Useful Advice On How To Write A Dissertation Findings Chapter
At the point of writing a dissertation findings chapter, you’ll have done most all of your research. The findings chapter should be a very important phase for you because this is what makes your research valid. It proves or disproves your hypothesis. It is also where you demonstrate that you have fulfilled your objectives.
Depending on what your school requires, you can either combine the findings and implications or you can separate them. It is generally easier to report your findings first before discussing their implications.
Reporting your findings
When reporting your findings, keep the following in mind.
- When reporting your findings, refer back to the methods that you described for your thesis. Ensure that all the methods you listed have been used.
- Secondly, ensure that each result is tied to a method. This is the reverse of the first point. Do not report anything that you found out without a listed method. If you need to adjust your methods, then do so.
- Use as much detail as possible in reporting your findings. State exactly what you did in each method to come up with the results. If there were experiments, state clearly what each entailed.
- Remain focused on what you carried out the experiments to find out. Always have your objectives in mind. If possible, have them in a place where you can see them. This will keep you from straying to irrelevant points.
- Use tools to emphasize your findings. You can use charts, graphs, and diagrams to illustrate your findings. These will make your work more interesting. Most importantly, they will make it easier to understand.
- Make use of all sorts of numbers. If there was a slight change in response, give the percentage change. If a proportion of respondents responded a certain way, use fractions. Be as detailed as possible.
- Briefly explain your findings in clear and easy to understand language. This will depend on your area. Do not use technical language unless it is unavoidable. Make this explanation short as your detailed discussions will be made in the discussions chapter.
- Order your work. Always order your work from the strongest points to the weakest. In reporting your findings, you will find that one method really brought out your point. Report it first. Use many illustrations and descriptions here. Also, don’t be shy about listing this as your first method in the methodology chapter.
Research findings can be the most interesting chapter that you can work on when writing your dissertation. Make it count by using the above tips to do a great job!