Thesis Seminar Week 12: Method VI

Thesis Seminar Week 11: Method VI | Thesis Seminar Week 13: Results & Discussion I

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Summary

From your data analysis (coding of qualitative data, figures, tables, etc.), what do you plan to include and exclude?
From the data that you plan to include in your results and discussion section, how will you organize your information?
- Identify two-to-four key sections for your one main section called, "Results and Discussion". Your "Results and Discussion" title should be a level I heading while your two-to-four main sections should be listed as level II headings according to APA.
Distinguish between results and a discussion.
- Results come directly from your data that you collected: direct quotes from interviews, focus groups, stimulated recalls, classroom observations, the written word, etc.
- A discussion is your interpretation of the data. What does it mean? What are the implications?
- When organizing your Results and Discussion section, present the results before presenting a discussion.
- Offer key comparisons of your results and/or discussion with that of the literature (from your literature review). It's fine to not agree with a researcher as long as you can back it up (i.e., form a sound argument for or against something).
- Here are suggestions on how to organize your body paragraphs for the results and discussion section (probably best to combine both options according to the data you are presenting):
  - Option I: Within the same body paragraph, create a topic sentence and present related results and a discussion (in this order). Conclude with either a linking or summarizing sentence.
  - Option II: In one body paragraph, create a topic sentence followed by related results and conclude with a linking or summarizing sentence. In the following paragraph, create a topic sentence and only a discussion that relates to the results presented in the prior paragraph.
  - Note: Follow the MEAL plan when writing your paragraphs in your results and discussion section with a slight variation. In contrast to how you developed a body paragraph in your literature review, when writing your results and discussion, the evidence sentence represents the results of your study while the analysis sentence represents a discussion (interpreation, etc.) of the results.

Tutoring session focus for this week

Welcome back everyone! Hope you had a good break and were able to advance some on your data analysis. This week there is no class Wednesday, so for those who have tutoring sessions scheduled and want to reschedule for another day, let me know. Our discussions this week for our tutoring sessions will focus on the following: 1) review your thesis paper based on what you have completed thus far, 2) discuss what you have analyzed and address any questions that you have, 3) discuss what you plan to include and exclude from the data that you collected (i.e., what did you find most interesting, surprising, etc. as it relates to your research questions), 3) review again your research questions to see what modifications (if any) are needed, 4) discuss how you plan to organize your results and discussion section (i.e., two-to-four main sections), and 5) address any other questions that you have.