6CN010 - Dissertation

Presenting your results

Drawing conclusions and making
recommendations

Overview of research process

Identify Problem/ Knowledge Gap
Determine Research
Question(s)
State Aim & Objectives
Review Literature
Develop Research Plan (Resources & Method)
Collect and Analyze Data
Results discussion & Conclusions
Recommendations (Further research & implementation)

Produce dissertation

AdaptedfromSERC(1982)andBryman&Cramer(1994)

Introduction (1)
MAIN GOAL Clarity
Resultssectionshouldcontain:JUST THE FACTS

Texts
Tables
Figures
Transcript summaries
Authors description of what is important

Extensivediscussionofresultsbelongstothediscussionsection.

D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Introduction (2)
How should the results be organised?
Thereisnotastandardformoridealformula.
Resultsshouldhave:
1. Anorganisationallogicthatcanbedescribedtothereaders.
2. Asequencewhichguidesthereaderthroughtheresults.
MAINGOALSimple,clearandcompleteaccountofresults

D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Presenting the Results

Where to begin?
Mostoftheresultsbeginwithadescriptionofthe
sample.(Overallpictureoftheresults)
Iftheunitisaperson,
e.g.age,race,etc
Iftheunitisacity,
e.g.population,medianhouseprice,ethnic
composition

D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Presenting the Results

Kind of Study

Demographics
(Overall Picture)

Quantitative
(numbers,statistics)
Qualitative
(words,ideas)
D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Addressing
Research objectives

Itwouldprobablybebesttoorganisetheresultsaround
answeringtheresearchobjectives.

Quantitative
(numbers,statistics)
Qualitative
(words,ideas)
D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Quantitative Study
Theresultsusuallypresentstheoutcomeofmultiple
analysisofdata.

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Raw Data

Analysis
Statements
I, II, III, IV

Texts
Tables
Graphics
Pictures
Charts

Quantitative Study
Types of Statements:
Type I

Refers the reader to a table or a figure and

describes what is being presented.

The correlations between student ratings and final examination marks are given in Table 1.

Type II

Describes the major findings shown in a table

or figure.

As shown in Figure 2, the rate of typing increased from a baseline of about 0.7 words per
minute to about 1.5 words per minute during the treatment period.

Type III

Presents the results of a statistical (inferential)

test, such as F or t.

Six of the correlations between amount of homework and GPA were found to be positive
and significant (p < 0.05).

Type IV Summary statements of the major findings or

conclusions.
The results suggest that students who reported very low attendance had significantly low

Qualitative Study
Thenaturalisticinquiryislikelytoproducelarge
quantitiesofdatathatrepresentwordsandideas.
Raw Data
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D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Analyse
in to

Texts
Tables
Graphics
Pictures
Charts

Qualitative Study
Thesourcesofinformationarethefollowing:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Interviewtranscripts.
Fieldnotes.
Widevarietyofrecords.
Documents.

Eachqualitativeanalysisrequiresthattheresearcherdevisehisor
herownmethodforpresentingresults.
Purpose

Makesenseofthedata.

Method

Inductiveanalysis.

1. Unitising(Codingoperation)
2. Categorising(Organisingintocategoriesbasedon
similarities)
D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Conclusions and Recommendations

Bothquantitativeandqualitativeanalyseshavethesamegoalforthe
researcher:
Make senseofthedata
1.
2.
3.

Themethodsmaydiffer.
Therawdatamightassumedifferentforms.
Theresultscouldincludetexts,tables,figures,graphs,orother
diagramrepresentations.

Main goal Simple,clear,andcompleteaccountofresults.

Linkittotheresearchobjectives.

D.E. Searle & S.Suresh

Recommendations
Practitioners
Academics

A suggested approach for UG

dissertation
Chapter1Introduction
Chapter2Literaturereview
Chapter3ResearchMethodology
Chapter4DataAnalysis
Chapter5Conclusionandrecommendations

Example
Chapter 4 Data Analysis
4.1Introduction
4.2Detailedanalysisofquestions

Tables
Figures
Words
Combination

4.3Link4.2toresearchobjective
4.4Summary

Example
Chapter 5 Conclusion and
Recommendations
5.1Introduction
5.2Objectivesanditsfindings
Objective1
Objective2
Objective3
5.3Recommendations
Practitioners
Academics