxiety and depression, improved mood, and increased self-esteem.

Conclusion : Regular exercise can have a positive impact on mental health and may be an effective intervention for individuals experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Applications of Research Findings

Research findings can be applied in various fields to improve processes, products, services, and outcomes. Here are some examples:

• Healthcare : Research findings in medicine and healthcare can be applied to improve patient outcomes, reduce morbidity and mortality rates, and develop new treatments for various diseases.
• Education : Research findings in education can be used to develop effective teaching methods, improve learning outcomes, and design new educational programs.
• Technology : Research findings in technology can be applied to develop new products, improve existing products, and enhance user experiences.
• Business : Research findings in business can be applied to develop new strategies, improve operations, and increase profitability.
• Public Policy: Research findings can be used to inform public policy decisions on issues such as environmental protection, social welfare, and economic development.
• Social Sciences: Research findings in social sciences can be used to improve understanding of human behavior and social phenomena, inform public policy decisions, and develop interventions to address social issues.
• Agriculture: Research findings in agriculture can be applied to improve crop yields, develop new farming techniques, and enhance food security.
• Sports : Research findings in sports can be applied to improve athlete performance, reduce injuries, and develop new training programs.

When to use Research Findings

Research findings can be used in a variety of situations, depending on the context and the purpose. Here are some examples of when research findings may be useful:

• Decision-making : Research findings can be used to inform decisions in various fields, such as business, education, healthcare, and public policy. For example, a business may use market research findings to make decisions about new product development or marketing strategies.
• Problem-solving : Research findings can be used to solve problems or challenges in various fields, such as healthcare, engineering, and social sciences. For example, medical researchers may use findings from clinical trials to develop new treatments for diseases.
• Policy development : Research findings can be used to inform the development of policies in various fields, such as environmental protection, social welfare, and economic development. For example, policymakers may use research findings to develop policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Program evaluation: Research findings can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs or interventions in various fields, such as education, healthcare, and social services. For example, educational researchers may use findings from evaluations of educational programs to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
• Innovation: Research findings can be used to inspire or guide innovation in various fields, such as technology and engineering. For example, engineers may use research findings on materials science to develop new and innovative products.

Purpose of Research Findings

The purpose of research findings is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of a particular topic or issue. Research findings are the result of a systematic and rigorous investigation of a research question or hypothesis, using appropriate research methods and techniques.

The main purposes of research findings are:

• To generate new knowledge : Research findings contribute to the body of knowledge on a particular topic, by adding new information, insights, and understanding to the existing knowledge base.
• To test hypotheses or theories : Research findings can be used to test hypotheses or theories that have been proposed in a particular field or discipline. This helps to determine the validity and reliability of the hypotheses or theories, and to refine or develop new ones.
• To inform practice: Research findings can be used to inform practice in various fields, such as healthcare, education, and business. By identifying best practices and evidence-based interventions, research findings can help practitioners to make informed decisions and improve outcomes.
• To identify gaps in knowledge: Research findings can help to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding of a particular topic, which can then be addressed by further research.
• To contribute to policy development: Research findings can be used to inform policy development in various fields, such as environmental protection, social welfare, and economic development. By providing evidence-based recommendations, research findings can help policymakers to develop effective policies that address societal challenges.

Characteristics of Research Findings

Research findings have several key characteristics that distinguish them from other types of information or knowledge. Here are some of the main characteristics of research findings:

• Objective : Research findings are based on a systematic and rigorous investigation of a research question or hypothesis, using appropriate research methods and techniques. As such, they are generally considered to be more objective and reliable than other types of information.
• Empirical : Research findings are based on empirical evidence, which means that they are derived from observations or measurements of the real world. This gives them a high degree of credibility and validity.
• Generalizable : Research findings are often intended to be generalizable to a larger population or context beyond the specific study. This means that the findings can be applied to other situations or populations with similar characteristics.
• Transparent : Research findings are typically reported in a transparent manner, with a clear description of the research methods and data analysis techniques used. This allows others to assess the credibility and reliability of the findings.
• Peer-reviewed: Research findings are often subject to a rigorous peer-review process, in which experts in the field review the research methods, data analysis, and conclusions of the study. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Reproducible : Research findings are often designed to be reproducible, meaning that other researchers can replicate the study using the same methods and obtain similar results. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.

Advantages of Research Findings

Research findings have many advantages, which make them valuable sources of knowledge and information. Here are some of the main advantages of research findings:

• Evidence-based: Research findings are based on empirical evidence, which means that they are grounded in data and observations from the real world. This makes them a reliable and credible source of information.
• Inform decision-making: Research findings can be used to inform decision-making in various fields, such as healthcare, education, and business. By identifying best practices and evidence-based interventions, research findings can help practitioners and policymakers to make informed decisions and improve outcomes.
• Identify gaps in knowledge: Research findings can help to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding of a particular topic, which can then be addressed by further research. This contributes to the ongoing development of knowledge in various fields.
• Improve outcomes : Research findings can be used to develop and implement evidence-based practices and interventions, which have been shown to improve outcomes in various fields, such as healthcare, education, and social services.
• Foster innovation: Research findings can inspire or guide innovation in various fields, such as technology and engineering. By providing new information and understanding of a particular topic, research findings can stimulate new ideas and approaches to problem-solving.
• Enhance credibility: Research findings are generally considered to be more credible and reliable than other types of information, as they are based on rigorous research methods and are subject to peer-review processes.

Limitations of Research Findings

While research findings have many advantages, they also have some limitations. Here are some of the main limitations of research findings:

• Limited scope: Research findings are typically based on a particular study or set of studies, which may have a limited scope or focus. This means that they may not be applicable to other contexts or populations.
• Potential for bias : Research findings can be influenced by various sources of bias, such as researcher bias, selection bias, or measurement bias. This can affect the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Ethical considerations: Research findings can raise ethical considerations, particularly in studies involving human subjects. Researchers must ensure that their studies are conducted in an ethical and responsible manner, with appropriate measures to protect the welfare and privacy of participants.
• Time and resource constraints : Research studies can be time-consuming and require significant resources, which can limit the number and scope of studies that are conducted. This can lead to gaps in knowledge or a lack of research on certain topics.
• Complexity: Some research findings can be complex and difficult to interpret, particularly in fields such as science or medicine. This can make it challenging for practitioners and policymakers to apply the findings to their work.
• Lack of generalizability : While research findings are intended to be generalizable to larger populations or contexts, there may be factors that limit their generalizability. For example, cultural or environmental factors may influence how a particular intervention or treatment works in different populations or contexts.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Research Topics – Ideas and Examples

Research Questions – Types, Examples and Writing...

Implications in Research – Types, Examples and...

Data Analysis – Process, Methods and Types

Research Problem – Examples, Types and Guide

Research Paper – Structure, Examples and Writing...

Übersetzung für ' .html" class="hover1">findings­ ' von Englisch nach Deutsch

• findings , a doctor can deduce their diagnosis, whereby they ascribe an affliction to the patient. Medical findings that do not match these diagnoses will be labeled auxiliary medical findings , whose symptoms can illustrate other afflictions.  Wikipedia [9984894] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip9984894').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Out of a combination of these extracted medical findings , a doctor can deduce their diagnosis, whereby they ascribe an affliction to the patient.
• findings such as buildings and fire stones. Further, there also were Roman and Frankish findings .  Wikipedia [9861188] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip9861188').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Even in antiquity Emelgem was inhabited, witness hereby are the prehistoric findings such as buildings and fire stones. Further, there also were Roman and Frankish findings.
• findings and made a sequence of events based on the findings . These findings include data from both flight recorders, weather data, information on the airport infrastructure and data collected from flight simulation.  Wikipedia [9741926] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip9741926').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Investigators analysed multiple findings and made a sequence of events based on the findings.
• findings in conjunction with radiological findings .  Wikipedia [7364862] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip7364862').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Diagnosis of pubic symphysis diastasis is a clinical diagnosis determined by history and physical exam findings in conjunction with radiological findings.
• findings do no reveal the cause of congenital nephrotic syndrome, but findings may help in developing treatment strategies. Findings on light microscopy can vary from minimal change nephropathy to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or diffuse mesanigial sclerosis. Electron microscopy shows podocyte disruption (loss of foot processes or slit diaphragm).  Wikipedia [6822694] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip6822694').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Indication for kidney biopsy remains unclear as histologic findings do no reveal the cause of congenital nephrotic syndrome, but findings may help in developing treatment strategies.
• findings in neuroimaging are common, with the prevalence of neoplastic incidental brain findings increasing with age.  Wikipedia [5747085] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip5747085').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Incidental findings in neuroimaging are common, with the prevalence of neoplastic incidental brain findings increasing with age.
• findings of stenosis are probably of limited value compared to symptoms experienced by patients. Patients\' perception of improvement had a much stronger correlation with long-term surgical outcome than structural findings seen on postoperation magnetic resonance imaging. Degenerative findings had a greater effect on patients\' walking capacity than stenotic findings .  Wikipedia [5352126] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip5352126').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Post-operative MRI findings of stenosis are probably of limited value compared to symptoms experienced by patients.
• findings that are minor and not suggestive of TB disease. These findings require no follow-up evaluation.  Wikipedia [2272601] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip2272601').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">This category includes findings that are minor and not suggestive of TB disease. These findings require no follow-up evaluation.
• findings from many different periods in history, including findings dating back to the late Neolithic period.  Wikipedia [21637716] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip21637716').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">On the island there are archaeological findings from many different periods in history, including findings dating back to the late Neolithic period.
• findings in "Dirty Money" support many of the findings in "Project Sidewinder." As an independent report, those findings are currently the basis of the Cullen Commission, BC’s inquiry into money laundering.  Wikipedia [21385024] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip21385024').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">The findings in "Dirty Money" support many of the findings in "Project Sidewinder."
• findings are non-specific. Identification of adrenal hemorrhage cannot rely on laboratory findings alone.  Wikipedia [20256610] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip20256610').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Laboratory test findings are non-specific. Identification of adrenal hemorrhage cannot rely on laboratory findings alone.
• findings dating back more than 42,000 years have been made in the cave. The age of the findings was determined using radiocarbon dating. However, some findings might be older, as their level of Carbon-14 is below the detection limit.  Wikipedia [18768456] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip18768456').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Since 2005, several archaeological findings dating back more than 42,000 years have been made in the cave.
• findings from the site as well as pathological findings .  Wikipedia [17517786] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip17517786').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Peer-reviewed articles have discussed preliminary findings from the site as well as pathological findings.
• findings , but those findings can vary greatly: even within the same family. Manifestations of X-linked type I are classified in the frequent/major findings and minor findings that are found in less than 50% of individuals.  Wikipedia [16919311] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip16919311').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">X-linked type I Opitz G/BBB Syndrome is diagnosed on clinical findings , but those findings can vary greatly: even within the same family.
• findings on happiness Medio 2019 the database covered some 30,000 scientific findings , of which about 12,500 are distributional findings (on how happy people are) and another 17,500 correlational findings (on factors associated with more and less happiness). The first findings date from 1915.  Wikipedia [15345328] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip15345328').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">The World Database of Happiness is a tool to quickly acquire an overview on the ever-growing stream of research findings on happiness Medio 2019 the database covered some 30,000 scientific findings, of which about 12,500 are distributional findings (on how happy people are) and another 17,500 correlational findings (on factors associated with more and less happiness).
• findings reviewed. Dietlein has provided a concise synopsis of the findings .  Wikipedia [15143838] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip15143838').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';"> Earth-bound physiologic models have been developed and findings reviewed.
• findings , Hinchingbrooke came out worse than the NHS average on two-thirds of the findings (19 of them), and was in the lowest 20% of trusts in almost half of the findings (13 of them).  Wikipedia [12894884] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip12894884').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';"> In the 2013 NHS staff survey involving 28 key findings , Hinchingbrooke came out worse than the NHS average on two-thirds of the findings (19 of them), and was in the lowest 20% of trusts in almost half of the findings (13 of them).
• findings scattered all over the site. The earliest archaeological findings in the site date to the Wadi Raba culture of the 5th millennium BCE. Based on the findings , the site was inhabited as an unfortified settlement throughout the entire Bronze Age period.  Wikipedia [12465633] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip12465633').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">During the excavations, archaeologists collected pottery and other findings scattered all over the site.
• findings for the first seven years are given in a summary of findings brochure.  Wikipedia [11612717] ';document.getElementById('wpsnip11612717').style='cursor:auto; background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1); padding:6px 10px; margin:1em 0 1em 0';">Key findings for the first seven years are given in a summary of findings brochure.

Translation of "Findings" in German

Suggestions, suggestions that contain findings.

Results: 48435 . Exact: 48435 . Elapsed time: 216 ms.

• Look up in Linguee
• Suggest as a translation of "research"

Linguee Apps

• Translate as you type
• World-leading quality
• Drag and drop documents

▾ Dictionary English-German

Research noun —, forschung f (über) (often used), recherche f, research ( sth. ) verb ( researched , researched ) —, erforschen v, etw. akk recherchieren v, research associate n —, legal research n —, future research n —, survey research n —, research framework n —, quantitative research n —, user research n —, comparative research n —, research environment n —, fields of research pl —, joint research activities pl —, bibliographic research n —, branch of research n —, pre-competitive research n —, maritime research n —, telephone research n —, genetics research n —, complementary research n —, permanent research n —, genealogy research n —, federal waterways engineering and research institute n —, research marketing n —, cooperative industrial research n —, total research n —, medieval research n —, special research field n —, applied social research n —, research-oriented specialisation be n —, security research n —, comparing research n —, research procedures pl —, ▸ wikipedia, ▾ external sources (not reviewed).

• This is not a good example for the translation above.
• The wrong words are highlighted.
• It does not match my search.
• It should not be summed up with the orange entries
• The translation is wrong or of bad quality.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation
• How to Write a Results Section | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Results Section | Tips & Examples

Published on August 30, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

A results section is where you report the main findings of the data collection and analysis you conducted for your thesis or dissertation . You should report all relevant results concisely and objectively, in a logical order. Don’t include subjective interpretations of why you found these results or what they mean—any evaluation should be saved for the discussion section .

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

How to write a results section, reporting quantitative research results, reporting qualitative research results, results vs. discussion vs. conclusion, checklist: research results, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about results sections.

When conducting research, it’s important to report the results of your study prior to discussing your interpretations of it. This gives your reader a clear idea of exactly what you found and keeps the data itself separate from your subjective analysis.

Here are a few best practices:

• Your results should always be written in the past tense.
• While the length of this section depends on how much data you collected and analyzed, it should be written as concisely as possible.
• Only include results that are directly relevant to answering your research questions . Avoid speculative or interpretative words like “appears” or “implies.”
• If you have other results you’d like to include, consider adding them to an appendix or footnotes.
• Always start out with your broadest results first, and then flow into your more granular (but still relevant) ones. Think of it like a shoe store: first discuss the shoes as a whole, then the sneakers, boots, sandals, etc.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

If you conducted quantitative research , you’ll likely be working with the results of some sort of statistical analysis .

Your results section should report the results of any statistical tests you used to compare groups or assess relationships between variables . It should also state whether or not each hypothesis was supported.

The most logical way to structure quantitative results is to frame them around your research questions or hypotheses. For each question or hypothesis, share:

• A reminder of the type of analysis you used (e.g., a two-sample t test or simple linear regression ). A more detailed description of your analysis should go in your methodology section.
• A concise summary of each relevant result, both positive and negative. This can include any relevant descriptive statistics (e.g., means and standard deviations ) as well as inferential statistics (e.g., t scores, degrees of freedom , and p values ). Remember, these numbers are often placed in parentheses.
• A brief statement of how each result relates to the question, or whether the hypothesis was supported. You can briefly mention any results that didn’t fit with your expectations and assumptions, but save any speculation on their meaning or consequences for your discussion  and conclusion.

A note on tables and figures

In quantitative research, it’s often helpful to include visual elements such as graphs, charts, and tables , but only if they are directly relevant to your results. Give these elements clear, descriptive titles and labels so that your reader can easily understand what is being shown. If you want to include any other visual elements that are more tangential in nature, consider adding a figure and table list .

As a rule of thumb:

• Tables are used to communicate exact values, giving a concise overview of various results
• Graphs and charts are used to visualize trends and relationships, giving an at-a-glance illustration of key findings

Don’t forget to also mention any tables and figures you used within the text of your results section. Summarize or elaborate on specific aspects you think your reader should know about rather than merely restating the same numbers already shown.

A two-sample t test was used to test the hypothesis that higher social distance from environmental problems would reduce the intent to donate to environmental organizations, with donation intention (recorded as a score from 1 to 10) as the outcome variable and social distance (categorized as either a low or high level of social distance) as the predictor variable.Social distance was found to be positively correlated with donation intention, t (98) = 12.19, p < .001, with the donation intention of the high social distance group 0.28 points higher, on average, than the low social distance group (see figure 1). This contradicts the initial hypothesis that social distance would decrease donation intention, and in fact suggests a small effect in the opposite direction.

Figure 1: Intention to donate to environmental organizations based on social distance from impact of environmental damage.

In qualitative research , your results might not all be directly related to specific hypotheses. In this case, you can structure your results section around key themes or topics that emerged from your analysis of the data.

For each theme, start with general observations about what the data showed. You can mention:

• Recurring points of agreement or disagreement
• Patterns and trends
• Particularly significant snippets from individual responses

Next, clarify and support these points with direct quotations. Be sure to report any relevant demographic information about participants. Further information (such as full transcripts , if appropriate) can be included in an appendix .

When asked about video games as a form of art, the respondents tended to believe that video games themselves are not an art form, but agreed that creativity is involved in their production. The criteria used to identify artistic video games included design, story, music, and creative teams.One respondent (male, 24) noted a difference in creativity between popular video game genres:

“I think that in role-playing games, there’s more attention to character design, to world design, because the whole story is important and more attention is paid to certain game elements […] so that perhaps you do need bigger teams of creative experts than in an average shooter or something.”

Responses suggest that video game consumers consider some types of games to have more artistic potential than others.

Your results section should objectively report your findings, presenting only brief observations in relation to each question, hypothesis, or theme.

It should not  speculate about the meaning of the results or attempt to answer your main research question . Detailed interpretation of your results is more suitable for your discussion section , while synthesis of your results into an overall answer to your main research question is best left for your conclusion .

Don't submit your assignments before you do this

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Free citation check included.

Try for free

I have completed my data collection and analyzed the results.

I have included all results that are relevant to my research questions.

I have concisely and objectively reported each result, including relevant descriptive statistics and inferential statistics .

I have stated whether each hypothesis was supported or refuted.

I have used tables and figures to illustrate my results where appropriate.

All tables and figures are correctly labelled and referred to in the text.

There is no subjective interpretation or speculation on the meaning of the results.

You've finished writing up your results! Use the other checklists to further improve your thesis.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

The results chapter of a thesis or dissertation presents your research results concisely and objectively.

In quantitative research , for each question or hypothesis , state:

• The type of analysis used
• Relevant results in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics
• Whether or not the alternative hypothesis was supported

In qualitative research , for each question or theme, describe:

• Recurring patterns
• Significant or representative individual responses
• Relevant quotations from the data

Don’t interpret or speculate in the results chapter.

Results are usually written in the past tense , because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.

The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.

In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, July 18). How to Write a Results Section | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/results/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, how to write a discussion section | tips & examples, how to write a thesis or dissertation conclusion, what is your plagiarism score.

What is the translation of "research" in German?

"research" in german, research {v.i.}.

• volume_up über etwas forschen

research {vb}

• volume_up forschen
• recherchieren

research {v.t.}

• volume_up erforschen
• untersuchen

research {adj.}

• volume_up forscherisch

research {noun}

• volume_up Forschung
• Erforschung
• Nachforschung
• Untersuchung

"Operations Research" in English

• volume_up operations research

Translations

Research [ researched|researched ] {intransitive verb}, research [ researched|researched ] {verb}.

• open_in_new Link to source
• warning Request revision

research [ researched|researched ] {transitive verb}

Research {adjective}.

• construction

Operations Research

Context sentences, english german contextual examples of "research" in german.

These sentences come from external sources and may not be accurate. bab.la is not responsible for their content.

Monolingual examples

English how to use "research" in a sentence, english how to use "forschen" in a sentence, english how to use "forscherisch" in a sentence, collocations, "genealogical research" in german.

• volume_up genealogische Forschung

"genealogy research" in German

• volume_up Genealogie-Forschung
• volume_up Genealogieforschung

"genetic research" in German

• volume_up genetische Forschung

Synonyms (English) for "research":

• rescuers found
• rescuers hope
• rescuers pulled
• rescuers reached
• rescuers recovered
• resealable bag
• resealable closure
• resealable plastic bag
• research & development (R&D)
• research a book
• research a product
• research about the participation in society
• research addresses
• research agenda
• research aim
• research also
• research analysis
• research and development

Do you want to translate into other languages? Have a look at our Swahili-English dictionary .

Why register?

Enjoy an enhanced experience.

• Access all dictionaries for free
• Browse the whole site in any of 24 languages
• Translation tool with additional allowance

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
• Mein Profil

Bedeutung von research auf Englisch

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• He has dedicated his life to scientific research.
• He emphasized that all the people taking part in the research were volunteers .
• The state of Michigan has endowed three institutes to do research for industry .
• I'd like to see the research that these recommendations are founded on.
• It took months of painstaking research to write the book .
• absorptive capacity
• dream something up
• ergonomically
• modularization
• nanotechnology
• testing ground
• the mother of something idiom
• think outside the box idiom
• think something up
• study What do you plan on studying at university?
• major US She majored in philosophy at Harvard.
• cram She's cramming for her history exam.
• revise UK I'm revising for tomorrow's test.
• review US We're going to review for the test tomorrow night.
• research Scientists are researching possible new treatments for cancer.
• The amount of time and money being spent on researching this disease is pitiful .
• We are researching the reproduction of elephants .
• She researched a wide variety of jobs before deciding on law .
• He researches heart disease .
• The internet has reduced the amount of time it takes to research these subjects .
• adjudication
• have the measure of someone/something idiom
• interpretable
• interpretive
• reinspection
• reinterpret
• reinterpretation
• reinvestigate
• reinvestigation

Sie können verwandte Wörter, Ausdrücke und Synonyme in den folgenden Themen finden:

Verwandtes Wort

Research | amerikanisches wörterbuch, research | business englisch, beispiele von research, kollokationen mit research.

Diese Wörter werden oft im Zusammenhang mit research benutzt.

Klicken Sie auf eine Kollokation um mehr Beispiele zu sehen.

Übersetzungen von research

Holen Sie sich eine schnelle, kostenlose Übersetzung!

Durchsuchen

Das Wort des Tages

to put your arms around someone and hold them in a loving way, or (of two people) to hold each other close to show love or for comfort

Treasure troves and endless supplies (Words and phrases meaning ‘source’)

Neue Wörter

Lernen Sie mehr mithilfe von +Plus

• Neu und empfohlen {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitionen Klare Erklärungen von natürlichem geschriebenem und gesprochenem Englisch Englisch Lernwörterbuch Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammatik und Thesaurus Erläuterungen zur Verwendung des natürlichen geschriebenen und gesprochenen Englisch Grammatik Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• Englisch–Chinesisch (vereinfacht) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• Englisch–Chinesisch (traditionell) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• Englisch–Niederländisch Niederländisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Französisch Französisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Deutsch Deutsch–Englisch
• Englisch–Indonesisch Indonesisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Italienisch Italienisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Japanisch Japanisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Norwegisch Norwegisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Polnisch Polnisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Portugiesisch Portugiesisch–Englisch
• Englisch–Spanisch Spanisch–Englisch
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Wortlisten
• Englisch    Noun Verb
• Business    Noun Verb
• Kollokationen
• Translations
• Alle Übersetzungen

To add research to a word list please sign up or log in.

Fügen Sie research zu einer der folgenden Listen hinzu oder erstellen Sie eine neue.

{{message}}

Etwas ist schief gelaufen.

Beim senden Ihres Reports ist ein Problem aufgefallen

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Published: 09 September 2024

Rejuvenation of aged oocyte through exposure to young follicular microenvironment

• HaiYang Wang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6362-6022 1 ,
• Zhongwei Huang 2 , 3 , 4 ,
• Xingyu Shen 1 ,
• Yaelim Lee 1 ,
• XinJie Song   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0001-4833-9957 1 ,
• Chang Shu   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0000-1096-6771 1 ,
• Lik Hang Wu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9642-2552 5 , 6 , 7 ,
• Leroy Sivappiragasam Pakkiri 5 , 6 ,
• Poh Leong Lim 5 , 6 ,
• Xi Zhang 8 ,
• Chester Lee Drum   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6327-4584 5 , 6 ,
• Jin Zhu 1 &
• Rong Li   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0540-6566 1 , 8 , 9  

Nature Aging ( 2024 ) Cite this article

53 Accesses

52 Altmetric

Metrics details

• Germline development
• Reproductive disorders

Reproductive aging is a major cause of fertility decline, attributed to decreased oocyte quantity and developmental potential. A possible cause is aging of the surrounding follicular somatic cells that support oocyte growth and development by providing nutrients and regulatory factors. Here, by creating chimeric follicles, whereby an oocyte from one follicle was transplanted into and cultured within another follicle whose native oocyte was removed, we show that young oocytes cultured in aged follicles exhibited impeded meiotic maturation and developmental potential, whereas aged oocytes cultured within young follicles were significantly improved in rates of maturation, blastocyst formation and live birth after in vitro fertilization and embryo implantation. This rejuvenation of aged oocytes was associated with enhanced interaction with somatic cells, transcriptomic and metabolomic remodeling, improved mitochondrial function and higher fidelity of meiotic chromosome segregation. These findings provide the basis for a future follicular somatic cell-based therapy to treat female infertility.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

24,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles

111,21 € per year

only 9,27 € per issue

Buy this article

• Purchase on SpringerLink
• Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

Primary oocytes with cellular senescence features are involved in ovarian aging in mice

Quercetin promotes in vitro maturation of oocytes from humans and aged mice

Inhibitory effects of astaxanthin on postovulatory porcine oocyte aging in vitro

Data availability.

All raw RNA-seq data, as well as processed datasets, can be found in the Gene Expression Omnibus database under accession number GSE270016 . Metabolomics data are available in Supplementary Table 5 . The rest of the data generated or analyzed during this study are all included in the published article and its Supplementary Information files. Source data are provided with this paper. All other data are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

Gruhn, J. R. et al. Chromosome errors in human eggs shape natural fertility over reproductive life span. Science 365 , 1466–1469 (2019).

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Sang, Q., Ray, P. F. & Wang, L. Understanding the genetics of human infertility. Science 380 , 158–163 (2023).

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Navot, D. et al. Poor oocyte quality rather than implantation failure as a cause of age-related decline in female fertility. Lancet 337 , 1375–1377 (1991).

Cimadomo, D. et al. Impact of maternal age on oocyte and embryo competence. Front. Endocrinol. 9 , 327 (2018).

Article   Google Scholar  

Zhang, H. et al. Life-long in vivo cell-lineage tracing shows that no oogenesis originates from putative germline stem cells in adult mice. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 111 , 17983–17988 (2014).

Faddy, M. J., Gosden, R. G., Gougeon, A., Richardson, S. J. & Nelson, J. F. Accelerated disappearance of ovarian follicles in mid-life: implications for forecasting menopause. Hum. Reprod. 7 , 1342–1346 (1992).

Titus, S. et al. Impairment of BRCA1 -related DNA double-strand break repair leads to ovarian aging in mice and humans. Sci. Transl. Med. 5 , 172ra121 (2013).

Kawamura, K. et al. Hippo signaling disruption and Akt stimulation of ovarian follicles for infertility treatment. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110 , 17474–17479 (2013).

Kawamura, K., Kawamura, N. & Hsueh, A. J. Activation of dormant follicles: a new treatment for premature ovarian failure? Curr. Opin. Obstet. Gynecol. 28 , 217–222 (2016).

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Seckin, S., Ramadan, H., Mouanness, M., Kohansieh, M. & Merhi, Z. Ovarian response to intraovarian platelet-rich plasma (PRP) administration: hypotheses and potential mechanisms of action. J. Assist. Reprod. Genet. 39 , 37–61 (2022).

Walker, Z., Lanes, A. & Ginsburg, E. Oocyte cryopreservation review: outcomes of medical oocyte cryopreservation and planned oocyte cryopreservation. Reprod. Biol. Endocrinol. 20 , 10 (2022).

Khattak, H. et al. Fresh and cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation for preserving reproductive and endocrine function: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Hum. Reprod. Update 28 , 400–416 (2022).

Reinhardt, K., Dowling, D. K. & Morrow, E. H. Medicine. Mitochondrial replacement, evolution, and the clinic. Science 341 , 1345–1346 (2013).

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Labarta, E., de Los Santos, M. J., Escriba, M. J., Pellicer, A. & Herraiz, S. Mitochondria as a tool for oocyte rejuvenation. Fertil. Steril. 111 , 219–226 (2019).

Matzuk, M. M., Burns, K. H., Viveiros, M. M. & Eppig, J. J. Intercellular communication in the mammalian ovary: oocytes carry the conversation. Science 296 , 2178–2180 (2002).

Li, R. & Albertini, D. F. The road to maturation: somatic cell interaction and self-organization of the mammalian oocyte. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 14 , 141–152 (2013).

Park, J. Y. et al. EGF-like growth factors as mediators of LH action in the ovulatory follicle. Science 303 , 682–684 (2004).

Rodgers, R. J. & Irving-Rodgers, H. F. Formation of the ovarian follicular antrum and follicular fluid. Biol. Reprod. 82 , 1021–1029 (2010).

Da Broi, M. G. et al. Influence of follicular fluid and cumulus cells on oocyte quality: clinical implications. J. Assist. Reprod. Genet. 35 , 735–751 (2018).

El-Hayek, S., Yang, Q., Abbassi, L., FitzHarris, G. & Clarke, H. J. Mammalian oocytes locally remodel follicular architecture to provide the foundation for germline–soma communication. Curr. Biol. 28 , 1124–1131 e1123 (2018).

Simon, A. M., Goodenough, D. A., Li, E. & Paul, D. L. Female infertility in mice lacking connexin 37. Nature 385 , 525–529 (1997).

Carabatsos, M. J., Sellitto, C., Goodenough, D. A. & Albertini, D. F. Oocyte–granulosa cell heterologous gap junctions are required for the coordination of nuclear and cytoplasmic meiotic competence. Dev. Biol. 226 , 167–179 (2000).

Sifer, C. et al. Could induced apoptosis of human granulosa cells predict in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer outcome? A preliminary study of 25 women. Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. 103 , 150–153 (2002).

Babayev, E. et al. Cumulus expansion is impaired with advanced reproductive age due to loss of matrix integrity and reduced hyaluronan. Aging Cell 22 , e14004 (2023).

Esbert, M. et al. Addition of rapamycin or co-culture with cumulus cells from younger reproductive age women does not improve rescue in vitro oocyte maturation or euploidy rates in older reproductive age women. Mol. Hum. Reprod. 30 , gaad048 (2024).

Babayev, E. & Duncan, F. E. Age-associated changes in cumulus cells and follicular fluid: the local oocyte microenvironment as a determinant of gamete quality. Biol. Reprod. 106 , 351–365 (2022).

Xiao, S. et al. Doxorubicin has dose-dependent toxicity on mouse ovarian follicle development, hormone secretion, and oocyte maturation. Toxicol. Sci. 157 , 320–329 (2017).

West, E. R., Xu, M., Woodruff, T. K. & Shea, L. D. Physical properties of alginate hydrogels and their effects on in vitro follicle development. Biomaterials 28 , 4439–4448 (2007).

Xu, M., West, E., Shea, L. D. & Woodruff, T. K. Identification of a stage-specific permissive in vitro culture environment for follicle growth and oocyte development. Biol. Reprod. 75 , 916–923 (2006).

Shikanov, A., Xu, M., Woodruff, T. K. & Shea, L. D. Interpenetrating fibrin–alginate matrices for in vitro ovarian follicle development. Biomaterials 30 , 5476–5485 (2009).

Oakberg, E. F. Follicular growth and atresia in the mouse. In Vitro 15 , 41–49 (1979).

Zhou, J., Peng, X. & Mei, S. Autophagy in ovarian follicular development and atresia. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 15 , 726–737 (2019).

Lane, M. & Gardner, D. K. Differential regulation of mouse embryo development and viability by amino acids. J. Reprod. Fertil. 109 , 153–164 (1997).

Alam, M. H. & Miyano, T. Interaction between growing oocytes and granulosa cells in vitro. Reprod. Med. Biol. 19 , 13–23 (2020).

Muzumdar, M. D., Tasic, B., Miyamichi, K., Li, L. & Luo, L. A global double-fluorescent Cre reporter mouse. Genesis 45 , 593–605 (2007).

Abbassi, L. et al. Epidermal growth factor receptor signaling uncouples germ cells from the somatic follicular compartment at ovulation. Nat. Commun. 12 , 1438 (2021).

Prossnitz, E. R. & Barton, M. The G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER in health and disease. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 7 , 715–726 (2011).

Fan, H. Y. et al. MAPK3/1 (ERK1/2) in ovarian granulosa cells are essential for female fertility. Science 324 , 938–941 (2009).

Dumollard, R., Duchen, M. & Carroll, J. The role of mitochondrial function in the oocyte and embryo. Curr. Top. Dev. Biol. 77 , 21–49 (2007).

Tarin, J. J., Perez-Albala, S. & Cano, A. Cellular and morphological traits of oocytes retrieved from aging mice after exogenous ovarian stimulation. Biol. Reprod. 65 , 141–150 (2001).

Mobarak, H. et al. Autologous mitochondrial microinjection; a strategy to improve the oocyte quality and subsequent reproductive outcome during aging. Cell Biosci. 9 , 95 (2019).

Morimoto, Y. et al. Mitochondrial transfer into human oocytes improved embryo quality and clinical outcomes in recurrent pregnancy failure cases. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 24 , 2738 (2023).

Zhang, Q. et al. Supplementation of mitochondria from endometrial mesenchymal stem cells improves oocyte quality in aged mice. Cell Prolif. 56 , e13372 (2023).

Zhang, X. et al. Enhancing mitochondrial proteolysis alleviates alpha-synuclein-mediated cellular toxicity. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 10 , 120 (2024).

Hassold, T. & Hunt, P. To err (meiotically) is human: the genesis of human aneuploidy. Nat. Rev. Genet. 2 , 280–291 (2001).

Sakakibara, Y. et al. Bivalent separation into univalents precedes age-related meiosis I errors in oocytes. Nat. Commun. 6 , 7550 (2015).

Mihajlovic, A. I., Haverfield, J. & FitzHarris, G. Distinct classes of lagging chromosome underpin age-related oocyte aneuploidy in mouse. Dev. Cell 56 , 2273–2283 e2273 (2021).

Chatzidaki, E. E. et al. Ovulation suppression protects against chromosomal abnormalities in mouse eggs at advanced maternal age. Curr. Biol. 31 , 4038–4051 e4037 (2021).

Chiang, T., Duncan, F. E., Schindler, K., Schultz, R. M. & Lampson, M. A. Evidence that weakened centromere cohesion is a leading cause of age-related aneuploidy in oocytes. Curr. Biol. 20 , 1522–1528 (2010).

Lister, L. M. et al. Age-related meiotic segregation errors in mammalian oocytes are preceded by depletion of cohesin and Sgo2. Curr. Biol. 20 , 1511–1521 (2010).

Zielinska, A. P., Holubcova, Z., Blayney, M., Elder, K. & Schuh, M. Sister kinetochore splitting and precocious disintegration of bivalents could explain the maternal age effect. eLife 4 , e11389 (2015).

Zielinska, A. P. et al. Meiotic kinetochores fragment into multiple lobes upon cohesin loss in aging eggs. Curr. Biol. 29 , 3749–3765 e3747 (2019).

Cecconi, S., Tatone, C., Buccione, R., Mangia, F. & Colonna, R. Granulosa cell-oocyte interactions: the phosphorylation of specific proteins in mouse oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage is dependent upon the differentiative state of companion somatic cells. J. Exp. Zool. 258 , 249–254 (1991).

Colonna, R., Cecconi, S., Tatone, C., Mangia, F. & Buccione, R. Somatic cell–oocyte interactions in mouse oogenesis: stage-specific regulation of mouse oocyte protein phosphorylation by granulosa cells. Dev. Biol. 133 , 305–308 (1989).

De La Fuente, R. & Eppig, J. J. Transcriptional activity of the mouse oocyte genome: companion granulosa cells modulate transcription and chromatin remodeling. Dev. Biol. 229 , 224–236 (2001).

Chan, C. C. et al. Mitochondrial DNA content and 4977 bp deletion in unfertilized oocytes. Mol. Hum. Reprod. 11 , 843–846 (2005).

Barritt, J. A., Cohen, J. & Brenner, C. A. Mitochondrial DNA point mutation in human oocytes is associated with maternal age. Reprod. Biomed. Online 1 , 96–100 (2000).

Miao, Y. L., Kikuchi, K., Sun, Q. Y. & Schatten, H. Oocyte aging: cellular and molecular changes, developmental potential and reversal possibility. Hum. Reprod. Update 15 , 573–585 (2009).

Sala, A. J. & Morimoto, R. I. Protecting the future: balancing proteostasis for reproduction. Trends Cell Biol. 32 , 202–215 (2022).

Peng, J. et al. Growth differentiation factor 9:bone morphogenetic protein 15 heterodimers are potent regulators of ovarian functions. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110 , E776–E785 (2013).

Gilchrist, R. B., Ritter, L. J. & Armstrong, D. T. Oocyte–somatic cell interactions during follicle development in mammals. Anim. Reprod. Sci. 82–83 , 431–446 (2004).

Burkhardt, S. et al. Chromosome cohesion established by rec8-cohesin in fetal oocytes is maintained without detectable turnover in oocytes arrested for months in mice. Curr. Biol. 26 , 678–685 (2016).

Lai, Q. et al. Oxidative stress in granulosa cells contributes to poor oocyte quality and IVF-ET outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Front. Med. 12 , 518–524 (2018).

Wang, S. et al. Single-cell transcriptomic atlas of primate ovarian aging. Cell 180 , 585–600 e519 (2020).

Amargant, F. et al. Ovarian stiffness increases with age in the mammalian ovary and depends on collagen and hyaluronan matrices. Aging Cell 19 , e13259 (2020).

Wang, H. et al. Symmetry breaking in hydrodynamic forces drives meiotic spindle rotation in mammalian oocytes. Sci. Adv. 6 , eaaz5004 (2020).

Wang, H. et al. Dual control of formin-nucleated actin assembly by the chromatin and ER in mouse oocytes. Curr. Biol. 32 , 4013–4024 e4016 (2022).

Rodriguez-Nuevo, A. et al. Oocytes maintain ROS-free mitochondrial metabolism by suppressing complex I. Nature 607 , 756–761 (2022).

Ben-Meir, A. et al. Coenzyme Q10 restores oocyte mitochondrial function and fertility during reproductive aging. Aging Cell 14 , 887–895 (2015).

Al-Zubaidi, U. et al. The spatio-temporal dynamics of mitochondrial membrane potential during oocyte maturation. Mol. Hum. Reprod. 25 , 695–705 (2019).

Love, M. I., Huber, W. & Anders, S. Moderated estimation of fold change and dispersion for RNA-seq data with DESeq2. Genome Biol. 15 , 550 (2014).

Yu, G., Wang, L. G., Han, Y. & He, Q. Y. clusterProfiler: an R package for comparing biological themes among gene clusters. OMICS 16 , 284–287 (2012).

Yu, G., Wang, L. G., Yan, G. R. & He, Q. Y. DOSE: an R/Bioconductor package for disease ontology semantic and enrichment analysis. Bioinformatics 31 , 608–609 (2015).

Tay, S. H. et al. Distinct transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles characterize NSAID-induced urticaria/angioedema patients undergoing aspirin desensitization. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 150 , 1486–1497 (2022).

Ng, M. L. et al. Deep phenotyping of oxidative stress in emergency room patients reveals homoarginine as a novel predictor of sepsis severity, length of hospital stay, and length of intensive care unit stay. Front. Med. 9 , 1033083 (2022).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank S. Xiao (Rutgers University) for the helpful discussion on mouse follicle in vitro culture method. We thank M.l Lampson (University of Pennsylvania) for providing Rec8 antibody. We thank T. S. Kitajima (RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology) for providing pGEMHE–2mEGFP–CENP-C plasmid. Graphics from Figs. 2a,f , 3a , 4a,e and 8g and Extended Data Figs. 3b , 6a and 7a were created with BioRender. This work was supported by a grant from the National University of Singapore Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality and by the National Research Foundation, Singapore, under its mid-sized grant (NRF-MSG-2023-0001) to R.L. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

HaiYang Wang, Xingyu Shen, Yaelim Lee, XinJie Song, Chang Shu, Jin Zhu & Rong Li

NUS Bia Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Zhongwei Huang

Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore

Lik Hang Wu, Leroy Sivappiragasam Pakkiri, Poh Leong Lim & Chester Lee Drum

Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Lik Hang Wu

Center for Cell Dynamics and Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

Xi Zhang & Rong Li

Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

H.W. and R.L. conceived the study. H.W. and R.L. designed the experiments and methods for data analysis. H.W. performed experiments and analyzed the data with assistance from Z.H., X.J.S., X.S. and C.S., with the following exceptions: L.H.W., P.L.L. and L.S.P. performed the MS experiments and data analysis; C.S. measured the distance between sister kinetochores; X.Z. generated MTS–mCherry–GFP 1–10 mice strain; J.Z. supervised the RNA-seq experiments and analyzed the data with Y.L.; and C.L.D. and L.S.P. supervised the MS analysis. H.W. and R.L. wrote the paper and prepared the figures with input from all authors. R.L. supervised the study.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to HaiYang Wang or Rong Li .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

We disclose that we have filed a patent for this study. The applicants and inventors for this patent are R.L. and H.W. The patent application, titled ‘Somatic Cell-Based Therapy to Treat Female Infertility’, was filed under number PCT/SG2023/050339 and has been published with the publication number WO 2023/224556 A1. The other authors declare no competing interests.

Peer review

Peer review information.

Nature Aging thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Extended data

Extended data fig. 1 follicles accumulate age-related abnormalities..

a,b , Representative images of Ki-67 staining in ovarian sections ( a ). F-actin was stained with phalloidin. Scale bar, 50 μm. Quantitative analysis of the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells per follicle is shown in ( b) . n = 31 (young), 25 (aged) follicles. c , Quantification of γH2AX foci in GCs from follicles in ovarian sections. n = 37 (young), 38 (aged) follicles. d-f , CM-H2DCFDA staining in isolated oocyte-GC complexes ( d ). Scale bar, 30 μm. Scatter plots ( e ) show the correlation between ROS levels in GCs and oocytes (simple linear regression and two-tailed analysis). Gray areas around fit lines indicate 95% confidence intervals, with Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r). Comparison of ROS intensity in young and aged oocytes or GCs is shown in ( f ). n = 76 (young), 43 (aged). 2-month-old (young) and 14-month-old (aged) mice were used in ( b, c, e, f ). Box plots in (b, c, f) show mean (black square), median (center line), quartiles (box limits), and 1.5× interquartile range (whiskers). Box plots inside the violins in ( f ) show mean (black circle), quartiles (box limits), and 1.5× interquartile range (whiskers). Two-tailed unpaired t-tests for ( b, c, f ). P value: **** P  < 0.0001, *** P  < 0.001. Exact P values are in the Source Data. Data are from at least three independent experiments.

Source data

Extended data fig. 2 comparison of in vivo and in vitro grown oocytes..

a , Diameter of oocytes grown in vivo or in vitro . n = 109 ( in vivo ), 90 ( in vitro ). b , Quantification of oocyte maturation rate. Sample sizes: n = 126 ( in vivo ) and n = 98 ( in vitro ) oocytes, with 4 biological replicates in each group. Data are shown as mean ± SD. c , Analysis of embryo development potential. n = 83 ( in vivo ) and 75 ( in vitro ). d-f , Transcriptome analysis of oocytes grown in vitro and in vivo . Volcano plot ( d) of DEGs (p.adjust < 0.05 and log 2 fold change > 0.5 or < −0.5) between in vitro and in vivo oocytes. Two-sided Wald-test adjusted with Benjamini-Hochberg method. Correlation heatmap ( e) with hierarchical clustering to show the sample-to-sample distances. PCA analysis (f) of the normalized gene expression data. Ellipses fit a multivariate t-distribution at confidence level of 0.8. n = 8 in vivo and 8 in vitro . g , Dot plots illustrating follicle size changes over time during 3D ex vivo culture. Color bar and circle size represent follicle size. 2-month-old (young, n = 18) and 14-month-old (aged, n = 18) mice were used. h,i , Representative images ( h ) of 3D ex vivo cultured young and aged follicles. Follicles were considered atretic if there was disruption of contact between the oocyte (red asterisk) and GCs, leading to the release of oocytes from the follicles (bottom left), or if the follicles contained apoptotic or dead oocytes (bottom right). Antrum is indicated by the white arrowhead. Scale bar, 100 μm. Atresia rate was quantified (i) in young (2-3 months) and aged (14-15 months) follicles after 3D ex vivo culture. The median is represented by the center line, with individual dots representing biological replicates for each group. Sample sizes: n = 166 (young), 199 (aged) follicles, with 5 biological replicates in each group. 2-3 month-old mice were used in ( a - f ). Box plots inside the violins in ( a ) show mean (black circle), quartiles (box limits), and 1.5× interquartile range (whiskers). Two-tailed unpaired t-tests for ( a, b, i ). Two-tailed Fisher’s exact test for (c) . P value: ** P  < 0.01, ns, not significant ( P  > 0.05). Exact P values are in the Source Data. All data are from at least three independent experiments.

Extended Data Fig. 3 Growth and maturation of oocytes from RCFs in 3D ex vivo culture.

a , Procedure for generating reconstituted chimeric follicles. Red arrow points to the oocyte used for transplantation. Red asterisk indicates the oocyte within the r-follicle that will be replaced. Refer to Supplementary Video 1 and Methods for further details. b , To distinguish between the donor oocyte and the r-follicle, we employed oocytes from mTmG transgenic mice exhibiting membrane-localized tdTomato (pseudo-colored yellow). In contrast, the r-follicles were sourced from non-fluorescent wild-type mice. The mTmG oocytes served as donors as referenced in Fig. 2g and Extended Data Fig. 3c–e . c , RCF size increased during 3D ex vivo culture. Oocytes from transgenic mTmG mice and follicular somatic cells from wild-type mice, as shown in ( b ). Scale bars, 50 μm. d , Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) isolated from antral RCFs were induced for oocyte maturation with hCG for 16 hours in vitro . Note that cumulus cells surrounding the oocytes (from mTmG mice) expanded, and oocytes resumed meiosis, extruded the PB1 as shown in ( e ). Scale bars, 200 μm. e , Representative image of mature eggs derived from RCFs as shown in ( c and d ). The cumulus cells were removed after maturation to visualize mature eggs with the first polar body (PB1, arrows). Scale bars, 40 μm. All images are representative of at least three independent experiments.

Extended Data Fig. 4 Aged follicular somatic cells elevate ROS levels and reduce mitochondrial membrane potential in young oocytes.

a . Representative confocal images of cellular ROS stained with CM-H2DCFDA in oocytes from YY and YA RCFs. Scale bar, 100 μm. b . Quantification of CM-H2DCFDA fluorescence intensity in oocytes from YY and YA RCFs, as well as Y. n = 104 (Y), 122 (YY), 97 (YA). 2-month-old (young) and 14-month-old (aged) wide-type ICR mice were used. c . Fluorescence images of oocyte stained with MitoTracker Green (MTG, cyan) and mitochondrial membrane potential-sensitive dye TMRM (red). Scale bar, 100 μm. d . Quantification of the fluorescence intensity ratio of TMRM to MTG in oocytes from YY and YA RCFs, as well as Y. n = 110 (Y), 94 (YY), 72 (YA). 2-month-old (young) and 14-month-old (aged) wide-type ICR mice were used. Box plots in (b, d) show mean (black square), median (center line), quartiles (box limits), and 1.5× interquartile range (whiskers). One-way ANOVA, Tukey’s multiple comparisons test for ( b , d ). P value: **** P  < 0.0001, ns, not significant ( P  > 0.05). The exact P values are presented in the Source Data. All data are from at least three independent experiments.

Extended Data Fig. 5 Impact of young follicular somatic cells on aged oocyte quality.

a , Quantification of oocyte death rates. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Sample sizes: n = 77 (YY), 65 (AA), 142 (AY) oocytes. Individual dots represent biological replicates for each group. Young: 2-3 months old, aged: 14-15 months old. b-e , Representative live-cell images ( b ) showing spindle and chromosomes in MII oocytes. Scale bar, 10 µm. Quantification of the percentage of chromosomal misalignment ( c ) and spindle abnormalities ( d ). Panel ( e ) presents a separate quantitative analysis of various classes of spindle abnormalities. Young: 2-3 months old, aged: 14-17 months old. f,g , Representative image of DAPI-stained blastocysts ( f ). Scale bars, 20 μm. Cell numbers per blastocyst were quantified in (g) . n = 57 (YY), 43 (AY), 26 (AA). h-m , Comparison of various parameters between AA and AY RCFs and A: ( h ) cellular ROS levels, ( i ) oocyte maturation rates, ( j ) chromosomal misalignment, ( k ) spindle abnormalities, ( l ) blastocyst formation rate, and ( m ) blastocyst size. For ( h ), n = 72 (A), 72 (AA), 72 (AY); for ( m ), n = 25 (A), 28 (AA), 31 (AY). In ( c, d, i, j, k, l ), the oocyte numbers are specified in brackets. 2-month-old (young) and 14-month-old (aged) mice were used in ( g-m ). Box plots in ( g, m ) show mean (black square), median (center line), quartiles (box limits), and 1.5× interquartile range (whiskers). Box plots inside the violins in ( h ) show mean (black circle), quartiles (box limits), and 1.5× interquartile range (whiskers). One-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test was used for ( a, g, h, m ). Two-tailed Fisher’s exact test for ( c, d, i-l ). P value: **** P  < 0.0001, *** P  < 0.001, ** P  < 0.01, * P  < 0.05, ns, not significant ( P  > 0.05). Exact P values are in the Source Data. All data are from at least three independent experiments.

Extended Data Fig. 6 TZP regeneration and oocytes transcriptomic remodeling in RCFs.

a , Schematic demonstrating TZPs from GCs that pass through the zona pellucida, forming either adherens junctions or gap junctions on the oocyte surface. b , TZP regenerated within 3 hours of RCF culturing. RCF containing follicular somatic cells from mTmG mouse and wild-type oocytes were cultured within Alginate-rBM beads for 3 h. Somatic cells were then removed to visualize TZP regeneration. Scale bars, 20 μm. c , Histogram displays the number of up-regulated or down-regulated DEGs between oocytes from YY and AA, AY and AA, or YY and AY RCFs. d,e , Representative GO terms associated with the genes that were downregulated ( d ) and upregulated ( e ) in aged oocytes from AA RCFs when compared to young oocytes from YY RCFs. One-sided hypergeometric test with FDR adjustment for multiple comparisons.

Extended Data Fig. 7 Investigating possible GC-to-oocyte mitochondrial transport in RCFs.

a . Experimental design to study mitochondrial transport within RCFs. RCFs were created using somatic cells from transgenic MTS-mCherry-GFP 1-11 mice, which express mitochondria-targeted mCherry, and unlabelled oocytes from wild-type mice. b . Confocal microscopy images of mCherry-labelled mitochondria in oocytes. Top panel: Positive control, an RCF formed by transplanting an MTS-mCherry-GFP 1-11 oocyte into an MTS-mCherry-GFP 1-10 r-follicle. Middle panel: RCF generated by transplanting a wild-type oocyte into an MTS-mCherry-GFP 1-10 r-follicle. Bottom panel: Negative control, an RCF generated by transplanting a wild-type oocyte into a wild-type r-follicle. Rightmost panel of each row: overexposed images corresponding to the second column (mCherry). Somatic cells were partially removed before imaging to better observe oocyte fluorescence. Scale bar, 20 µm. All images are representative of at least three independent experiments.

Extended Data Fig. 8 Comparative analysis of oocytes from YY, YA, AY, AA RCFs.

This analysis examines various parameters of oocyte quality and developmental potential across four different RCF groups (YY, YA, AY, AA): ( a ) oocyte maturation rates (n = 12 YY, 4 YA, 10 AY, 9 AA), ( b ) chromosome misalignment (n = 9 YY, 4 YA, 5 AY, 5 AA), ( c ) spindle abnormalities (n = 9 YY, 4 YA, 5 AY, 5 AA), ( d ) blastocyst formation rates (n = 9 YY, 5 YA, 7 AY, 7 AA), ( e ) cellular ROS accumulation (n = 150 YY, 97 YA, 38 AY, 26 AA), ( f ) mitochondrial membrane potential (n = 153 YY, 72 YA, 57 AY, 53 AA). All metrics were normalized to those of the YY group in the same experiments using the non-normalized data as in Figs. 2h, j, k, l , 3b, d , 6f, j , Extended Data Fig. 4 b, d, and 5c, d . The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. P value: **** P  < 0.0001, *** P  < 0.001, ** P  < 0.01, * P  < 0.05, ns, not significant ( P  > 0.05). The exact P values are presented in the Source Data. All results are presented as mean ± SD. All data are from at least three independent experiments.

Supplementary information

Reporting summary, supplementary video 1.

Chimeric follicle generation process. This video demonstrates a step-by-step example of creating a RCF, highlighting the process of transplanting an oocyte into an r-follicle.

Supplementary Video 2

An example of sister kinetochore pair distance measurement. This video demonstrates the measurement of sister kinetochore pair distances in oocytes expressing 2mEGFP–CENP-C (green) and H2B–mCherry (red) to label kinetochores and chromosomes, respectively. See Methods for a detailed description of the measurement protocol.

Supplementary Tables 1–5

Supplementary Table 1. Differential gene expression analysis in vitro oocytes versus in vivo oocytes. Two-sided Wald test adjusted with the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Supplementary Table 2. Differential gene expression analysis in oocytes from AA RCFs versus YY RCFs. Two-sided Wald test adjusted with the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Supplementary Table 3. Differential gene expression analysis in oocytes from AA RCFs versus AY RCFs. Two-sided Wald test adjusted with the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Supplementary Table 4. Differential gene expression analysis in oocytes from AY RCFs versus AA RCFs. Two-sided Wald test adjusted with the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Supplementary Table 5. Metabolomic profiling of oocytes from YY, AA, and AY RCFs. Two-sided Wald test.

Source Data Fig. 1

Statistical source data.

Source Data Fig. 2

Source data fig. 3, source data fig. 4, source data fig. 6, source data fig. 7, source data fig. 8, source data extended data fig. 1, source data extended data fig. 2, source data extended data fig. 4, source data extended data fig. 5, source data extended data fig. 6, source data extended data fig. 8, rights and permissions.

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Wang, H., Huang, Z., Shen, X. et al. Rejuvenation of aged oocyte through exposure to young follicular microenvironment. Nat Aging (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00697-x

Download citation

Received : 23 April 2024

Accepted : 30 July 2024

Published : 09 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-024-00697-x

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.