Findings

1
Chapter 4

• Findings
• (Results)

2
Ch. 4 Purposes

• Provide results of data analyses findings
• Results presented in tabular format with
  narrative highlights

3
Ch. 4 Contents

• Introduction
• Response Rate
• Demographics
• Findings (responses to research questions or
  results of hypothesis testing)

4
Ch. 4 Introduction / Response Rate

• Restates purpose(s) of study and research
  questions / null hypotheses
• Articulates organization of the chapter
• Presents information regarding number of surveys
  sent out and returned
• May be included as finale to the Introduction

5
Ch 4 Demographics

• Provides information regarding the study
  population and sample
• Presents a profile of the study respondents
• Often includes gender, age, position, experience,
  and study-specific data

6
Ch. 4 Findings

• Reports findings related to research questions or
  null hypotheses
• Usually organized according to each question or
  hypothesis, with subheadings separating each
  section
• Data presented in tabular or graphic format with
  narrative highlights

7
Ch 4 Tables / Figures

• Tables limited to columns of numbers or words
  with appropriate headings
• Figures include graphs, diagrams, or photographs
• Avoid breaking tables whenever possible
• Very long tables placed in Appendix
• Narrative used to highlights salient data from
  tables, not repeat entire table
• See APA (6th ed.) pp. 128-167 ( or Concise Rules
  pp. 105-162 for details

8
Ch. 4 Sample Table
9
Ch. 4 Table Narrative

• Data regarding female and male perceptions of the
  difficulty of course elements for EDAD 885 are
  summarized in Table 1. While female students (M
  4.50) considered research concepts significantly
  more difficult than males (M 4.00), t(50)
  2.75, p .005, male students (M 3.75)
  perceived class activities to be significantly
  more difficult than their female counterparts (M
  3.00),t(50) 2.50, p .025. No other
  differences were significant at the .05 level.

10
Ch. 4 Sample Figure
11
Ch. 4 Figure Narrative

• Data regarding the growth of ethnic minority
  groups enrolled in the university during the past
  decade are presented graphically in Figure 1. Of
  all ethnic minorities, Asians have shown the
  greatest enrollment growth (48.5) during the
  past 10 years. During the same period, growth in
  enrollment for white students (8.4) has been
  slower than for any of the minority groups
  reported.
• (Note Tables and figures are separated from
  text by two double spaces above and below the
  table/figure.)

12
Ch. 4 Statistical Symbols

• Included (particularly with quantitative results)
  to assist readers understand magnitude of
  findings or results of inferential statistical
  analyses
• Utilize italicized typeface
• See APA Manual pp. 117-124 or Concise Rules pp.
  95-104 for details

13
Ch. 4 Common Statistical Symbols

• M mean
• SD standard deviation
• F frequency
• p probability
• N, n number
• df degrees of freedom

• t t statistic (t test)
• F Fischers ratio (ANOVA)
• r Pearsons correlation coefficient
• X2 Chi-square statistic

14
Ch 4 Symbols in Narrative

• 1. Results of the t test for independent samples
  indicated a significant difference in mean
  scores for the boys (M 3.75) and girls (M
  3.00), t(50) 2.54, p .024.
• 2. Results of the chi-square test indicated a
  significant association between gender and
  mathematics achievement, X2(3, N 48) 12.54,
  p lt .05.
• 3. Results of the one-way analysis of variance
  indicated a significant difference in test
  scores based upon students grade levels, F(2,
  124) 4.24, p .036.