Transcript Writing Chapters 3 and 4

Writing the Results Chapter
or Section
with
Jeff Zuckerman
Kevin Schwandt, PhD
Walden Writing Center
Game plan
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Some common challenges
Quantitative studies
Some examples
Qualitative studies
Some examples
Resources to help guide you
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?
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Common among all results chapters (dissertations)
or sections (doctoral or project studies)
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Introduction
Data collection
Data analysis
Findings (raw data)
Conclusions – a summary of findings
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).
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Common mistakes in a results chapter or
section: Missed the questions
Focusing so closely
on every detail that
you miss the big
picture.
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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.
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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.)
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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
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
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Examples: Overly involved figure and table?
Graphics courtesy Creative Commons.
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Example: Overly Involved Narrative
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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.
A Recent Example: Tables Did the Job
Making horizontal lines
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Horizontal lines
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Table headers: See the examples in the manual
• Two components
– Table number (e.g., Table 1)
– Table title
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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.
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Example table
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Tables within the text
• Refer to tables by numbers (not title or “the table
above”)
– Example: “…as displayed in Table 1.”
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
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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.
Graphs
Diagrams
Charts
Maps
Photos
of
Action
Heroes
Figure 12. Types of visual displays labeled as figures.
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Axes
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Labeled
With units
Figure 1. Mean heights
Y-axis written horizontally
of different aged
Contains zero point
children.
Just long enough to include
all data
• Can you read this? Will it
look all right online in grey
scale?
• Note the caption goes
Figure 1. Mean heights of different
aged children.
under the figure only.
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Figure caption
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Placed below the figure
Contains italicized figure number
Has figure caption/description
Period at the end.
Common mistakes in a qualitative results
chapter or section: “It’s a fox”
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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?
Common mistakes in a qualitative results
chapter or section: Assuming objectivity
You with
your coresearchers
“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.
What potential advantages and disadvantages might your study
have due to your personal experiences?
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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
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names used are pseudonymous.
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
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Presenting thick, rich interviews data
(Cresswell, 2009)
• 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
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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.
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Drafting
Planning tips
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About time he
wrote
something
If only life
were like
this.
Ask for and Use Help and Feedback
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Resources
Center for Research Support
http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/
Scroll down and click:
Dissertation Rubric under PhD Process and
Documents
[email protected] (dissertation editors)
Booth, W. C., Colom, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2003). The craft of research (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: University
of Chicago Press.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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End.
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