Writing the Results Chapter or Section

with

Jeff Zuckerman

Kevin Schwandt, PhD

Walden Writing Center

Game plan

• Some common challenges• Quantitative studies• Some examples• Qualitative studies• Some examples• Resources to help guide you

2

If a research project is a whodunnit:

The Problem: The mystery.

The Literature: The background work

Methods section: How will we solve it?

Results: The answer to the mystery.

Conclusion and Discussion: So what?

3

Common among all results chapters (dissertations)

or sections (doctoral or project studies)

• Introduction • Data collection• Data analysis• Findings (raw data) • Conclusions – a summary of findings

4

Your task is to be reader oriented: You want to portray your data, whether qualitative or quantitative, in a way your reader will understand the strength of your findings and see how they relate to what you set out to find out (Booth, Column, & Williams, 2003, p. 241).

Your task is to be reader oriented: You want to portray your data, whether qualitative or quantitative, in a way your reader will understand the strength of your findings and see how they relate to what you set out to find out (Booth, Column, & Williams, 2003, p. 241).

Common mistakes in a results chapter or section: Missed the questions

Focusing so closely on every detail that you miss the big picture.

5

Common mistakes in a results chapter or section: T.M.I.

- Answer questions you didn’t ask.

- Too much data to not use

- Well, then save it.

6

Quantitative: Do the numbers add up?

“You are a slow learner, Winston." "How can I help it? How can I help but see

what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four."

"Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.”*

2 + 2 = 4 (p < .0000000000005)* Orwell, G. (1947). 1984.

The numbers seem to add up to a caterpillar. Therefore, it is a caterpillar.

- Were you measuring insects?

- Upon closer inspection, are they birds? (In other words, consult with your methods or stats person to uncover additional results.)

8

Displaying results

Especially in chapter 4, remember you’re a scientist: avoid razzle-dazzle, be objective, stick to the facts.

See pages 116-117 in the APA manual and in Chapter 5, Displaying Results

9

Go consecutively from start to finish in the capstone:

Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and so forth

Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, and so forth

Examples: Overly involved figure and table?

10

Graphics courtesy Creative Commons.

Example: Overly Involved Narrative

Of the total superintendents surveyed, 61 (39.1%) had obtained a doctorate degree. Within this category, 34 (55.7%) were servant leaders, and 27 (44.3%) were nonservant leaders. A total of 15 superintendents were education specialists, an official title defined in this state as having all of their doctoral credits for formal coursework; however, deficient the credits and final product of a doctoral study. Within this cohort of 15, 7 (46.7%) were servant leaders, and 8 (53.3%) were nonservant leaders. In the most widespread category of this demographic, 80 (51.3%) superintendents had obtained a master’s degree as their highest level of formal education. Of these superintendents, 38 (47.5%) were designated servant leaders, and 42 (52.5%) as nonservant leaders. Table 10 presents a visual summary of the SASL response data.

11

A Recent Example: Tables Did the Job

Making horizontal lines

13

Horizontal lines

14

Table headers: See the examples in the manual

• Two components

– Table number (e.g., Table 1)

– Table title• Clear and concise description of the table• Italicized underneath the table number• Use title capitalization• No period at the end

• Table headers go above the table

• Statistical abbreviations are italicized throughout

• You will have to convert SPSS tables.

15

Example table

16

Tables within the text

• Refer to tables by numbers (not title or “the table above”)– Example: “…as displayed in Table 1.”

17

He repeated: Go consecutively from start to finish in

the capstone:

Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and so forth

Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, and so forth

Figures

• Like tables, also summarize data in visual form

• Include graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, photographs, etc. In the Land of APA everything is a figure.

18

GraphsGraphs

MapsMapsDiagramsDiagrams

ChartsCharts Photos of

Action Heroes

Photos of

Action Heroes

Figure 12. Types of visual displays labeled as figures.

Teacher Observations

0

5

10

15

20

25

Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5 Student 6 Student 7 Student 8 Student 9 Student 10 Student 11 Student 12

Student

SOCIAL

Positive

Negative

Observable

Physical

EMOTIONAL

Positive

Negative

Observable

Physical

COGNITIVE

Positive

Negative

Observable

Physical

Axes

• Labeled• With units• Y-axis written horizontally• Contains zero point• Just long enough to include

all data• Can you read this? Will it

look all right online in grey scale?

• Note the caption goes under the figure only.

Figure 1. Mean heights of different aged children.

20

Figure 1. Mean heights of different aged children.

Figure caption

- Placed below the figure

- Contains italicized figure number

- Has figure caption/description

- Period at the end.

21

Common mistakes in a qualitative results chapter or section: “It’s a fox”

- Providing little detail about data analysis.

- “And then there were themes…”

- How did you categorize your data? What was your process? Be specific.

- Does it match the operational definitions?

22

Common mistakes in a qualitative results chapter or section: Assuming objectivity

What potential advantages and disadvantages might your study have due to your personal experiences?

23

“What is the lived experience of office drones?”---------------------------If you have a preestablished relationship with your study participants, you cannot assume that your role is unbiased. Full disclosure is required.

You with your co-

researchers

You with your co-

researchers

Presenting data in a qualitative results chapter or section

• Identifying participants

Participant 1; Participant 2; Participant 3 vs.

Andrea / Becky / Carla1

• Editing transcribed material for readability

• Formatting transcribed material

• Identifying themes -----1All names used are pseudonymous.

24

Presenting thick, rich interview data (Cresswell, 2009) (No, not this way)

Participant 1

The interviewer spent 45 minutes having a thick, rich conversation with

Participant 1 (Creswell, 2009). Participant 1 described himself as “an editor.”

Although it was 6:55 pm, he looked like he had just fallen out of bed. He said he

grew up in Pittsburgh and remains a Penguins fan, though he has “lost interest in

professional football.” Participant 1 said he started writing his first novel at age 8

on a manual typewriter in his parents’ bedroom. He ordered a glass of scotch and

brooded about “his failures.”

Interviewer: Did you have a bad childhood?

Participant 1: Yes.

Participant 2

25

• Identify the themes (by the way, probe!)• Different chairs have a different expectations about how much to

transcribe in the results section, how much to include in an appendix, and how much to exclude

* * *Failure and Self-Pity

A recurrent theme among the editors was their sense of failure and resultant self-pity. Eleven of the 12 participants broke down in tears, describing how they had hoped to be great artists--novelists, poets, or musicians—but because of what several called “a bad break” they ended up editing others’ work. Bad experiences in elementary school seemed to inform their attitudes toward writers.

“My grade school English teacher used to whack me in the hands with a ruler,” said Kelly. “I think to this day I take out my bitterness on the authors I edit.”

Others, however, said they are affirming and particularly sensitive to the writers they edit because of their negative childhood experiences.

26

DraftingPlanning tips

27

Super Interesting

Dissertation

by Jack Student

Thesaurus

Thesaurus

About time he wrote

something

About time he wrote

something

If only life were like

this.

If only life were like

this.

Ask for and Use Help and Feedback

28

Resources

Center for Research Support http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/

Scroll down and click:

Dissertation Rubric under PhD Process and Documents

editor@waldenu.edu (dissertation editors)Booth, W. C., Colom, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2003). The craft of research (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of

Chicago Press.

29

Resources

Writing Center• Use the APA 6 Dissertation Template for• Headings• Margins• Page numbers• Table of Contents• Visit the Writing Center for more dissertation information

http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/549.htm or archived webinars http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/26.htm

• Access the schedule.

30

Feedback

• May expect constructive criticism, corrections, questions, and comments that ask you to elaborate on or complete your thoughts.

• May seem rejected. It’s the document, not of you.• May seem unclear:• You’re immersed.• You’re committee is immersed in you and the study.• You’re writing for educated readers (in and outside of your

field) who do not know everything you know.

31

Checklist for submitting drafts to faculty

• Compare your draft to the rubric: Is it complete?

• Edit your work, line-by-line (refer to APA 6th form and

style checklist at http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/549.htm

• Ask an educated reader outside of your field to read it

critically (not a family member or a friend).

• Submit chapter drafts to Writing Center saff through the

scheduling software from MyWalden.

• Residencies, including capstone intensives.

32

End.

33