Crafting Chapter 4 and 5 PDF

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Chapter 4The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the collected data and the statistical treatment, and/or mechanics, of analysis. The first paragraph should briefly restate the problem, taken from Chapter Explain the object of each experiment, question, or objective, point out salient results, a...

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Chapter 4 The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the collected data and the statistical treatment, and/or mechanics, of analysis. The first paragraph should briefly restate the problem, taken from Chapter 1. Explain the object of each experiment, question, or objective, point out salient results, and present those results by table, figure, or other form of summarized data. Select tables and figures carefully. Some studies are easier to defend if all the raw data is in this chapter; some are better if the bulk of the raw data is in an appendix. In a quantitative study, the results usually begin with a description of the sample (e.g., sample size, description of participants who were excluded and why, handling of missing data). Next, descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies/percentages for categorical variables, means, standard deviations, and ranges for continuously measured variables) are presented. Normality of continuously measured variables is usually presented. Address each hypothesis in turn, presenting a description of the analysis that was computed to address each hypothesis and the results of that analysis. State whether the null hypothesis was rejected.

Do not repeat in tedious prose what it is obvious for a knowledgeable peer to see at a glance . The dissertation advisor usually has an opinion about the level of detail needed in this chapter. Table titles and figure captions should be understandable without reading the chapter text. Note all relevant results, even those that were contrary to the alternative hypotheses, or those that tend to distract from clear determinations. Make statements of the results without any implication, speculation, assessment, evaluation, or interpretation. Sometimes the results and discussion are combined into one chapter, but in general, keep the results, and the conclusions and discussion separate.

The Pur Purpose pose of Chapter 4 What is the purpose of Chapter 4 or the Findings or Results Chapter? This chapter should provide the product of your analytic process. Think of it as a “stand alone” chapter that you could hand to a friend and just by reading it, they would know exactly what you discovered through your study. The chapter should reveal the “answers” to your research questions and reflect the design you put forward in Chapter 2. It should also align to the purpose of the study you offered in Chapter 1 as well as demonstrate why the study was important to conduct in the first place . Your findings or results should connect to your literature review and especially your conceptual framework. In some quantitative dissertations the results section presents only the products of statistical analyses that have been conducted. In other quantitative dissertation, the results section also provides a discussion that connects the results to the relevant literature and conceptual framework. The chapter represents the best thinking of the student and the advising committee about how to answer the research questions being posed. So you can see that an incomplete understanding of the role of Chapter 3 can lead to a methodology full of gaps, creating the potential for the study to go off track, and not answer the research questions.

Elements of Chapter 4 What needs to be included in the chapter? The topics below are typically included in this chapter, and often in this order (check with your Chair):  Introduction Remind the reader what your research questions were  In a quantitative study you will present the results (quantitative, and Discussion (quantitative)  In a quantitative study the results of the quantitative analyses conducted may be presented on their own, without any accompanying connections to the larger literature.  When quantitative data are presented without any accompanying explanation, a discussion section is presented separately in order to explain the meaning of the results.

Chapter 4 Considera Considerations tions How do you organize your chapter? Your chapter needs to be organized in a way that answers your research questions. The

information must be organized in a way that is logical and easy to follow for your reader.

You may describe your sample here if this is something that emerged from your data collection and analysis or if you believe it helps provide context for your findings. You may also describe your sample in chapter 3 if it is not a part of your findings and it becomes a distraction from your actual findings. You may organize your chapter in terms of themes or categories or cases or research questions.  Use of pseudonyms When presenting qualitative data, all names are masked to provide confidentiality. You made this commitment to your participants during the consent process and in your IRB application.  Use of tables, charts charts,, figures You may use tables, charts, or figures in both qualitative and quantitative capstones. Never present a table, chart, or figure that you are not planning on explaining. Tables, charts, and figures should be able to be interpreted without supporting text BUT It is your responsibility to tell your reader what you think is the most important information in the table, chart, or figure. When do you use a table, chart, or figure? In quantitative research, when presenting important results. Consult APA to ensure that you use the appropriate format for tables, charts, and figures. You will want to consider what information goes in an appendix as opposed to in the body of the chapter. For example, if you have extra tables representing results that you think are worth sharing with your reader but are not the main substance of your dissertation, you should consider creating an appendix. Similarly, if you have other relevant but not essential information, you should consider adding an appendix. And finally, you may decide to locate the instruments you used for data collection in an appendix.

You may be wondering about any of the following things as you are writing your Chapter 4. Some students worry about the following things: 

How do you pres present ent your results (quantitative)?

In a quantitative dissertation or capstone you will be presenting your results. You may present your results with or without a discussion explaining what those results mean. You will want to consult your chair to make sure you are following the approach preferred by your chair. Thus, your chapter 4 may include the following: 1. Introduction 2. Results 3. Discussion First you should remind your reader what your research question(s) is/are. Your results should then be presented in response to your research question(s). Your results are the “solution(s)” or “answer(s)” to that/those questions. Your results should focus only on data that enables you to answer your research questions, not simply raw data. If you are also providing a discussion of the results in this section, your discussion should be related back to your conceptual framework.

CHAPTER 5: DI DISCUSSION SCUSSION AN AND D RECOMMENDATI RECOMMENDATIONS ONS

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Open this chapter by reminding the reader of the purpose of the study. Methods and Procedures: Summarize the approach. Major Findings Summarize the Chapter 4: Results.

Discussion Refer to the hypotheses, objectives, or questions. Assess the meaning of the results by evaluating and interpreting. Speculation should be reasonable, firmly justified, and subject to test. This is the hardest part to write because committees may challenge the interpretation of the data in the Defense. List the primary research questions from Chapter 1 and answer them with the results. Cite several studies from Chapter 2 for comparison and contrast with the results.

Conclusions The conclusions relate directly to the research questions or objectives. They represent the contribution to the knowledge. They also relate directly to the significance of the study, which is always, in some way, to improve the human condition. These are the major generalizations, the answer to the problem(s) revealed in Chapters 1 and 2. For the first time in the dissertation, the researcher can state a...