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Format MLA

Volume of 15 pages (4125 words)
Assignment type : Thesis

Assignment Instructions
For this assignment you will write the Findings/Results/Discussion section of your thesis. Set forth below is the explanation for this section from the End of Program Manual (EOP):
Findings/Results/Discussion: This section describes the results of the study. Keep in mind that the “results” are the direct observations of the research, while the “discussion” is the interpretation of the results and research. This should include, as appropriate:

• results, including tables, graphs, statistics;
• significance and interpretation of the results;
• discussion of results as they relate to thesis statement/research question;
• discussion of results as it relates to the theoretical framework/approach; and
• directions for future research.

During the next two weeks, you will execute your research design. In this section of the thesis, you present your findings and provide a discussion of those results. The EOP refers to this section as Findings/Results/Discussion. You will have one section titled Findings or Results and a second section titled Discussion. These two sections contain different types of information, which is explained below. Information set forth below was taken from the University of Southern Carolina’s Research Guide
Findings and Results
In general, the content of your results section should include the following elements:
An introductory context for understanding the results by restating the research problem underpinning your study.
A summary of your key findings arranged in a logical sequence that generally follows your methodology section.
Inclusion of non-textual elements, such as, figures, charts, photos, maps, tables, etc. to further illustrate key findings, if appropriate.
A systematic description of your results, highlighting for the reader observations that are most relevant to the topic under investigation [remember that not all results that emerge from the methodology used to gather the data may be relevant].
Use of the past tense when referring to your results.
The page length of your results section is guided by the amount and types of data to be reported. However, focus only on findings that are important and related to addressing the research problem.
When writing the results section, avoid doing the following:
Discussing or interpreting your results. Save all this for the next section of your paper, although where appropriate, you should compare or contrast specific results to those found in other studies [e.g., “Similar to Smith [1990], one of the findings of this study is the strong correlation between motivation and academic achievement….”].
Reporting background information or attempting to explain your findings. This should have been done in your Introduction section, but don’t panic! Often the results of a study point to the need for additional background information or to explain the topic further, so don’t think you did something wrong. Revise your introduction as needed.
Ignoring negative results. If some of your results fail to support your hypothesis, do not ignore them. Document them, then state in your discussion section why you believe a negative result emerged from your study. Note that negative results, and how you handle them, offer you the opportunity to write a more engaging discussion section, therefore, don’t be afraid to highlight them.
Including raw data or intermediate calculations. Ask your professor if you need to include any raw data generated by your study, such as transcripts from interviews or data files. If raw data is to be included, place it in an appendix or set of appendices that are referred to in the text.
Be as factual and concise as possible in reporting your findings. Do not use phrases that are vague or non-specific, such as, “appeared to be greater or lesser than…” or “demonstrates promising trends that….”
Presenting the same data or repeating the same information more than once. If it is important to highlight a particular finding, you will have an opportunity to emphasize its significance in the discussion section.
Confusing figures with tables. Be sure to properly label any non-textual elements in your paper. Don’t call a chart an illustration or a figure a table.
Presenting Non Textual Elements in your Findings and Results
Your Findings/Results/Discussion may include non-textual elements such as charts, tables, and figures. To ensure that you use the properly terminology when referring to non-text items please consult the explanations below taken from the University of North Carolina’s Research Guide. For information on titling non-text elements please refer to the readings in the lesson overview folder.
Chart — see “graph.”
Diagram — a drawing that illustrates or visually explains a thing or idea by outlining its component parts and the relationships among them. Also, a line drawing, made to accompany and illustrate a geometrical theorem, mathematical demonstration, etc.
Drawing — a graphic illustration of representing a person, place, or object or a technique for outlining the geometry, layout, location, and design of a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines.
Figure — a form bounded by three or more lines; one or more digits or numerical symbols representing a number.
Flowchart — a pictorial summary [graphical algorithm] of the decisions and flows [movement of information] that make up a procedure or process from beginning to end. Also called flow diagram, flow process chart, or network diagram.
Form — a logically structured document with a fixed arrangement of captioned spaces designed for entering, extracting, or communicating required or requested information.
Graph — a two-dimensional drawing showing a relationship [usually between two set of numbers] by means of a line, curve, a series of bars, or other symbols. Typically, an independent variable is represented on the horizontal line (X-axis) and a dependent variable on the vertical line (Y-axis). The perpendicular axis intersect at a point called origin, and are calibrated in the units of the quantities represented. Though a graph usually has four quadrants representing the positive and negative values of the variables, usually only the north-east quadrant is shown when the negative values do not exist or are of no interest. Often used interchangeably with the term “chart.”
Histogram — step-column chart that displays a summary of the variations in (frequency distribution of) quantities [called Classes] that fall within certain lower and upper limits in a set of data. Classes are measured on the horizontal (‘X’) axis, and the number of times they occur [or the percentages of their occurrences] are measured on the vertical (‘Y’) axis. To construct a histogram, rectangles or blocks are drawn on the x-axis [without any spaces between them] whose areas are proportional to the classes they represent. Histograms [and histographs] are used commonly where the subject item is discrete (such as the number of students in a school) instead of being continuous [such as the variations in their heights]. Also called frequency diagram, a histogram is usually preferred over a histograph where the number of classes is less than eight.
Illustration — a visual representation [e.g., picture or diagram] that is used to make a subject in a paper more pleasing or easier to understand.
Map — a visual representation of an area. It is considered to be a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes. Examples of types include climate, economic, resource, physical, political, road, and topographic maps.
Pictograph — visual presentation of data using icons, pictures, symbols, etc., in place of or in addition to common graph elements [bars, lines, points]. Pictographs use relative sizes or repetitions of the same icon, picture, or symbol to show comparison. Also called a pictogram, pictorial chart, pictorial graph, or picture graph.
Symbol — Mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship.
Table — an orderly arrangement of quantitative data in columns and rows. Also called a “matrix.”
Discussion
The content of the discussion section of your paper most often includes:
Explanation of results: comment on whether or not the results were expected for each set of results; go into greater depth when explaining findings that were unexpected or especially profound. If appropriate, note any unusual or unanticipated patterns or trends that emerged from your results and explain their meaning in relation to the research problem.
References to previous research: either compare your results with the findings from other studies or use the studies to support a claim. This can include re-visiting key sources already cited in your literature review section, or, save them to cite later in the discussion section if they are more important to compare with your results instead of being a part of the general literature review of research used to provide context and background information. Note that you can make this decision to highlight specific studies after you have begun writing the discussion section.
Deduction: a claim for how the results can be applied more generally. For example, describing lessons learned, proposing recommendations that can help improve a situation, or highlighting best practices.
Hypothesis: a more general claim or possible conclusion arising from the results [which may be proved or disproved in subsequent research]. This can be framed as new research questions that emerged as a result of your analysis.
Keep the following sequential points in mind as you organize and write the discussion section of your paper:
Think of your discussion as an inverted pyramid. Organize the discussion from the general to the specific, linking your findings to the literature, then to theory, then to practice [if appropriate].
Use the same key terms, narrative style, and verb tense [present] that you used when describing the research problem in your introduction.
Begin by briefly re-stating the research problem you were investigating and answer all of the research questions underpinning the problem that you posed in the introduction.
Describe the patterns, principles, and relationships shown by each major findings and place them in proper perspective. The sequence of this information is important; first state the answer, then the relevant results, then cite the work of others. If appropriate, refer the reader to a figure or table to help enhance the interpretation of the data [either within the text or as an appendix]. The order of interpreting each major finding should be in the same order as they were described in your results section.
A good discussion section includes analysis of any unexpected findings. This part of the discussion should begin with a description of any unanticipated findings, followed by a brief interpretation as to why you believe it appeared and, if necessary, its possible significance in relation to the overall study. If more than one unexpected finding emerged during the study, describe each of them in the order they appeared as you gathered or analyzed the data. The exception to discussing findings in the same order you described them in the results section would be to begin by highlighting the implications of a particularly unexpected or significant finding that emerged from the study, followed by a discussion of the remaining findings.
Before concluding the discussion, identify potential limitations and weaknesses if you do not plan to do so in the conclusion. Comment on their relative importance in relation to your overall interpretation of the results and, if necessary, note how they may affect the validity of your findings. Avoid using an apologetic tone; however, be honest and self-critical [e.g., in retrospective, you believe including a particular question in a survey instrument could have revealed additional data].
The discussion section should end with a concise summary of the principal implications of the findings regardless of significance. Give a brief explanation about why you believe the findings and conclusions of your study are important and how they support broader knowledge or understanding of the research problem. This can be followed by any recommendations for further research. However, do not offer recommendations which could have been easily addressed within the study. This would demonstrate to the reader that you have inadequately examined and interpreted the data.
The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:

I. Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings
Briefly reiterate the research problem or problems you are investigating and the methods you used to investigate them, and then move quickly to describe the major findings of the study. You should write a direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results, usually in one paragraph.
II. Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why they are Important
Consider the likelihood that no one has thought as long and hard about your study as you have. Systematically explain the underlying meaning of your findings and state why you believe they are significant. After reading the discussion section, you want the reader to think critically about the results [“why didn’t I think of that?”]. You don’t want to force the reader to go through the paper multiple times to figure out what it all means. If applicable, begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most significant or unanticipated finding first, then systematically review each finding. Otherwise, follow the general order you reported the findings in the results section.
III. Relate the Findings to Similar Studies
No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should relate your results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions raised from prior studies served as the motivation for your research. This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps to support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your study differs from other research about the topic. Note that any significant or unanticipated finding is often because there was no prior research to indicate the finding could occur. If there is prior research to indicate this, you need to explain why it was significant or unanticipated.

IV. Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings
It is important to remember that the purpose of research in the social sciences is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations for the study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. This is especially important when describing the discovery of significant or unanticipated findings.
V. Acknowledge the Study’s Limitations
It is far better for you to identify and acknowledge your study’s limitations than to have them pointed out by your professor! Note any unanswered questions or issues your study did not address and describe the generalizability of your results to other situations. If a limitation is applicable to the method chosen to gather information, then describe in detail the problems you encountered and why.

VI. Make Suggestions for Further Research
You may choose to conclude the discussion section by making suggestions for further research [this can be done in the overall conclusion of your paper]. Although your study may offer important insights about the research problem, this is where you can address other questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or highlight previously hidden questions that were revealed as a result of conducting your research. You should frame your suggestions by linking the need for further research to the limitations of your study [e.g., in future studies, the survey instrument should include more questions that ask…”] or to critical issues revealed from the data that were not considered initially in your research.