Drawing implications from data n Difficulties of writing interesting and meaningful discussion and...

Drawing implications from data

Difficulties of writing interesting and meaningful discussion and implications

Danger of simply repeating results with facile additions

©2009 Richard Watson Todd

Problems with discussion sections Desire to show success in research

– Traditional research: investigate a teaching method for effectiveness

– Researcher unconscious bias to show effectiveness

– Similar unconscious biases in other research


Problems with discussion sections Narrow focus to discussion section

– Limited to predetermined research focuses– No new literature on new topics introduced– Potentially interesting findings overlooked beca

use of lack of relevance to research goal


Problems with discussion sections Facile discussions

– Limitations: e.g. “If more time had been devoted to using this method, it would have been more effective”

– Recommendations: e.g. “Further research is needed in the same area in a different context”


Identifying interesting findings

Which findings lead to interesting implications?– Central v. peripheral findings– Expected v. unexpected findings

In Summary of MA research 1, what findings are most interesting?


Identifying patterns in findings

Need to analyse findings through different systems of categorisation

Identify system of categorisation that provides most salient findings

In Summary of MA research 2, what findings are most interesting?


Explaining the ‘why’ of the findings To avoid repeating results, look at explanati

ons for results– Content-based issues– Methodology-based issues

In Summary of MA research 3, what content-based and methodology-based issues emerge from the data?


Drawing implications from data n Difficulties of writing interesting and meaningful discussion and...

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