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How to Write the Findings Chapter
After you have collected all the data, you need to write the findings of a dissertation. Depending on your preference for writing, the findings, and discussion sections can be the most rewarding sections of your total dissertation. This is the point where you get to write about what you have done, rather than what others have said about your subject area.
However, many students find writing the dissertation findings chapter challenge. They usually have questions such as when to write dissertation findings, what to include and what not to include in the findings chapter etc. We have come up with this guide to help students overcome these challenges.
Purpose of Findings Section
The purpose of the dissertation’s finding section is to present the key results of your results without interpreting their meaning. In simple words, it is a section where you write about what you have observed and found. The goal is to include only the important and relevant information otherwise you will end up confusing the reader if you include too much unnecessary information.
The findings chapter of the dissertation ought to be the easiest to write. The chapter includes statistical analysis as well as a brief write-up on whether the results of the analysis are significant.
Important things to remember:
- It is important for you to write a dissertation findings chapter in the past tense.
- A dissertation findings chapter varies from one project to another, depending on the amount of data collected and analyzed
- Avoid writing results that are not relevant to your research
Reporting Quantitative Findings
Structure your quantitative findings around the research hypothesis or research questions for the best presentation. When reporting your research, you must state how you intend to analyze the data. Analyzing your findings will help you understand how they relate to your questions. If you want to include findings that aren’t directly related to your findings, you can include them in the appendix.
The findings should contain graphs, charts, and tables. These will help readers in developing an understanding of various patterns. When writing the dissertation finding chapter, merely summarize a few aspects of the outcomes. Below your tables and charts should have descriptive labeling.
Reporting Qualitative Findings
One of the issues that students encountered in reporting the qualitative findings is that not all results are directly relevant to your research questions. The best way to go about presenting your findings in qualitative research is to structure the finding around the most important areas or themes that you obtained after you examined the data.
An in-depth analysis of the data will enable you to see what the data is revealing for each theme. Any developments, relationships, patterns, or independent responses that are directly related to your research question or hypothesis should be mentioned to the reader. All the additional information that is not directly related to your research can be included in the appendix.
The Don’ts – Things to Avoid in Dissertation Findings Chapter
- Avoid using terms and phrases that are interpretive and subjective such as reveal, suggest or validate. These terms are more suitable for discussion chapters
- Briefly explain the findings that are related to key themes, hypotheses, and research questions.
The Dos -Things to Remember while Writing Dissertation’s Findings
- Make sure that you are not presenting results from other research in your findings
- Observe whether or not your hypothesis is tested or research questions answered
- Charts, graphs and tables are used to present data, and they should be properly labeled to help the reader understand what they relate to
- Software like Excel, STATA, and SPSS to analyze results and generate essential trends.
Important Guidelines on How to Write Dissertation Findings
For every part of the dissertation, there are different techniques and strategies that you should use while writing them. These steps below can give you a rough idea of how you should write the findings chapter.
Review the Guidelines
Check the guidelines or the instructions provided to you, by reading the guideline you can understand the different requirements to present your results:
- The guidelines usually have specific requirements for the result or finding chapter, and published articles can provide good examples of successful approaches.
- Keep in mind length limitations. For example, some dissertations require the result and discussion to be separated while some are asked to include them in the same section.
Determine which data should be included
The findings chapter of the dissertation provides context for understanding the results. The research problem should be repeated, and the research objectives should be stated briefly. This approach aids in drawing the reader’s attention to the research problem. The first step in writing the findings is determining which findings will be presented in this section.
The data that is relevant to the research questions should be presented, including them even if they are unexpected or do not support your idea and hypotheses. Another thing you need to do is catalog your findings – use subheadings, this will help you avoid excessive and peripheral detail and help the reader to understand and remember your findings.
Lastly, consider your readers, evidence and most importantly, the objectives of your research when choosing a structure for presenting your findings.
Illustrate your Data by Figures and Table
Through tables and figures, you can tell a clear and informative study about your research and avoid being repetitive. But also keep in mind that tables and figures can clarify the information but they can’t replace it.
Also, make sure that the figures are self-explanatory with the help of captions. This means that their design should include all the information that is necessary for the reader to understand the findings. Furthermore, tables and figures should be numbered according to the order in which they are mentioned.
Draft Your Finding Section
Now comes the part where you are going to write the finding chapter. The main aim is to present this complex information in the clearest and most precise way.
- Start with restating your research questions and objectives so that readers can understand what results in you are trying to show.
- It is also a good idea to summarize key findings at the end of the chapter, this creates a logical transition to the discussion chapter that follows.
- As I mentioned above, will it again use past tense while writing the findings section and also use active voice so that your explanations are clear and logical? Avoid being too wordy in this section.
- Ensure that any specialized terminology you have used in the findings section should be defined and clarified in the introduction section.
Revise, Proofread and Edit
Check all the information you have presented until you are sure it is exactly as you would like to report it.
- Double-check for any inaccuracy or inconsistency.
- Don’t forget to check visual elements as well.
- Proofread and edit all your data for any language errors, awkward phrases, and missing transitions
- Check it until you are certain that the results are presented in the best order to focus on the research objective and prepare readers for interpretation, recommendation etc, in the discussion chapter.
I would suggest considering getting additional guidance on your paper from peers, professors or qualified experts that can give you valuable insight in order to help you improve in any way. You can turn to professional academic editing services such as Assignment Studio to ensure that your paper is perfect before submission.
And this is it! I hope that with the help of this guide you will be able to write an amazing findings section.
