Writing Chapter 4 and

5
Practical Research 1
Chapter 4
Results and Discussion
Preamble
Introductory paragraphs
a. Briefly re-state the problem statement, the purpose of
the study and research questions
b. Tell the reader on the purpose of Chapter 4 and how
you organized the 'story'.
c. Briefly describe the research design - whether you
used ethnographic method, case study method and so
forth
Introductory paragraphs
d. Briefly tell about the sample you studied and data
collection techniques - whether you used observations,
interviews and so forth
e. Brief explanation of how data were processed and
coded, as well as how data exemplars were chosen for
presentation.
f. Explain how you established trustworthiness of data
collected
Question:
If these things were discussed
thoroughly in the earlier
chapters, am I not being
redundant?
Answer:
You`re not repeating the
discussion, you are re-stating
key points.
The Reasons?
The reasons is twofold:
First is to provide a context that will
lead the reader towards the findings
reported in Chapter 4.
The Reasons?
Second is the fact that not all people
who read you final thesis will begin
with Chapter 1. Rather they may 'skip'
to Chapter 4 to read about the
findings of the study.
Chapter 4
• Thedata gathered are collated, logically
presented and interpreted
• If
the researcher conducted an interview, it
should be discussed and presented by
highlighting transcribed responses from the
respondents
• Note:If respondent will be unnamed then they
may be referred to as Respondent 1 or R1 or M1
or F1 to indicate gender
Presentation of Findings
• Showingresults of the investigation as
generated using the approved methodology. It
may be textual, tabular, graphical or pictorial
form.
• Whatare the data gathered during data
collection?
Note: present it in a way it can be understood
even without the reading the discussion part.
 Discussion of Findings
• describing
the results of the investigation as
interpreted by the researcher.
• Whatdo the results tell you (in your perspective
as a researcher)?
*Arrange according to SOTP (Quantitative)
*Arrange according to themes/categories
(Qualitative)
Sample opening phrases for presenting
data:
• The data in table 4 shows that…
• A greater no. of respondents claimed that…
• As indicated in…
• As shown in…
• It is noted on table 6.8…
• As reflected in table 7
Sample opening phrases for analysis and
interpretation of data:
• It can be gleaned from the data that…
• This finding revealed that…
• This implies that…
• It could be inferred that…
• The data reveal…
• It can be deduced that…
 Chapter 5
SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
In Chapter 5, you are required to evaluate your own work and
provide personal insights and interpretation of the results.
However, this does not mean that you give your opinions as
you wish. Insights and interpretation should be based on the
constraints of scholarly writing in which you mention what the
study means to you and what it means to the field of practice,
to previous research and people interested in your study.
 Chapter 5
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
In Chapter 5, you are required to evaluate your own work and
provide personal insights and interpretation of the results.
However, this does not mean that you give your opinions as
you wish. Insights and interpretation should be based on the
constraints of scholarly writing in which you mention what the
study means to you and what it means to the field of practice,
to previous research and people interested in your study.
Summary of Findings
The objective of this section is to refresh the reader's
understanding of the 'findings' or 'results'.
 Highlight the main or major findings that you had stated
in Chapter 4. There is no need to explain in detail the
findings or results and avoid the temptation to copy and
paste from Chapter 4.
 Keep it simple and do not include too much research
jargon so that someone who is not be in the field can
understand.
Summary of Findings
In the case of quantitative research, use simple non-statistical
language to summarize.
 Remember to write in the past tense. For example, "Job
satisfaction as expressed by staff did not vary according to leadership
styles of the senior manager".
 For quantitative research, to ensure flow, it is suggested that you
use the research questions or hypotheses as a guide.
 For qualitative research you could use the research questions,
themes or categories.
 Synthesize the findings and show how they converge to answer the
research questions.
Semantic markers
• additionally, also, further, in addition
to, moreover, contrary to, with regard to, as
regards, however, finally, during the past ___
years, from 1996 to 2006, after 10 years, as
shown in, as presented
in, consequently, nevertheless, in fact, on the
other hand, subsequently, nonetheless.
Summary of Findings
Evaluation of the results in terms of the pre-set
criteria namely quantitative appropriateness,
qualitative appropriateness, statistical relevance
etc. (Search for anomalies. Evaluate whether your
findings were obtained in conformity with the
procedure you described in Chapter 3. If it did not
conform, then discuss the reasons why and what
factors might have affected the findings)
Summary of Findings
Perceived relation or effect of the findings to some
issues or subjects relevant to the study.
(Do the findings coincide, agree or disagree with
the studies reviewed in chapter 2? If there is an
explanation that the researcher has for such, then
discuss it.)
Summary of Findings
In cases where your findings differ from those of
others, it is useful to indicate possible reasons for such
variation. If you findings or results are controversial,  you
should explain why you think you got such results. This is
where you compare your findings against previous
findings whether they be different or similar - did the
findings agree with previous or it did not. When
discussing the findings keep in mind the limitations of
your study and how they may affect the findings.
Summary of Findings
You also show how the findings of your study
has contributed to existing understanding of
concepts identified in the works of other
people- important to acknowledge the views of
others who share similar positions as those
identified by your research.
Example:
If your study did not strongly confirm results
that had been predicted to be fairly strong in
the previous research. Assuming there are no
design weaknesses to account for the finding,
then perhaps the finding challenges the claims
previously held. As such, its failure to support a
hypothesis may be very important finding
indeed.
Additionally,
If you want to show that the findings of
your study has policy implication, you
must present a brief description of the
policy and how the findings from your
study are relevant or relate to the policy.
Furthermore,
If you want to show how your study
contributed towards your theoretical
framework then show how your work could
influence the theoretical debate.
Conclusions
As a rule, the order of presenting the
conclusions must follow the sequence of
the statement of the problem or ensuing
themes. Review the research question
then provide an answer from the data
gathered.
Recommendations
 What area of interest would you have liked to
explore but which was outside the scope of your study?
What other perspectives could be explored to
illuminate aspects of the subjects which were only
merely uncovered?
What follow-up studies would you like to conduct
given your results/findings?
How could your study be extended?
Recommendations
Recommendations for Future Practice
How can the professionals in your field
be impacted by the findings of this study?
What recommendations can you make to
professionals, policymakers, stakeholders,
government leaders etc?
Are you done?
Not quite.
References:
*arranged alphabetically(APA Format)
Appendices
* Letters, Computations, Documentation and
other Supporting Documents