What Is a PhD Dissertation Findings Chapter?


There are many important chapters that need to be included in your PhD Dissertation:

  • Abstract – this is what your readers will read first
  • Findings – this will validate your research
  • Discussion – interpretation of your findings
  • Conclusion – what you got out from all of it
  • References – showing that you know what was your work and what wasn’t

This article will brush through the Findings chapter and explain what exactly needs to be included in it and what should not be in it.

WHAT IS IT


A findings chapter is basically what data you collected while doing your research or experiments. It is what was previously known as the Results and Discussions page in your high school report. Your findings chapter is very important because it tells the readers exactly what you saw and what they should expect from the rest of the paper.

WHAT TO INCLUDE


The following things need to be included in this chapter:

  • An analysis of your data that you collected while doing your experiments
  • Your interpretation of the data collected
  • What the data shows or proves (on a superficial level)
  • Explain why your data has importance

WHAT TO EXCLUDE


The following things should be excluded from this chapter:

  • A conclusion on what your findings prove, including everything outside of the superficial level that needs to be included
  • Your initial data

These things should be in other parts of your dissertation. When it comes down to it, you will be penalized for including sections of other chapters in the same chapter. Be careful of this because the penalty may be detrimental.

KNOW WHAT YOU NEED


Before even considering your dissertation topic, make sure you know what is required and what is not. A Findings chapter may not be necessary at all if your dissertation is purely research based. This is because if your research is based on novels you have read (for English dissertations), then you may not require a findings chapter. However, if it is science based, no matter which field of science, there’s a high chance it will require a findings chapter.

All in all, a findings chapter is one of the defining players that dictates the grade you will end up with on your dissertation. If you’re not careful with it, you can mess up your dissertation and the grade you get just because your findings were not well brought out. Do this well and you will find that your conclusion will also be easier to write.

#