Transcript Slide 1

Discussion, Interpretation, and
Recommendations in the
Dissertation and the Doctoral Study
Dissertation Editors
Writing Center
Agenda
1. Indicate where to present the discussion,
interpretation, and recommendations in your
capstone study.
2. Dispel common myths about the capstone.
3. Describe content and review examples.
4. Identify and learn how to avoid common errors
in this material.
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Capstone Studies
Write about your study’s discussion,
interpretations, and recommendations in
DBA: Section 3
EdD project option: Section 4
EdD research option: Section 5
PhD: Chapter 5
Rubrics for all capstones: Research Center
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Myths
• Dissertations/doctoral studies are written chronologically
– Full circle (iterative, not linear)
– Keep “take home” points in mind throughout process
• My dissertation/doc study is better than good: It’s done
– Readers skip to the end; high expectations for quality
• Diss/doc studies include neither persuasion nor opinion
– Persuasion: Responses in this study indicated that 47%
of teen mothers benefited from afterschool programs.
– Opinion/recommendation: Researchers should study
the impact of afterschool programs on teen fathers.
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Content
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Summary
Interpretation of Findings
Implications for Social Change
Recommendations for Action
Recommendations for Future Study
Reflections on Researcher’s Experience
(qualitative)
• Take home message
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Summary
Brief overview of why and how the study was done
– Review questions or issues addressed
– Include short summary of findings (not new findings)
To explore connections between adults’ past learning
experiences and current reading practices, I collected
surveys and interview data from 10 adult participants who
disclosed a history of struggling to learn to read. Data
analysis indicated the intrinsic role of agency and the
extrinsic role of social expectations for adults who are
limited readers. The data revealed the lived experiences
of these participants.
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Interpretation of Findings
• Addresses all research questions
• Refers to outcomes in results section/chapter
• Bounded by collected data (no stretching)
• Relates findings to larger body of literature on topic
RQ: What is the relationship between strength training and
self-esteem among men ages 55-64?
In this study, the data indicated that self-esteem increased
among participants according to the length of time they
spent lifting free weights at home. These findings suggest
that social aspects of gym membership as related to selfesteem in other studies were not necessary for men to
benefit from exercise in this study.
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Implications for Social Change
• Grounded in introduction and results chapters/sections.
• Expressed as tangible improvements to specific groups.
One implication for positive social change resulting from
this research includes helping caregivers use social media
to develop supportive networks among each other, even at
a distance. Sharing resources with each other can widen
caregivers’ circles of support beyond medical personnel
when caring for older relatives with limited mobility.
Caregivers with wider support bases could envision
themselves as contributing both to the well being of
relatives and to the quality of caregiver communities.
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Recommendations for Action
• Flow from conclusions with steps toward useful action
• State who needs to pay attention to the results
• Indicate how the results might be circulated
In light of these findings, I suggest three recommendations.
The first recommendation is for educational leaders to
acknowledge the value of identifying agency in students
who struggle with reading. The second recommendation is
for literacy leaders to expand instruction to include the six
processes developed by Roja and Wu (2012). The third
recommendation is for educators to augment self-esteem
curriculum, especially for younger struggling readers.
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Recommendations for Further Study
• Identify topics that could generate new questions.
– Limited recommendations for others (not you).
This qualitative life history study has generated questions
for future research that are beyond the scope of this study.
These questions concern three areas: (a) life history
research with adult limited readers, (b) the concept of
agency in education, and (c) changing social expectations
of reading. To address these areas, qualitative or mixed
methods research may be more appropriate than
quantitative work because participants’ self-reported
perceptions can reveal rich data unavailable in surveys.
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Reflections on Researcher’s Experience
• Acknowledge possible biases or preconceived ideas
• Recognize your possible effects on participants/setting
• Identify changes in your thinking as a result of the study
As I began to formulate findings and write the study, the
fledgling researcher in me had to fight the urge to push
participants to tell me more. I questioned if where their stories
ended for me truly represented all of their lived experience.
When I returned to life history theorists, I realized that the
participants were sharing the truth that they wanted to share
with a researcher. As the researcher, then, I would need to be
satisfied to analyze the data offered for now, and look to
future research to find and present more stories.
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Take Home Message
Close with a strong, clear concluding statement
As the findings of this study indicate, the strategies and dayto-day practices that managers use to lead their teams play
a vital part in the success of start-up businesses. Those
who use collaborative approaches to leadership, or who
develop those approaches over time, have a greater chance
of meeting expectations both of employees on their teams
and of supervisors to whom they report. Workplace
environments that value collaboration can result in
employee and organizational growth.
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Common Problems
• Generalizations and other errors in logic
• Absence of counterargument
• Praising or criticizing yourself
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Errors in logic
Generalization
Encourages blanket or sweeping statements
– After I interviewed the teachers at Alpha School, I
realized that no teachers support the No Child Left
Behind Act.
Slippery slope
Encourages assumptions without evidence
- If middle school boys do not read at grade level, they
will eventually become a drain on society.
- After the remedy, test scores improved.
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Absence of counterargument
• Engage the best arguments of the opposing view
• Look for intersections between supporting and
opposing views
Some students try to ignore published findings that
argue against their claims. Recognizing both sides
of the issue will strengthen your work.
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Praising or criticizing yourself
Avoid self-assessment (positive or negative)
• The methods outlined in Chapter 3 represent a
major breakthrough in the design of distributed
systems.
• Although the technique employed in the current
study was not earthshaking, it will change the
way future managers evaluate their employees’
annual performance.
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Writing organization and style
• Use scholarly language (accurate, objective, precise)
• Organize ideas (use subheadings as appropriate)
• Format document in a professional, scholarly appearance
• Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Include citations for direct quotations, paraphrases, and
evidence drawn from published studies
• Write a comprehensive, correctly formatted reference list
Questions?
[email protected]
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Thank you for your attention.
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