Maximizing Research Findings: Significance and Discussion Insights

Significance of Findings and Discussion Lecturer: Dr. Samira Albati Kamaruddin myutmthesis.wordpress.com

Significance of Findings and Discussion Contents Contents Significance of Findings Findings Chapter Context of Findings Implication of Findings Discussion on Limitations Discussion on Future Directions Summary and Tips

By now you have reached the final phase of your research work. You are ready to write the final and concluding part of your thesis This is your last chance to show your capability, proficiency and expertise as a researcher

How will the findings assist or be of benefit to the body of knowledge ? How would the solution to the problem influence the theory and practice? What is significance of the study?

Indicate significance of the study by emphasizing on : theory or advancing accumulated knowledge. What implications have these results or findings to existing related theories? current literature; model development and implementation Given now the findings of the study, how well is each of the significance realized?

summarize the findings, discuss the importance of the findings, place the research findings in the context of current literature, compare and contrast the research findings with other relevant research, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the research study, discuss the implications of the research findings, and make recommendations for future research.

Findings Chapter To provide the readers with a thorough understanding of what the results of your study mean to the research field and to professional practice.

Summary of Findings Restate the results presented in Chapter 4 using little or no statistical jargon. Write in a clear straightforward manner with no interpretation of the results. Use past tense. Do not include tables and figures. Identify whether the findings of your study supported the hypotheses or research questions. Present unusual findings (e.g., results that you did not expect to be significant but were, and vice versa).

Interpretation of Findings Analyze both significant findings and not significant findings. Were the results what you predicted? Why do you think the results turned out the way they did? Were there any issues related to sampling, measurement, and procedural issues, as well as confounding variables? Provide possible explanations for the results. Link the results to any theoretical framework you used to develop your research question or hypotheses.

Context of Findings Place your findings in perspective to other studies of the topic found in the reviewed literature. How are your findings similar or different from those of other studies? Based on the literature, are the findings what might have been expected? If your results differ from those of other studies, what plausible explanations can account for this?

Implications of Findings How do the findings expand the understanding of the phenomenon under study? Identify the implications of the findings for Theory: Are findings consistent with current theories in the field? Are they consistent with the selected theoretical framework for your study? Research: Does the study help advance the research methodology in the field? (e.g., understanding of new confounding variables, issues of measurement, issues of design) Practice: Who may be interested in using these findings in a professional field? Why should they pay attention to the findings? Could the findings lead to changes in the way professionals do things?

Discussion on Limitations Review the potential limitations that you initially proposed in the proposal. Discuss the limitations that may have affected one way or another your findings. Limitations typically originate in one of two sources: the study s design and the study s problems during implementation. Issues of design involve decisions about sampling, assessment, procedures, and choice of research design (poor match). Some of the issues that may have arisen at the time of research implementation relate to low sample size, measurement issues, heterogeneous groups, and so forth.

Discussion on Limitations (Cont.) Think of limitations in four major areas: Internal Validity Unless the study is a true experiment one cannot claim that the IV caused changes in the DV. External Validity Discuss the extent to which findings can be generalized. Measurement Discuss issues of reliability and validity of assessment instruments. Statistical Analysis Discuss issues of power, effect size, conservative or liberal statistics, and statistical test chosen.

Discussion on Future Directions Discuss findings in light of questions or issues that suggest future research directions. Extend the study to other populations. Think of other IVs and DVs that ought to be explored in the field; also, think of how to assess those additional variables. This is the section of the paper where most researchers are allowed to dream; think of extending your study to other questions that may add to the understanding of the issues.

Summary The Summary of the Discussion section may be the Conclusion Summary: summarizes the findings/conclusion Conclusion: ultimate take-away message

Conclusion Succinctly summarize implications of findings as previously discussed Don t make sweeping statements or conclusions that reach beyond your data Present the bottom line message, point, value of the described study Tell the reader what they should take away

Bottom Line The Discussion should answer the two deadly questions facing all research: So What? Who Cares?