how to write chapter 4 of a dissertation

Writing a dissertation is a big deal and chapter 4 of a dissertation is the most important part of writing a dissertation. This is the part where you actually present the research findings, actual data, and its explanation. In simple terms it is all about presenting your research data into simple, clear and most organised form. In this blog post you will get an idea of how to present research findings in a dissertation and dissertation findings and analysis.

H2-Understanding Chapter 4 of a Dissertation: What to Expect

In research study, whether you're doing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research, Chapter 4 of a dissertation is where you show what you’ve discovered.

Chapter 4 of the dissertation findings and analysis is often called “results of research”. Its main aim is to present the result without disturbing any of your data and comes with the question “What did your data show?”

It consists of following points:

· A summary of full data

· Tables, diagram, chart and figures

· Clear and organised arranged data for analysing

· Key topics, headlines, and themes.

H2-How to Organize Chapter 4: A Step-by-Step Guide

ü Step1 : Starting with overview: Open the chapter of your research data with a short intro about your dissertation findings and analysis. Remind the readers about the main points of research questions and give a roadmap of what all will be presenting in the data. This will support the readers in knowing the main work and topics of the data findings.

Chapter 4 dissertation example: This chapter presents the findings from the data collected through interviews and surveys, focusing on the seven research questions introduced in Chapter 2…”

ü Step 2: Presenting the data logically: Make your data arrange in the same manner as your research questions or hypotheses are arranged. This keeps the things clear and easy in the mind of readers for analysing the data clearly.

Chapter 4 Dissertation example: for Qualitative Research:

Present findings by themes or categories

Use direct quotes from participants to support themes

Explain how themes were identified and organized

For Quantitative Research:

Present descriptive sttistics (e.g., means, percentages)

Use inferential statistics (e.g., t-tests, regressions) to test hypotheses

Include tables and graphs, and refer to them in the text

ü Step3: Use of tables, charts and figures

Your visuals will help readers in understanding the research findings and analysis data clearly but overdo can confuse them. Try to use the diagram and charts for a short and simple explanation of data.

Chapter 4 Dissertation examples: “As shown in Table 9, 58% of participants reported feeling more comfortable with the working environment.”

ü Step4: Be clear and concise

Chapter 4 of the dissertation is not a place of interpretation; it is the place of describing the data in the most simple and clear manner for readers. Try to interpret the data without phrases and focus on themes, response and pattern of research findings and analysis.

Chapter 4 Dissertation examples: What the tables or themes are? How frequent is the response of readers? Any patterns, roadmap or outliers?.

ü Step5: Address each and every research questions

Every question that you proposed in chapter 1 should be simple, clear and understandable. The answers of those entire questions should answer effectively and clearly in chapter 4 of dissertation with use of proper subheadings and main headings.

Chapter 4 Dissertation examples:

4.11 Results for Research Question 4

4.21 Results for Research Question 5

4.31 Results for Research Question 6

ü Step6: Include a summary section and findings

At the end of the dissertation results section that is at the end of the chapter include the summary in short to make the result understood in depth.

Chapter 4 Dissertation examples:

“The conclusion suggests a positive relation between researcher feedback and survey engagement. In the following chapter, these findings will be interpreted in the context of existing research.”

H2-Presenting Research Findings

Main work of a dissertation is to write the whole story of findings in a proper manner. Here’s suggested structure and format you can use in a research paper or dissertation.

Ø Introduction: Briefly restate your research hypothesis and questions in the most simple manner. Mention your findings in an organised manner to make the readers know about all the details easily.

Ø Main Findings: Present result for each research question and use the subheadings for clarity of the data. Use all the subheadings, main headings for each research question and include visuals as required.

Ø Summary of key results: Present your data with major discoveries and findings, for understanding summary in quick and clear manner. Try to avoid detailed interpretation to avoid biases and confusion in words and sentences.

What to include when presenting the findings:

· Visual aids (charts, tables, graphs, quotes)

· Overview of research questions or objectives

· Data analysis results (summaries, statistics, or themes)

· Clear, objective explanations without interpretation

· Summary back to the research question

H2-How to Present Quantitative Research Findings in Chapter 4

In the case of study is data related such as data collected by using surveys, numerical analysis and experiment, try to include numbers and statistics for data organisation. For how to present research findings in a dissertation main point for formatting and presenting quantitative findings:

v Present data logically, often grouped by research question

v Use descriptive statistics (median, mean, percentages) to describe your data

v Use inferential statistics (t-tests, chi-square, regression) to test hypotheses

v Use tables and graphs to make patterns easy to see

v Keep explanations simple, brief and easy.

For example: Research Question: Does playing affect academic performance?

Finding: “Students who reported playing more than 7 hours per night had an average GPA of 5.6, while those playing less than 7 hours had an average GPA of 1.9. These results suggest a significant positive relationship between playing duration and academic performance.”

H2-How to Present Qualitative Research Findings in Chapter 4

In case of presenting qualitative research findings use meanings, words, and experiences rather than figures and numbers. For this data might come from group discussions, from interviews, observations, or documents.

For how to present research findings in a dissertation main point for formatting and presenting quantitative findings:

v Group data by themes or categories

v Use participant quotes to illustrate points

v Provide rich descriptions without interpretation

v Explain how themes were identified (e.g., coding)

v Be transparent and respectful of participant voice.

H2-Using Tables, Charts, and Graphs for Data Presentation

Visual aids make complex data easier to understand at a glance. Choose the right format for your information:

1. Graphs/Charts – Great for trends and relationships
2. Tables – Best for exact values or comparisons
3. Figures/Images – Useful in experimental or design-based research
4. Quotes/Boxes – Highlight qualitative data

H2-Writing the Analysis and Interpretation

1. Introduction: Briefly restate the research questions and mention the findings are organised.

2. Main findings: Present results for every question and use the subheadings for clear and visuals. Start your research with specific research questions and hypotheses that will help you in maintaining focus and sets the stage for your analysis.

3. Summary of key results: Highlight major discoveries and avoid detailed interpretations. Provide a brief summary of findings and analyze them by qualitative studies.

4. If your study combines both types, organize your findings by method or research question. Some researchers choose to present quantitative and qualitative results in separate sections, and then integrate them later in the discussion.

5. Be objective and factual, Use past tense when describing results, Make it easy for readers to follow your logic and Stick to what the data shows. In quantitative data perform statistical test and in qualitative data present the data with description and patterns.

6. Interpret or explain why something happened (that’s for later) and Include raw data or interview transcripts in full, Make unsupported claims. Interpret the data into section with a short summary for discussion and conclusion.

H2-Proofreading and Refining Chapter 4 for Clarity

ü Use of clear language: Avoid the jargon words, language unless necessary and your goal should be to make the findings understandable for both academic and non academic scholars.

ü Stay objective: Make your result without any biases and hurdles. In case the results don’t support the hypothesis still they are valuable and relevant for research findings and analysis.

ü Be consistent: Use the same formatting, terms, pattern and structure for overall data organisation. There is always some specific requirement for how to present research findings in a dissertation.

ü Proper guidelines should be used for data analysing and formatting. Check your institution guidelines, structure and formatting rules for writing chapter 4 of the dissertation. Try to take the help of following chapter 4 dissertation examples:

“Participants frequently mentioned…”

“A total of 15 respondents indicated…”

“The data revealed that…

“Thematic analysis identified five to six main themes…”

H2-Conclusion

At the end it is concluded that chapter 4 of a dissertation is a critical part and it is the result of all your hard work, surveys done, organising interviews, and organising of data. Presenting the research findings is about telling the whole story in brief with logic, clarity and trust. Take proper guidelines, structure, stay objective and present your dissertation findings and analysis like a pro! The best tip to write the dissertation result section is stick to the facts, keep it clear and simple, and with organised data_ that’s it!