ACADEMIC ENGLISH: Statistical argument

If you use evidence from research studies to support your arguments, be careful about how you use the findings from the studies. Data rarely prove anything; rather, the data suggest that something might be true (or at least not false) with a certain degree of confidence and with the expectation that sometimes the prediction will be wrong. Thus, claims about the results of studies are always expressed in such terms as “These data suggest . . .” or “It seems likely that . . .” or “The data showed a significant improvement . . . .”