Module 7, Chapter 5 - Discussion

7.1 Introduction

The dissertation’s discussion section is where you investigate the applicability, relevance, and interpretations of the results. This allows you to demonstrate your skills in articulating and evaluating the outcomes of your research. In this section, you will be asked to illustrate how the results of your study address the research questions that were formulated or how they verify the hypothesis. The shows that you present interpretations in this chapter of the dissertation that is devoted to evaluation and discussions as the basis for your argument. Discussing the findings in a clear and concise approach is of utmost importance.

While writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, you are required to place your research findings into the context of your research problem. You will then connect those findings to earlier studies and published literature (addressed in the literature review chapter of the dissertation). In addition, you are expected to evaluate the significance of your findings in relation to your field of study. You will then present an argument in support of the inferences that are derived from your conclusions. In other words, the purpose of the discussion chapter is you to relate with and expound on your dissertation findings in a comprehensive and consistent way.

7.2 Purpose of the Discussion Chapter

While writing the discussion chapter of the dissertation, you are expected to understand that the chapter is the most important part of their study due to the following reasons:

• Each new detail that you share with the reader in this chapter contributes to the body of prior studies done in the specific area of research.
• The way you organize your results in the chapters before the discussion chapter will be of great use you as you consider various organizational options for the chapter. For instance, if you decided to use a particular structure in the chapter devoted to your results, it would make sense to organize your analysis and discussions in accordance with that structure.
• In many cases, a discussion chapter directed by the research problem outlined in the introduction chapter is the main pattern employed more frequently in academic settings. This is because this pattern clearly illustrates how you have satisfied the goal of your study.

In many institutions, the supervisor or other stakeholders of the school committee are required to share their honest opinions on the level at which each research question has been addressed. While writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, you are required to organize your discussion so that every research problem is presented in its independent paragraph. This ensures that you make it easier for the supervising team to understand your results. It does not matter if you are writing an essay or any chapter of their dissertation. The initial section of any writing is expected to be the introduction. After the target reader has gone through the study’s findings, you may be required to write an introductory paragraph to summarize what was covered in the rest of the discussion chapter. Similarly, the discussion section should culminate with a conclusion of the chapter. This allows you to provide a concise summary of your explanations. Since a dissertation’s analysis and discussion chapter is typically quite lengthy, it is prudent to highlight the most important elements to ensure that the reader can comprehend the most important material. This will help to ensure that the reader has an accurate understanding of the analysis presented.

7.3 Key Dissertation Discussion Components

Below is a summary of the key components of a research discussion chapter to assist you in drafting one and ensuring that your work follows the proper format:

• Summary- Begin by summarizing the most important study findings.
• Interpretations: What relevance do your results have?
• Implications: What are the future effects of your results for scholarly and scientific researchers?
• Limitations: When would the findings be meaningless?
• Future Suggestions: Suggestions for additional research on the subject in the future.

The outcomes described in your study should be thoroughly aligned with your research problem, goals, and purposes of the study before being included in the dissertation discussion chapter. Chapters on discussion and conclusion frequently intersect. In some cases, you might be required to combine the Discussion and Conclusion chapters into a single chapter based on the requirements of you institution.

TIP: This guide provides detailed instructions on preparing a dissertation discussion chapter considering the significance of this section for completing your dissertations.

7.4 Summary of the Results

The important outcomes of the research problem should be summarized at the beginning of the presentation. When writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, you should refrain from reiterating anything previously covered in earlier chapters. You are also expected to briefly explain your understanding of the data to respond to the primary research objectives. Below are a few illustrations of how to deliver your results overview.

• “The analysis reveals that,”
• “The results support that,”
• “The research demonstrates a relationship between,”

7.5 Interpretation of the Results

Although the interpretations of the findings may be patently evident to you, the readers will fully rely on you to explain their significance. While writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, it is essential to connect the findings and the analyses to the research problem to help the reader comprehend the study’s contribution to the existing body of knowledge. Numerous methods can be implemented in interpreting the results. However, the method of interpretation that you may choose for the data will be determined by the kind of study you have conducted. The following is a list of a few of the most often used techniques:

• Providing an account of how and why you arrived at unanticipated discoveries and an in-depth justification for their significance.
• Comparing the results to those of other research that has been carried out.
• Defending your viewpoint with coherent reasons in the event that other interpretations are proposed (or even if they are not).
• An in-depth conversation on whether or not the results satisfied the questions posed by the study and effectively validated the hypothesis.

The following are some possible ways to begin your analysis when you get to the Discussion chapter:

• “Contrary to the hypothesized association,”
• “Contrary to the findings of this study,”
• “Findings of this study contradict those of Allen et al. (2014) that….”
• “The findings confirm that A is… despite the fact that Allen et al. (2014) and Michael (2012) claimed that B was…”
• “Confirming the hypothesis…”, “The findings confirm that A is…”

7.6 Implications of the Results

When writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, you are encouraged to consider the conceptual and pragmatic ramifications that the research may bring to the rest of the science establishment and other scholars. For readers to understand how the study will add to the body of information already available, it is crucial to tie the findings to what is already known in the literature. What are some of the questions you can consider while writing the results’ potential effects:

• Do your results concur with those of earlier research? What benefit did their study receive from your work?
• Why do the findings completely deviate from those of another related research?
• Did the research confirm or refute what was previously known?
• What are the dissertation’s practical ramifications?

You are expected to understand that as a researcher, you should try to explain to your reader how and why your work will advance the body of knowledge. There are several options for how to begin this specific chapter:

• “The results of this study completely contradict the claims made in theories,”
• “These results are not in line with the theoretical perspectives,”
• “The statistical analysis provides a new understanding of the relationship between A and B,”
• “Future studies should take into account the findings of this study because…”

7.7 Limitations of the Research

Every scholarly study has various limitations. While writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, the scholarly study will have more validity if you acknowledge these limitations. Alongside the variety of possible human mistakes, it is critical to consider other elements that could have affected the findings of your study. These limitations could include unforeseen research challenges, particular methodological decisions, and the general research approach. You should refrain from mentioning any restrictions that might not be pertinent to your study’s main goal. However, you can be sure to indicate any restrictions that might have impacted the findings. For instance, you might not be able to extrapolate the findings if the sample size only comprised a small portion of the population. The same challenges encountered when gathering respondent data may have an impact on the report’s conclusions. You are encouraged to identify all these study restrictions while also letting the reader know why the research findings are still reliable. For example:

• “The findings’ generalizability was constrained by the small study population.”
• “The validity of the results might have been affected by…”
• “Data collection difficulties led to…”
• “It is outside the purview of this study…”

7.8 Future Suggestions

The constraint of the study directly influences your recommendations for the future. However, it is essential to keep in mind that any suggestions for the direction of future study should encompass the aspects of the topic that your work was unable to analyze. This will inform future scholars on the areas they can focus on and study. While writing the discussion chapter of a dissertation, there are occasions when the suggestions are included in the chapter and act as the conclusion of the discussion section of the dissertation. Possible ways to effectively present the recommendations of the research are as follows:

• “There is a need for additional study to be carried out.”
• “Where the future study put its emphasis is…”

7.9 Discussion of Graphs, Tables, and Charts

As part of your dissertation, you required to generate and explain graphs and charts. Due to advancements in technology, it is now possible to generate graphs and figures that are even more precise in a quicker fashion.   You now have an advantage to present well-organized charts, tables, and graphs with only a few clicks by employing data analysis applications such as “Microsoft Word, STATA, SPSS, Microsoft Excel, and other similar programs.” These can then be included in the discussion chapter of the dissertation and fixed at the required location. However, becoming overly reliant on modern conveniences comes with some drawbacks. It is possible to fall victim to the widespread misconception that you may get away with representing parameters with the help of colors. You are required to print the final document of your research project in black and white. All colors displayed on graphs and figures will be converted to grayscale for the presentation at some point.

When looking at a single chart or graph, it might be difficult to differentiate between the various shades of grey that are present. In a line graph, for instance, green and purple colors seem like the same shade of grey. This means the reader may need help understanding the graph. The unintended overcrowding of the discussion chapter with graphs and figures constitutes another mistake that you can often make. While it is necessary to display facts and data, you should refrain from inundating your readers with excessive information. A graph or table placed beneath each subheading may not be required.

7.10 Relating to the Previous Chapter

Coming up with your own evaluation and discussing the data can be difficult. One of the prerequisites for a good discussion chapter is to demonstrate that you can draw connections between the study’s outcomes and earlier studies. You are encouraged to avoid reiterating the same thing repeatedly. This is a common mistake that you can make, which ultimately has a detrimental impact on the grade you will receive for your main dissertation. Providing succinct and directly relevant data to the topic at hand will assist you in properly communicating your argument to the readers. When you are required to illustrate how your results connect to past studies, it is also vital to ensure that you are not unnecessarily reiterating what was previously stated in the sections devoted to the introduction and the literature review. The most effective tactic is constructing an argument by hypothesizing based on evidence from preceding chapters. It is suggested that hypertext links guide the reader from one chapter to another. This is of the utmost importance when delivering electronic documents in word or pdf forms. While creating hyperlinks, the process may seem tedious and time-consuming. However, you are encouraged to factor this into the overall timeframe of your dissertation to make sure you are able to complete the final phase of the dissertation.

7.11 Avoiding Speculations and Over Interpretation

In the discussion chapter of the research, you should avoid making speculative statements. The dissertation’s discussion section will focus on the data that you will have gathered and how it connects to the research problem explained in the initial chapters. Therefore, engaging in speculation in this area will unquestionably damage the validity of the research. In addition to that, you are expected to make every effort to avoid generalizing your results. However, you can suggest that the same results could be applicable in some scenarios if the research was conducted on a specific demographic, as it would be misleading. As mentioned earlier, it is extremely important for you to recognize the constraints the study is working under. However, suppose you believe that your discussion should consider other demographics?  In that case, you can begin their sentence with the phrase “We speculate that…” or “It is hypothesized that…”

Consequently, you would not have to worry about having difficulty with your supervisor on that note. It is inappropriate make an interpretation that cannot be substantiated. On the contrary, the findings of the research should be examined objectively. Also, reiterating the concept that a graph or chart was meant to express is another crucial mistake you may end up making. The purpose of using graphs, figures, charts, and tables is undermined if the same content is rewritten. Finally, you should only put a graph accompanying it with a brief interpretation. It is essential to note that there is no right or wrong number of graphs or tables to be included in your dissertation’s results and discussion chapters. However, you are expected to be keen to ensure a reasonable balance.

While you are working on the discussion chapter of your dissertation, you will contextualize the findings of your study within the overall framework of your research problem. After that, you can make connections between those findings and previous investigations as well as published literature. Also, it is expected that you will evaluate the significance of your results in relation to the subject matter that is being studied. You are then going to give a presentation in which you will argue in favor of the inferences that have been drawn from your conclusions. In other words, the objective of the discussion chapter of the dissertation is for you to relate with and elaborate on your results in a manner that is both complete and consistent throughout the whole dissertation.