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Study Skills - Dissertations

An overview of how to plan and write up your dissertation.

Results and Discussion

The results and discussion chapter(s) are where you tell your reader the findings of your research.

Depending on the subject area and type of research conducted, you may be required to complete these as one single chapter or two separate ones. This is more common in qualitative based studies so it is important to check your module requirements.

Results

In broad terms, your results chapter should present the findings of your research without any further analysis or discussion. This can be presented with visual aids such as charts, tables, or diagrams. You may wish to present this in further subsections potentially relating to the type of data collected; methods of analysis; or groups of findings (O'Siochru, 2022).

Writing Tips

  • Be objective - Report the results without interpreting their meaning or significance.
  • Be Clear and Concise - Use straightforward language and avoid unnecessary detail.
  • Use Visual Aids - Make sure your tables, figures, graphs are labelled, well-organised and referenced in the text.
  • Highlight Key Data - Tell your reader which are the most critical findings which be considered in your discussion chapter. 

 

The discussion chapter is where you contextualise  and provide further analysis of your findings. This is essentially where you demonstrate that your research has fulfilled its aims and objectives, using your skills of analysis and synthesis to contextualise your findings within the existing literature (Biggam, 2021). It is important to discuss the significance of your findings in this chapter - do not assume your reader will make those links themselves.

Writing Tips for Your Discussion

  • Be analytical - Tell your reader what your results mean and why they are important.
  • Be balanced - Discuss the strengths and limitations of your study.
  • Be critical - Make sure you refer back to the wider context of the study and how your research aligns with what is already known.
  • Be forward - looking - How can future research build on what you did in your own study.

References

Biggam, J. (2021) Succeeding With Your Master's Dissertation: A Step by Step Handbook. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill.

O'Siochru, C. (2023) A Student Guide to Writing Research Reports, Papers, Theses and Dissertations. London: Routledge.

Scribbr (2021) How to Write a Dissertation Results Section. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP4gDG0q63k (Accessed: 3 August 2024).

Scribbr (2021) How to Write a Discussion Section. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfCGoWtF_tc (Accessed: 3 August 2024).