Every stage of higher education requires that the student writes a dissertation, particularly if they intend to continue their studies.
Your university may have different requirements, however, in general, it is likely that you will need to write a thesis or dissertation for your doctoral studies. Usually, the topic will pertain to your particular field of study. For example, suppose you are planning to earn your PhD in organic chemistry. In that case, a topic related to biological organisms makes sense especially when you can prove the link between the two topics.
If your major is Fashion and Design, it will make less sense to write about chemical properties and organic matter.
It’s easy to see how complex and exacting writing a dissertation can be.
Before you think that we are stating the obvious, you will be surprised how students seize a gap within the literature that is entirely unrelated to their major field of study.
Integral to the success of a dissertation is understanding the many components that make up its structure. One of these critical elements is how to write a dissertation findings chapter.
Some advice on writing a dissertation findings section can also be found in a series of articles on dissertation writing.
The focus of this article addresses how to present your dissertation findings once your research is complete.
What Is the Dissertation Findings Section?
Like many doctoral candidates, you may have discovered that writing about what your research reveals is not as easy as you initially thought.
Like other sections of your dissertation, your research findings and analysis section has its own rules.
From formatting to the type of information that should be included – let’s take a look at what those are.
The purpose of this section is to create present research findings and analysis in a way that leads readers to your conclusions in another chapter.
In writing the findings chapter of a dissertation, make sure that you only disclose your observations and do not feel tempted to debate them. Be careful not to interpret your findings or propose any arguments that are either for or against them. These will have their place in later chapters of your work.
So, your dissertation findings section should be free of opinions and conclusions. Instead, write a statistical analysis that details any emerging results, if they are significant.
Write your dissertation findings in the past tense in the same way as your research methodology section.
Reporting Your Findings
Once you have accumulated and analysed all of your data, it’s a good idea to draft your dissertation findings section.
When a dissertation is strictly descriptive, focus on the analysis of the case study or interpretation of the texts in order to write a findings section. If you are unsure, check in with your supervisor or advisor and read your university guidelines to see what has to be included.
Your research findings and analysis section should provide the opportunity to report on your notable findings and then directly link them to your problem statement, research proposal and hypothesis. This will effectively link your introduction to the work that you have done.
Dissertation Findings: Reporting on Qualitative and Quantitative Discoveries
As you analyse your findings you will discover whether they relate to the questions that you raised at the beginning of your research, as well as whether or not they support your hypothesis.
Something important to bear in mind when it comes to how to write a dissertation findings chapter, is that even though you should point out variances, trends and relationships in your data as they relate to your statement, you should not interpret these until later.
An effective way to introduce quantitative findings is to construct them around your research question. When writing the findings chapter of a dissertation, remember that if quantitative research forms the base of your thesis then you should incorporate graphs, charts, tables and other visuals to show relationship trends and findings.
On the other hand, if your research findings and analysis is qualitative, then your writing will be more narrative like in structure with less visual information.
While your qualitative results will not necessarily be relevant to your research question or hypothesis, your analysis still deserves a mention. This does not belong in the dissertation findings section. Instead, include all your non-relevant qualitative findings in your appendix section.
What other advice would you give students regarding how to write a dissertation findings chapter?
Read here to find out more about choosing a dissertation topic.
What Not to Include When Writing the Findings Chapter of a Dissertation
Besides giving long explanations for your research findings and analysis, you should also avoid interpretations when writing the findings chapter of a dissertation.
When it comes to how to write a dissertation findings chapter there are a few other no-nos and things to make sure that you do not include in this section.
Not interpreting your findings also means avoiding language that even hints at interpretation. Vocabulary such as ‘confirms’, ‘reveals’, ‘suggests’ and ‘validates’ are all interpretative and should be avoided.
With regards to the kind of tone needed for how to write a dissertation findings chapter, it is preferable to try to stick to the facts, be impartial and avoid any language that suggests you are offering an opinion.
To achieve this, keep your explanations short and to the point.
Such details may include how a certain finding is related to your hypothesis or the key theme of your research question. Individual accounting or citation of irrelevant conclusions should rather be avoided.
Never include findings from the research of others, even if you cite them. The first rule of how to write a dissertation findings chapter is to ensure that it is only your own work.
Similarly, make sure that your findings section does not touch on the literature review you completed in order to research your topic.
Structuring Your Findings Section
Like a well-written book, the findings section of your dissertation should have a logical, narrative flow that helps readers to link the disparate elements presented at the beginning, through to the progression of results, evidence and eventually conclusions.
You could think of the findings section as a type of prequel to the main meat of your thesis where the discussion happens.
As you lay out a cohesive narrative, consider opening it up with a short synopsis that includes your hypotheses and research questions. After that, lay out your critical findings.
Alternatively, you could start with the end of the narrative by first presenting your results and later adding subsequent explanations. Once everything is disclosed you could write your synopsis.
If you want to know how to write a dissertation findings chapter, you’ll also want to know which format to choose.
If your paper is particularly long with numerous, significant results to include, you may decide to choose the second format. However, if your research reveals only a few results, then the former is a better option.
Regardless of how you decide to write your findings, remember to close with a concise conclusion that neatly ties all your results together.
In only one short paragraph, your readers should be able to easily transition from your findings section to the discussion segment.
Final Tips for How to Write a Dissertation Findings Chapter
Your dissertation’s findings segment is meant to deliver much-needed perspective to assist your readers in understanding the results of your findings. One way to underscore their relevance is to repeat your research question as well as your goals early on in your chapter.
Subsequent to that, you should:
- Give an overview of the results you will present.
- Refrain from reporting results that are not relevant to your hypothesis, problem or question.
- Compile your data in chronological order.
- Aim to be impartial: avoid speculation, evaluation, interpretation and implication.
- Relate only facts.
- Be as precise as possible.
- Keep to your agreed word count.
Remember to keep to the word count as prescribed by your institution.
Keep in mind that even though your findings section is critical to making your results understood, it should not take up too much of your overall word limit.
Be cognisant of narrowing your data and your findings down to the most relevant aspects while remaining concise.
Having said this, don’t feel the need to stint on information as this could result in you leaving out critical discoveries and salient points.
Making sure that you follow the right steps and format to write a dissertation will make your entire experience easier and more enjoyable. Good luck.
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