Results/Findings: This is the section where you will make the central argument of your paper. You will explain the answer to your research question. This section explains to the reader the outcomes of the analysis performed and presents those data outcomes. Data presented in tables, charts, graph, and other figures may be placed among research text if small or in an appendix if large.
The results section should include the following:
· Introductory context for understanding the results by restating the research problem underpinning your study. This is useful in re-orientating the reader’s focus back to the research problem after reading the literature review and your explanation of the methods of data collection and analysis.
· Inclusion of non-textual elements, such as, figures, charts, photos, maps, tables, etc. to further illustrate key findings, if appropriate. Rather than relying entirely on descriptive text, consider how your findings can be presented visually. This is a helpful way of condensing a lot of data into one place that can then be referred to in the text. Refer to appendices if there are large or many charts. If you have multiple pages of charts, they must be added as appendices.
· A systematic description of your results, highlighting for the reader observations that are most relevant to the topic under investigation. Highlight important findings. Do not include all of your results, only those directly related to your research question. This section answers the WHAT question. What did you find?
· A short paragraph that concludes the results section by synthesizing the key findings of the study. Highlight the most important findings you want readers to remember as they transition into the discussion section.
Discussion and Conclusion: In these sections you will summarize the argument that you made in the paper and you will reiterate how your findings confirmed or challenged (or both) the findings from the research that you outlined in the literature review. You will explain how your findings contribute to existing literature. You may also suggest questions that still need to be answered and suggestions for further research that should be done on your topic.
The discussion section should include the following:
· Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important- Systematically explain the underlying meaning of your findings and state why they are significant. Explain whether you found evidence that supported your hypothesis/thesis or if you did not find evidence that supported your hypothesis/thesis. This section answers the SO WHAT question. Why does what you found matter?
· Relate the Findings to Similar Studies- The discussion section should relate your results to those found in other studies, particularly those that you discussed in your literature review.
· Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings- It is important to remember that the purpose of research in the social sciences is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations for the study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis/thesis or prior assumptions and biases. This is especially important when describing the discovery of significant or unanticipated findings. You also need to discuss the limitations of your study. How would the results have changed with a different sample, or different size sample? How would the results have been different using a different methodology?
· Make Suggestions for Further Research- You should frame your suggestions by linking the need for further research to the limitations of your study [e.g., in future studies, the content analysis coding should…”] or linking to critical issues revealed from the data that were not considered initially in your research.
· Conclusion- Your conclusion should include the following:
· Identifying how a gap in the literature has been addressed. The conclusion is where you describe how a previously identified gap in the literature [described in your literature review section] has been filled by your research.
· Presenting the last word on the issues you raised in your paper. Just as the introduction gives a first impression to your reader, the conclusion offers a chance to leave a lasting impression. Do this, for example, by highlighting key findings in your analysis or result section AND by noting important implications applied to policy/practice. For example, knowing what you now know, what could be changed about use of apps for mental health issues, portrayal of mental health issues in the media, whatever your topic is?
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