CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction

  • February 2020

Mary Elinatii at University of Arusha

  • University of Arusha

Abstract and Figures

The Age of Business:

Discover the world's research

  • 25+ million members
  • 160+ million publication pages
  • 2.3+ billion citations
  • Recruit researchers
  • Join for free
  • Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google Welcome back! Please log in. Email · Hint Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google No account? Sign up
  • How it works

researchprospect post subheader

Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Discussion (example)

Disclaimer: This is not a sample of our professional work. The paper has been produced by a student. You can view samples of our work here . Opinions, suggestions, recommendations and results in this piece are those of the author and should not be taken as our company views.

Type of Academic Paper – Dissertation Chapter

Academic Subject – Marketing

Word Count – 2964 words

Reliability Analysis

Before conducting any analysis on the data, all the data’s reliability was analyzed based on Cronbach’s Alpha value. The reliability analysis was performed on the complete data of the questionnaire. The reliability of the data was found to be (0.922), as shown in the results of the reliability analysis provided below in table 4.1. However, the complete results output of the reliability analysis is given in the appendix.

Reliability Analysis (N=200)

Cronbach’s Alpha No. of Items
.922 29

The Cronbach’s Alpha value between (0.7-1.0) is considered to have excellent reliability. The Cronbach’s Alpha value of the data was found to be (0.922); therefore, this indicated that the questionnaire data had excellent reliability. All of the 29 items of the questionnaire had excellent reliability, and if they are taken for further analysis, they can generate results with 92.2% reliability.

Frequency Distribution Analysis

First of all, the frequency distribution analysis was performed on the demographic variables using SPSS to identify the respondents’ demographic composition. Section 1 of the questionnaire had 5 demographic questions to identify; gender, age group, annual income, marital status, and education level of the research sample. The frequency distribution results shown in table 4.2 below indicated that there were 200 respondents in total, out of which 50% were male, and 50% were female. This shows that the research sample was free from gender-based biases as males and females had equal representation in the sample.

Moreover, the frequency distribution analysis suggested three age groups; ‘20-35’, ‘36-60’ and ‘Above 60’. 39% of the respondents belonged to the ‘20-35’ age group, while 56.5% of the respondents belonged to the ‘36-60’ age group and the remaining 4.5% belonged to the age group of ‘Above 60’.

Furthermore, the annual income level was divided into four categories. The income values were in GBP. It was found that 13% of the respondents had income ‘up to 30000’, 27% had income between ‘31000 to 50000’, 52.5% had income between ‘51000 to 100000’, and 7.5% had income ‘Above 100000’. This suggests that most of the respondents had an annual income between ‘31000 to 50000’ GBP.

The frequency distribution analysis indicated that 61% of respondents were single, while 39% were married, as indicated in table 4.2. This means that most of the respondents were single. Based on frequency distribution, it was also found that the education level of the respondents was analyzed using four categories of education level, namely; diploma, graduate, master, and doctorate. The results depicted that 37% of the respondents were diploma holders, 46% were graduates, 16% had master-level education, while only 2% had a doctorate. This suggests that most of the respondents were either graduate or diploma holders.

Frequency Distribution of the Demographic Characteristics of the respondents (N=200)

Information of Participants (N=200)
Gender

Age group

Annual income

Marital status

Education level

Multiple Regression Analysis

The hypotheses were tested using linear multiple regression analysis to determine which of the dependent variables had a significant positive effect on the customer loyalty of the five-star hotel brands. The results of the regression analysis are summarized in the following table 4.3. However, the complete SPSS output of the regression analysis is given in the appendix. Table 4.3

Multiple regression analysis showing the predictive values of dependent variables (Brand image, corporate identity, public relation, perceived quality, and trustworthiness) on customer loyalty (N=200)

Source R R2 Adjusted R2 β Significance t
Regression (ANOVA) .948 .899 .897 .000
Constant -382 .005 -.2.866
Brand image .074 .046 2.012
Corporate identity .020 .482 .704
Public relation .014 .400 .843
Perceived quality .991 .000 21.850
Trustworthiness -.010 .652 -.452

Predictors: (Constant), Trustworthiness, Public Relation, Brand Image, Corporate Identity, Perceived Quality Dependent Variable: Customer Loyalty

The significance value (p-value) of ANOVA was found to be (0.000) as shown in the above

table, which was less than 0.05. This suggested that the model equation was significantly fitted

on the data. Moreover, the adjusted R-Square value was (0.897), which indicated that the model’s predictors explained 89.7% variation in customer loyalty.

Furthermore, the presence of the significant effect of the 5 predicting variables on customer loyalty was identified based on their sig. Values. The effect of a predicting variable is significant if its sig. Value is less than 0.05 or if its t-Statistics value is greater than 2. It was found that the variable ‘brand image’ had sig. Value (0.046), the variable ‘corporate identity had sig. Value (0.482), the variable ‘public relation’ had sig. Value (0.400), while the variable ‘perceived quality’ had sig. value (0.000), and the variable ‘trustworthiness’ had sig. value (0.652).

Hire an Expert Dissertation Chapter Writer

Orders completed by our expert writers are

  • Formally drafted in an academic style
  • Free Amendments and 100% Plagiarism Free – or your money back!
  • 100% Confidential and Timely Delivery!
  • Free anti-plagiarism report
  • Appreciated by thousands of clients. Check client reviews

Hire an Expert Dissertation Chapter Writer

Hypotheses Assessment

Based on the regression analysis, it was found that brand image and perceived quality have a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. In contrast, corporate identity, public relations, and trustworthiness have an insignificant effect on customer loyalty. Therefore the two hypotheses; H1 and H4 were accepted, however the three hypotheses; H2, H3, and H5 were rejected as indicated in table 4.4.

Hypothesis Assessment Summary Table (N=200)

Hypotheses Sig. value t-Statistics Empirical
conclusion
H1: Brand image has a significant positive effect
on customer loyalty.
.046 2.012 Accepted
H2: Corporate identity has a significant positive
effect on customer loyalty.
.482 .704 Rejected
H3: Public relation has a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. .400 .843 Rejected
H4: Perceived quality has a significant positive
effect on customer loyalty.
.000 21.850 Accepted
H5: Trustworthiness has a significant positive
effect on customer loyalty.
.652 -.452 Rejected

The insignificant variables (corporate identity, public relation and trustworthiness) were excluded from equation 1. After excluding the insignificant variables from the model equation 1, the final equation becomes as follows;

Customer loyalty                 = α + 0.074 (Brand image) + 0.991 (Perceived quality) + €

The above equation suggests that a 1 unit increase in brand image is likely to result in 0.074 units increase customer loyalty. In comparison, 1 unit increase in perceived quality can result in 0.991 units increase in customer loyalty.

Cross Tabulation Analysis

To further explore the results, the demographic variables’ data were cross-tabulated against the respondents’ responses regarding customer loyalty using SPSS. In this regards the five demographic variables; gender, age group, annual income, marital status and education level were cross-tabulated against the five questions regarding customer loyalty to know the difference between the customer loyalty of five-star hotels of UK based on demographic differences. The results of the cross-tabulation analysis are given in the appendix. The results are graphically presented in bar charts too, which are also given in the appendix.

Cross Tabulation of Gender against Customer Loyalty

The gender was cross-tabulated against question 1 to 5 of the questionnaire to identify the gender differences between male and female respondents’ responses regarding customer loyalty of five-star hotels of the UK. The results indicated that out of 100 males, 57% were extremely agreed that they stay at one hotel, while out of 100 females, 80% were extremely agreed they stay at one hotel. This shows that in comparison with a male, females were more agreed that they stayed at one hotel and were found to be more loyal towards their respective hotel brands.

The cross-tabulation results further indicated that out of 100 males, 53% agreed that they always say positive things about their respective hotel brand to other people. In contrast, out of 100 females, 77% were extremely agreed. Based on the results, the females were found to be in more agreement than males that they always say positive things about their respective hotel brand to other people.

It was further found that out of 100 males, 53% were extremely agreed that they recommend their hotel brand to others, however, out of 100 females, 74% were extremely agreed to this statement. This result also suggested that females were more in agreement than males to recommend their hotel brand to others.

Moreover, it was found that out of 100 males, 54% were extremely agreed that they don’t seek alternative hotel brands, while out of 100 females, 79% were extremely agreed to this statement. This result also suggested that females were more agreed than males that they don’t seek alternative hotel brands, and so were found to be more loyal than males.

Furthermore, it was identified that out of 100 male respondents 56% were extremely agreed that they would continue to go to the same hotel irrespective of the prices, however out of 100 females 79% were extremely agreed. Based on this result, it was clear that females were more agreed than males that they would continue to go to the same hotel irrespective of the prices, so females were found to be more loyal than males.

After cross tabulating ‘gender’ against the response of the 5 questions regarding customer loyalty the females were found to be more loyal customers of the five-star hotel brands than males as they were found to be more in agreement than the man that they stay at one hotel, always say positive things about their hotel brand to other people, recommend their hotel brand to others, don’t seek alternative hotel brands and would continue to go to the same hotel irrespective of the prices.

Cross Tabulation of Age Group against Customer Loyalty

Afterward, the second demographic variable, ‘age groups’ was cross-tabulated against questions 1 to 5 of the questionnaire to identify the difference between the customer loyalty of customers of different age groups. The results indicated that out of 78 respondents between 20 to 35 years of age, 61.5% were extremely agreed that they stayed at one hotel. While out of 113 respondents who were between 36 to 60 years of age, 72.6% were extremely agreed that they always stay at one hotel. However, out of 9 respondents who were above 60 years of age, 77.8% agreed that they always stay at one hotel. This indicated that customers of 36-60 and above 60 age groups were more loyal to their hotel brands as they were keener to stay at a respective hotel brand.

Content removed…

Cross Tabulation of Annual Income against Customer Loyalty

The third demographic variable, ‘annual income’ was cross-tabulated against questions 1 to 5 of the questionnaire to identify which of the customers were most loyal based on their respective annual income levels. The results indicated that out of 26 respondents who had annual income up to 30000 GBP, 84.6% were extremely agreed that they always stay at one hotel. However, out of 54 respondents who had annual income from 31000 to 50000 GBP, 98.1% agreed that they always stay at one hotel. Although out of 105 respondents had annual income from 50000 to 100000 GBP, 49.5% were extremely agreed that they always stay at one hotel. While out of 10 respondents who had annual income from 50000 to 1000000 GBP, 66.7% agreed that they always stay at one hotel. This indicated that customers of annual income levels from 31000 to 50000 GBP were more loyal to their hotel brands than the customers having other annual income levels.

Cross Tabulation of Marital Status against Customer Loyalty

Furthermore, the fourth demographic variable the ‘marital status’ was cross-tabulated against questions 1 to 5 of the questionnaire to understand the difference between married and unmarried respondents regarding customer loyalty of five-star hotels of the UK. The cross-tabulation analysis results indicated that out of 122 single respondents, 59.8% were extremely agreed that they stay at one hotel. However, out of 78 married respondents, around 82% of respondents agreed that they stay at one hotel. Thus, the married customers were more loyal to their hotel brands than unmarried customers because, in comparison, married customers prefer to stay at one hotel brand.

To proceed with the cross-tabulation results, out of 122 single respondents, 55.7% were extremely agreed upon always saying positive things about their hotel brands to other people. On the other hand, out of 78 married respondents, 79.5% were extremely agreed. Hence, upon evaluating the results, it can be said that married customers have more customer loyalty as they are in more agreement than singles. They always give positive feedback regarding their respective hotel brand to other people.

Cross Tabulation of Education Level against Customer Loyalty

Subsequently, the fifth demographic variable, ‘education level’ was cross-tabulated against questions 1 to 5 of the questionnaire to identify which of the customers were most loyal based on their respective education levels. The results indicated that out of 50 respondents who were diploma holders, 67.6% were extremely agreed that they always stay at one hotel. While out of 64 respondents who were graduates, 69.6% were extremely agreed that they always stay at one hotel. Although out of 22 respondents who were masters, 68.8% were extremely agreed that they always stay at one hotel. However, out of 2 respondents with doctorates, 50% were extremely agreed to always stay at one hotel. This indicated that customers who were graduates were more loyal than the customers with diplomas, masters, or doctorates.

Moreover, 66.2% of the diploma holders were extremely agreed that they always say positive things about their hotel brand to other people. In comparison, 64.1% of the respondents who were graduates were extremely agreed. However, 65.5% of the respondents who had masters were extremely agreed, and 50% of the respondents who had doctorates agreed with the statement. Based on this result customers having masters were the most loyal customers of their respective five-star hotel brands.

Need a Dissertation Chapter On a Similar Topic?

In this subsection, the findings of this study are compared and contrasted with the literature to identify which of the past research supports the present research findings. This present study based on regression analysis suggested that brand image can have a significant positive effect on the customer loyalty of five-star hotels in the UK. This finding was supported by the research of Heung et al. (1996), who also suggested that the hotel’s brand image can play a vital role in preserving a high ratio of customer loyalty.

Moreover, this present study also suggested that perceived quality was the second factor that was found to have a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. The perceived quality was evaluated based on; service quality, comfort, staff courtesy, customer satisfaction, and service quality expectations. In this regard, Tat and Raymond (2000) research supports the findings of this study. The staff service quality was found to affect customer loyalty and the level of satisfaction. Teas (1994) had also found service quality to affect customer loyalty. However, Teas also found that staff empathy (staff courtesy) towards customers can also affect customer loyalty. The research of Rowley and Dawes (1999) also supports the finding of this present study. The users’ expectations about the quality and nature of the services affect customer loyalty. A study by Oberoi and Hales (1990) was found to agree with the present study’s findings, as they had found the quality of staff service to affect customer loyalty.

Summary of the Findings

  • The brand image was found to have a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. Therefore customer loyalty is likely to increase with the increase in brand image.
  • The corporate identity was found to have an insignificant effect on customer loyalty. Therefore customer loyalty is not likely to increase with the increase in corporate identity.
  • Public relations was found to have an insignificant effect on customer loyalty. Therefore customer loyalty is not likely to increase with the increase in public relations.
  • Perceived quality was found to have a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. Therefore customer loyalty is likely to increase with the increase in perceived quality.
  • Trustworthiness was found to have an insignificant effect on customer loyalty. Therefore customer loyalty is not likely to increase with the increase in trustworthiness.
  • The female customers were found to be more loyal customers of the five-star hotel brands than male customers.
  • The customers of age from 36 to 60 years were more loyal to their hotel brands than the customers of age from 20 to 35 and above 60.
  • The customers who had annual income from 31000 to 50000 were more loyal customers of their respective hotel brands than those who had an annual income level of less than 31000 or more than 50000.
  • The married respondents had more customer loyalty than unmarried customers, towards five-star hotel brands of the UK.

The customers who had bachelor degrees and the customers who had master degrees were more loyal to the customers who had a diploma or doctorate.

Bryman, A., Bell, E., 2015. Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press.

Daum, P., 2013. International Synergy Management: A Strategic Approach for Raising Efficiencies in the Cross-border Interaction Process. Anchor Academic Publishing (aap_verlag).

Dümke, R., 2002. Corporate Reputation and its Importance for Business Success: A European

Perspective and its Implication for Public Relations Consultancies. diplom.de.

Guetterman, T.C., 2015. Descriptions of Sampling Practices Within Five Approaches to Qualitative Research in Education and the Health Sciences. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung /

Forum: Qualitative Social Research 16.

Haq, M., 2014. A Comparative Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods and a Justification for Adopting Mixed Methods in Social Research (PDF Download Available).

ResearchGate 1–22. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1945.8640

Kelley, ., Clark, B., Brown, V., Sitzia, J., 2003. Good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research. Int J Qual Health Care 15, 261–266. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzg031

Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches.

Health Promotion Practice 16, 473–475. doi:10.1177/1524839915580941

Saunders, M., 2003. Research Methods for Business Students. Pearson Education India.

Saunders, M.N.K., Tosey, P., 2015. Handbook of Research Methods on Human Resource

Development. Edward Elgar Publishing.

DMCA / Removal Request

If you are the original writer of this Dissertation Chapter and no longer wish to have it published on the www.ResearchProspect.com then please:

Request The Removal Of This Dissertation Chapter

Frequently Asked Questions

How to write the results chapter of a dissertation.

To write the Results chapter of a dissertation:

  • Present findings objectively.
  • Use tables, graphs, or charts for clarity.
  • Refer to research questions/hypotheses.
  • Provide sufficient details.
  • Avoid interpretation; save that for the Discussion chapter.

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

researchprospect-reviews-trust-site

COMPANY DETAILS

Research-Prospect-Writing-Service

  • How It Works

Chapter 4 Research Papers: Discussion, Conclusions, Review Papers

  • First Online: 17 July 2020

Cite this chapter

chapter 4 research paper sample

  • Adrian Wallwork 3 &
  • Anna Southern 3  

Part of the book series: English for Academic Research ((EAR))

3279 Accesses

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

English for Academics SAS, Pisa, Italy

Adrian Wallwork & Anna Southern

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Wallwork, A., Southern, A. (2020). Chapter 4 Research Papers: Discussion, Conclusions, Review Papers. In: 100 Tips to Avoid Mistakes in Academic Writing and Presenting. English for Academic Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44214-9_4

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44214-9_4

Published : 17 July 2020

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-44213-2

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-44214-9

eBook Packages : Social Sciences Social Sciences (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Publish with us

Policies and ethics

  • Find a journal
  • Track your research
  • Chapter 4: Home
  • Qualtrics Survey Tool
  • Statistics Help This link opens in a new window
  • Statistics and APA Format This link opens in a new window

Analysis and Coding Example: Qualitative Data

  • Trustworthiness of Qualitative Data
  • Hypothesis Testing This link opens in a new window

Jump to DSE Guide

The following is an example of how to engage in a three step analytic process of coding, categorizing, and identifying themes within the data presented. Note that different researchers would come up with different results based on their specific research questions, literature review findings, and theoretical perspective.

There are many ways cited in the literature to analyze qualitative data. The specific analytic plan in this exercise involved a constant comparative (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) approach that included a three-step process of open coding, categorizing, and synthesizing themes. The constant comparative process involved thinking about how these comments were interrelated. Intertwined within this three step process, this example engages in content analysis techniques as described by Patton (1987) through which coherent and salient themes and patterns are identified throughout the data. This is reflected in the congruencies and incongruencies reflected in the memos and relational matrix.

Step 1: Open Coding

Codes for the qualitative data are created through a line by line analysis of the comments. Codes would be based on the research questions, literature review, and theoretical perspective articulated. Numbering the lines is helpful so that the researcher can make notes regarding which comments they might like to quote in their report.

It is also useful to include memos to remind yourself of what you were thinking and allow you to reflect on the initial interpretations as you engage in the next two analytic steps. In addition, memos will be a reminder of issues that need to be addressed if there is an opportunity for follow up data collection. This technique allows the researcher time to reflect on how his/her biases might affect the analysis. Using different colored text for memos makes it easy to differentiate thoughts from the data.

Many novice researchers forgo this step.  Rather, they move right into arranging the entire statements into the various categories that have been pre-identified. There are two problems with the process. First, since the categories have been listed open coding, it is unclear from where the categories have been derived. Rather, when a researcher uses the open coding process, he/she look at each line of text individually and without consideration for the others. This process of breaking the pieces down and then putting them back together through analysis ensures that the researcher consider all for the data equally and limits the bias that might introduced. In addition, if a researcher is coding interviews or other significant amounts of qualitative data it will likely become overwhelming as the researcher tries to organize and remember from which context each piece of data came.

Building

Resources, Modernization, Resources

Services, Building

Instructional Quality

Leadership Interaction, Support, Evaluation

Uncertainty, Decision Making, Responsibilities

 

Responsibilities, Equity

Conflict, Lack of Data

Decision Making, Responsibilities

Lack of Data, Responsibilities

Focus on Students, Quality Instruction

Conflict

Uncertainty, Instructional Clarification.

Decision Making

Technology Resources

Conflict, New versus Veteran

Support

Conflict

Quality Instruction

Support, Evaluation, New versus Veteran

Quality Instruction, New versus Veteran

Inequities

Confict

Respect

 

Equality

Quality Instruction, Requirements

Respect, Resources

Requirements, Quality Instruction

Inequities, Conflict

Step 2: Categorizing

To categorize the codes developed in Step 1 , list the codes and group them by similarity.  Then, identify an appropriate label for each group. The following table reflects the result of this activity.

Step 3: Identification of Themes

In this step, review the categories as well as the memos to determine the themes that emerge.   In the discussion below, three themes emerged from the synthesis of the categories. Relevant quotes from the data are included that exemplify the essence of the themes.These can be used in the discussion of findings. The relational matrix demonstrates the pattern of thinking of the researcher as they engaged in this step in the analysis. This is similar to an axial coding strategy.

Note that this set of data is limited and leaves some questions in mind. In a well-developed study, this would just be a part of the data collected and there would be other data sets and/or opportunities to clarify/verify some of the interpretations made below.  In addition, since there is no literature review or theoretical statement, there are no reference points from which to draw interferences in the data. Some assumptions were made for the purposes of this demonstration in these areas.

T h eme 1:  Professional Standing

Individual participants have articulated issues related to their own professional position. They are concerned about what and when they will teach, their performance, and the respect/prestige that they have within the school. For example, they are concerned about both their physical environment and the steps that they have to take to ensure that they have the up to date tools that they need. They are also concerned that their efforts are being acknowledged, sometimes in relation to their peers and their beliefs that they are more effective.

Selected quotes:

  • Some teachers are carrying the weight for other teachers. (demonstrates that they think that some of their peers are not qualified.)
  • We need objective observations and feedback from the principal (demonstrates that they are looking for acknowledgement for their efforts.  Or this could be interpreted as a belief that their peers who are less qualified should be acknowledged).
  • There is a lack of support for individual teachers

Theme 2:  Group Dynamics and Collegiality

Rationale: There are groups or clicks that have formed. This seems to be the basis for some of the conflict.  This conflict is closely related to the status and professional standing themes. This theme however, has more to do with the group issues while the first theme is an individual perspective. Some teachers and/or subjects are seen as more prestigious than others.  Some of this is related to longevity. This creates jealously and inhibits collegiality. This affects peer-interaction, instruction, and communication.

  • Grade level teams work against each other rather than together.
  • Each team of teachers has stereotypes about the other teams.
  • There is a division between the old and new teachers

Theme 3:  Leadership Issues

Rationale: There seems to be a lack of leadership and shared understanding of the general direction in which the school will go. This is also reflected in a lack of two way communications.  There doesn’t seem to be information being offered by the leadership of the school, nor does there seem to be an opportunity for individuals to share their thoughts, let alone decision making. There seems to be a lack of intervention in the conflict from leadership.

  • Decisions are made on inaccurate information.
  • We need consistent decisions about school rules

Coding Example - Category - Relationships - Themes

Glaser, B.G., & Strauss, A.  (1967).   The discovery of grounded theory:  Strategies for qualitative research . Chicago, IL: Aldine.

Patton, M. Q.  (1987).   How to use qualitative methods in evaluation .  Newbury Park, CA:  Sage Publications.

  • << Previous: Statistics and APA Format
  • Next: Trustworthiness of Qualitative Data >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 19, 2024 3:09 PM
  • URL: https://resources.nu.edu/c.php?g=1007180

National University

© Copyright 2024 National University. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy | Consumer Information

blog @ precision

Presenting your qualitative analysis findings: tables to include in chapter 4.

The earliest stages of developing a doctoral dissertation—most specifically the topic development  and literature review  stages—require that you immerse yourself in a ton of existing research related to your potential topic. If you have begun writing your dissertation proposal, you have undoubtedly reviewed countless results and findings sections of studies in order to help gain an understanding of what is currently known about your topic. 

chapter 4 research paper sample

In this process, we’re guessing that you observed a distinct pattern: Results sections are full of tables. Indeed, the results chapter for your own dissertation will need to be similarly packed with tables. So, if you’re preparing to write up the results of your statistical analysis or qualitative analysis, it will probably help to review your APA editing  manual to brush up on your table formatting skills. But, aside from formatting, how should you develop the tables in your results chapter?

In quantitative studies, tables are a handy way of presenting the variety of statistical analysis results in a form that readers can easily process. You’ve probably noticed that quantitative studies present descriptive results like mean, mode, range, standard deviation, etc., as well the inferential results that indicate whether significant relationships or differences were found through the statistical analysis . These are pretty standard tables that you probably learned about in your pre-dissertation statistics courses.

But, what if you are conducting qualitative analysis? What tables are appropriate for this type of study? This is a question we hear often from our dissertation assistance  clients, and with good reason. University guidelines for results chapters often contain vague instructions that guide you to include “appropriate tables” without specifying what exactly those are. To help clarify on this point, we asked our qualitative analysis experts to share their recommendations for tables to include in your Chapter 4.

Demographics Tables

As with studies using quantitative methods , presenting an overview of your sample demographics is useful in studies that use qualitative research methods. The standard demographics table in a quantitative study provides aggregate information for what are often large samples. In other words, such tables present totals and percentages for demographic categories within the sample that are relevant to the study (e.g., age, gender, job title). 

chapter 4 research paper sample

If conducting qualitative research  for your dissertation, however, you will use a smaller sample and obtain richer data from each participant than in quantitative studies. To enhance thick description—a dimension of trustworthiness—it will help to present sample demographics in a table that includes information on each participant. Remember that ethical standards of research require that all participant information be deidentified, so use participant identification numbers or pseudonyms for each participant, and do not present any personal information that would allow others to identify the participant (Blignault & Ritchie, 2009). Table 1 provides participant demographics for a hypothetical qualitative research study exploring the perspectives of persons who were formerly homeless regarding their experiences of transitioning into stable housing and obtaining employment.

Participant Demographics

Participant ID  Gender Age Current Living Situation
P1 Female 34 Alone
P2 Male 27 With Family
P3 Male 44 Alone
P4 Female 46 With Roommates
P5 Female 25 With Family
P6 Male 30 With Roommates
P7 Male 38 With Roommates
P8 Male 51 Alone

Tables to Illustrate Initial Codes

Most of our dissertation consulting clients who are conducting qualitative research choose a form of thematic analysis . Qualitative analysis to identify themes in the data typically involves a progression from (a) identifying surface-level codes to (b) developing themes by combining codes based on shared similarities. As this process is inherently subjective, it is important that readers be able to evaluate the correspondence between the data and your findings (Anfara et al., 2002). This supports confirmability, another dimension of trustworthiness .

A great way to illustrate the trustworthiness of your qualitative analysis is to create a table that displays quotes from the data that exemplify each of your initial codes. Providing a sample quote for each of your codes can help the reader to assess whether your coding was faithful to the meanings in the data, and it can also help to create clarity about each code’s meaning and bring the voices of your participants into your work (Blignault & Ritchie, 2009).

chapter 4 research paper sample

Table 2 is an example of how you might present information regarding initial codes. Depending on your preference or your dissertation committee’s preference, you might also present percentages of the sample that expressed each code. Another common piece of information to include is which actual participants expressed each code. Note that if your qualitative analysis yields a high volume of codes, it may be appropriate to present the table as an appendix.

Initial Codes

Initial code of participants contributing ( =8) of transcript excerpts assigned Sample quote
Daily routine of going to work enhanced sense of identity 7 12 “It’s just that good feeling of getting up every day like everyone else and going to work, of having that pattern that’s responsible. It makes you feel good about yourself again.” (P3)
Experienced discrimination due to previous homelessness  2 3 “At my last job, I told a couple other people on my shift I used to be homeless, and then, just like that, I get put into a worse job with less pay. The boss made some excuse why they did that, but they didn’t want me handling the money is why. They put me in a lower level job two days after I talk to people about being homeless in my past. That’s no coincidence if you ask me.” (P6) 
Friends offered shared housing 3 3 “My friend from way back had a spare room after her kid moved out. She let me stay there until I got back on my feet.” (P4)
Mental health services essential in getting into housing 5 7 “Getting my addiction treated was key. That was a must. My family wasn’t gonna let me stay around their place without it. So that was a big help for getting back into a place.” (P2)

Tables to Present the Groups of Codes That Form Each Theme

As noted previously, most of our dissertation assistance clients use a thematic analysis approach, which involves multiple phases of qualitative analysis  that eventually result in themes that answer the dissertation’s research questions. After initial coding is completed, the analysis process involves (a) examining what different codes have in common and then (b) grouping similar codes together in ways that are meaningful given your research questions. In other words, the common threads that you identify across multiple codes become the theme that holds them all together—and that theme answers one of your research questions.

As with initial coding, grouping codes together into themes involves your own subjective interpretations, even when aided by qualitative analysis software such as NVivo  or MAXQDA. In fact, our dissertation assistance clients are often surprised to learn that qualitative analysis software does not complete the analysis in the same ways that statistical analysis software such as SPSS does. While statistical analysis software completes the computations for you, qualitative analysis software does not have such analysis capabilities. Software such as NVivo provides a set of organizational tools that make the qualitative analysis far more convenient, but the analysis itself is still a very human process (Burnard et al., 2008).

chapter 4 research paper sample

Because of the subjective nature of qualitative analysis, it is important to show the underlying logic behind your thematic analysis in tables—such tables help readers to assess the trustworthiness of your analysis. Table 3 provides an example of how to present the codes that were grouped together to create themes, and you can modify the specifics of the table based on your preferences or your dissertation committee’s requirements. For example, this type of table might be presented to illustrate the codes associated with themes that answer each research question. 

Grouping of Initial Codes to Form Themes

Theme

Initial codes grouped to form theme

of participants contributing ( =8) of transcript excerpts assigned
     Assistance from friends, family, or strangers was instrumental in getting back into stable housing 6 10
            Family member assisted them to get into housing
            Friends offered shared housing
            Stranger offered shared housing
     Obtaining professional support was essential for overcoming the cascading effects of poverty and homelessness 7 19
            Financial benefits made obtaining housing possible
            Mental health services essential in getting into housing
            Social services helped navigate housing process
     Stigma and concerns about discrimination caused them to feel uncomfortable socializing with coworkers 6 9
            Experienced discrimination due to previous homelessness 
            Feared negative judgment if others learned of their pasts
     Routine productivity and sense of making a contribution helped to restore self-concept and positive social identity 8 21
            Daily routine of going to work enhanced sense of identity
            Feels good to contribute to society/organization 
            Seeing products of their efforts was rewarding

Tables to Illustrate the Themes That Answer Each Research Question

Creating alignment throughout your dissertation is an important objective, and to maintain alignment in your results chapter, the themes you present must clearly answer your research questions. Conducting qualitative analysis is an in-depth process of immersion in the data, and many of our dissertation consulting  clients have shared that it’s easy to lose your direction during the process. So, it is important to stay focused on your research questions during the qualitative analysis and also to show the reader exactly which themes—and subthemes, as applicable—answered each of the research questions.

chapter 4 research paper sample

Below, Table 4 provides an example of how to display the thematic findings of your study in table form. Depending on your dissertation committee’s preference or your own, you might present all research questions and all themes and subthemes in a single table. Or, you might provide separate tables to introduce the themes for each research question as you progress through your presentation of the findings in the chapter.

Emergent Themes and Research Questions

Research question

 

Themes that address question

 

RQ1. How do adults who have previously experienced homelessness describe their transitions to stable housing?

 

 

 

Theme 1: Assistance from friends, family, or strangers was instrumental in getting back into stable housing

Theme 2: Obtaining professional support was essential for overcoming the cascading effects of poverty and homelessness

 

RQ2. How do adults who have previously experienced homelessness describe returning to paid employment?

 

 

Theme 3: Self-perceived stigma caused them to feel uncomfortable socializing with coworkers

Theme 4: Routine productivity and sense of making a contribution helped to restore self-concept and positive social identity

Bonus Tip! Figures to Spice Up Your Results

Although dissertation committees most often wish to see tables such as the above in qualitative results chapters, some also like to see figures that illustrate the data. Qualitative software packages such as NVivo offer many options for visualizing your data, such as mind maps, concept maps, charts, and cluster diagrams. A common choice for this type of figure among our dissertation assistance clients is a tree diagram, which shows the connections between specified words and the words or phrases that participants shared most often in the same context. Another common choice of figure is the word cloud, as depicted in Figure 1. The word cloud simply reflects frequencies of words in the data, which may provide an indication of the importance of related concepts for the participants.

chapter 4 research paper sample

As you move forward with your qualitative analysis and development of your results chapter, we hope that this brief overview of useful tables and figures helps you to decide on an ideal presentation to showcase the trustworthiness your findings. Completing a rigorous qualitative analysis for your dissertation requires many hours of careful interpretation of your data, and your end product should be a rich and detailed results presentation that you can be proud of. Reach out if we can help  in any way, as our dissertation coaches would be thrilled to assist as you move through this exciting stage of your dissertation journey!

Anfara Jr., V. A., Brown, K. M., & Mangione, T. L. (2002). Qualitative analysis on stage: Making the research process more public.  Educational Researcher ,  31 (7), 28-38. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X031007028

Blignault, I., & Ritchie, J. (2009). Revealing the wood and the trees: Reporting qualitative research.  Health Promotion Journal of Australia ,  20 (2), 140-145. https://doi.org/10.1071/HE09140

Burnard, P., Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E., & Chadwick, B. (2008). Analysing and presenting qualitative data.  British Dental Journal ,  204 (8), 429-432. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.292

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

  • We're Hiring!
  • Help Center

paper cover thumbnail

Chapter 4 Research Findings and Discussion

Profile image of Jane Retiro

Related Papers

Andrea Sharam

chapter 4 research paper sample

Prof. Abdelhak Senadjki

Renilda A Magsino

Journal of Design and Built Environment

wan nor azriyati wan aziz

Ainoriza Mohd Aini

Recent population censuses in many advanced industrial countries have highlighted the growing number of elderly in the rural areas. Additionally, industralisation in the urban areas of developing countries has, to a certain degree caused significant changes of traditional family structure and has resulted in nuclear conjugal families. Likewise, the ageing phenomenon in Malaysia is inevitable due to the exponential increase in the elderly population. Furthermore, rapid urbanisation and out-migration of rural young generation, has had a significant impact on the population of Malaysia. This is reflected by the high proportion of elderly and high dependency in the rural areas. The issues and demographic pattern of the elderly are divergent and varies from the urban to the rural setting. This article looks at the housing implications of the ageing population in Malaysia in general, and in the rural and urban setting specifically. The study examines the housing aspirations of the elderly living in the urban and rural areas in Malaysia. Future housing plans and the kind of living arrangement the Malaysian elderly seek are explored based on the urban-rural locational aspect. In the effort to provide better quality housing for urban and rural elderly, a face-to-face survey interview was conducted on Malaysian aged 50 years and older living in the Kuala Lumpur (urban) and Kelantan (rural) areas. The findings indicate that most elderly in the urban and the rural areas prefer to age-in-place and stay in a familiar environment. The rural elderly has a stronger preference to ageing in place. A majority of the elderly also indicated a preference to live close to their children, which suggests strong family values amongst Malaysians. The study further revealed that the elderly are more likely to either renovate or improve, especially, the bedroom and bathroom areas to avoid accidents. The elderly in the rural area preferred landed housing in the form of either a single or double storey bungalow, whilst, the elderly in the urban area are more open and willing to move to other housing options, for example, strata housing, and other forms of landed housing, for example, terrace house and bungalow. It is recommended that a policy be introduced to promote ageing-in-place and takes into account the aspirations, preferences, behaviour and opinions of the elderly in Malaysia.

SSRN Electronic Journal

International Journal of Business Administration

Hulya Oztop

fksg.utm.my

Bujang Ahmad Ariffian

penerbit.utm.my

Shahabudin Abdullah

Sean McNelis

Public and community housing as housing options for older people with relatively low income and low assets are well documented. However, other not-for-profit organisations also provide housing for this group. Commonly known as independent living units (ILUs), they are mainly owned and managed by organisations within the aged care sector. As a significant housing option, ILUs add diversity and constitute one of the major policy responses to current and future changing socio-demographics. Most ILU organisations and the stock they manage developed as the result of subsidies from the Commonwealth government between 1954 and 1986 under the Aged Persons’ Homes Act. ILUs constitute the first phase of the retirement village industry. This paper draws on a national survey of ILU organisations undertaken as part of an Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) research project. It highlights the importance of ILUs. It presents a national profile of ILU organisations. It discusses...

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Anita Venter

Boštjan Kerbler

Gloria Gutman

Kam Wing Kevin Cheung

Vanessa Burholt

Danny Bellenger

Housing Policy Debate

Ingrid Ellen

Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal

Faridah Halil

Financial Services Review

Abigail Butt, PhD

Sandra Woodbridge

RPJ: Rural Planning Journal

innocent mpeta

PLANNING MALAYSIA

Peter Aning

Dan Med Bull

Knud Ramian

Jan Mutchler

Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal

Kathleen Parrott

  •   We're Hiring!
  •   Help Center
  • Find new research papers in:
  • Health Sciences
  • Earth Sciences
  • Cognitive Science
  • Mathematics
  • Computer Science
  • Academia ©2024

COMMENTS

  1. PDF Chapter 4: Analysis and Interpretation of Results

    This document is a research report on the effectiveness of AIDS education workshops in South Africa. It presents the quantitative and qualitative analysis of data collected from questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions.

  2. Chapter Four Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation 4.0

    PDF | On Feb 19, 2020, Teddy Kinyongo published CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 4.0 Introduction | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

  3. PDF Dissertation Chapter 4 Sample

    older represented 10% of the sample, 35% were between 51 and 60, 20% were between the. ages of 41-50. The 31-40 age group was also 20% of the sample and 15% of the participants. declined to answer. Graphic displays of demographics on company size, work status, age, and industry sector are provided in Appendix F.

  4. PDF CHAPTER FOUR Qualitative Research

    Research. methods that delve deeply into experiences, social processes, and subcultures are referred to as qualitative research. As a group, qualitative research methods: Recognize that every individual is situated in an unfolding life context, that is, a set of circumstances, values, and influences. Respect the meanings each individual assigns ...

  5. PDF Writing a Dissertation's Chapter 4 and 5 1 By Dr. Kimberly Blum Rita

    Sharing an outline of chapter four and five general sections enables dissertation. online mentors teach how to write chapter four and five to dissertation students. Gathering and analyzing data should be fun; the student's passion clearly present in the. last two chapters of the dissertation.

  6. PDF Chapter 4 Qualitative

    4.1 INTRODUCTION. This chapter will outline the qualitative data collection methods used, describe the analytic techniques employed as well as presenting the findings from this phase of the research study. The findings will be fully discussed with links to current literature identified in Chapter 1. The characteristics of the research ...

  7. Chapter Four Data Analysis and Presentation of Research Findings 4.1

    DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF RES EARCH FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction. The chapter contains presentation, analysis and dis cussion of the data collected by the researcher. during the data ...

  8. Chapter 4

    Type of Academic Paper - Dissertation Chapter. Academic Subject - Marketing. Word Count - 2964 words . ... This shows that the research sample was free from gender-based biases as males and females had equal representation in the sample. Moreover, the frequency distribution analysis suggested three age groups; '20-35', '36-60' and ...

  9. PDF Chapter 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS

    4.1 INTRODUCTION. This chapter describes the analysis of data followed by a discussion of the research findings. The findings relate to the research questions that guided the study. Data were analyzed to identify, describe and explore the relationship between death anxiety and death attitudes of nurses in a private acute care hospital and to ...

  10. PDF CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

    CHAPTER 4. H RESULTS AND ANALYSIS4.1 INTRODUCTIONThis chapter reviews the results and analysis of the qualitative data, the compilation of the questionnaire and the results and analysis of. the quantitative findings of the study. The findings are also discussed in the light of previous research findings and available literature, where ...

  11. Chapter 4 Qualitative Research Paper Sample

    Chapter 4 Qualitative Research Paper Sample - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The document discusses the challenges of crafting Chapter 4 in a qualitative research paper. Chapter 4 involves presenting qualitative research findings and requires deriving meaningful insights from collected data through analysis techniques while maintaining a focused ...

  12. Chapter IV

    CHAPTER IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA. This chapter presents the results, the analysis and interpretation of data gathered. from the answers to the questionnaires distributed to the field. The said data were. presented in tabular form in accordance with the specific questions posited on the. statement of the problem.

  13. Writing Chapter 4

    The document provides guidance on writing Chapter 4, which analyzes and presents the results or findings, for a qualitative research thesis or dissertation. It discusses including an introduction to restate the purpose and research questions, describe the research design and data collection methods. The body of Chapter 4 then presents the findings, which can be organized by themes, categories ...

  14. Chapter 4 Research Paper Sample

    Chapter 4 Research Paper Sample - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. - Writing Chapter 4 of a thesis, which presents the results of one's research, can be an intimidating task as it requires clearly presenting data, analyzing findings, and drawing meaningful conclusions. - If overwhelmed by the complexities of Chapter 4, one can seek assistance from ...

  15. Chapter 4 Research Papers: Discussion, Conclusions, Review Papers

    Another limitation concerns the age of sample consumers generally young people. Despite the limitation, the research can suggest changing in different stakeholders strategies. ... Wallwork, A., Southern, A. (2020). Chapter 4 Research Papers: Discussion, Conclusions, Review Papers. In: 100 Tips to Avoid Mistakes in Academic Writing and ...

  16. PDF Chapter 4 Research Papers: Discussion, Conclusions, Review Papers

    The Discussion is generally the hardest part of the paper to write. It is often subject to the most mistakes by the author. Most of these mistakes relate to i) not highlight-ing your key findings, ii) not differentiating your work from others, iii) writing long paragraphs, iv) not mentioning your limitations.

  17. PDF Chapter 4 Analysis and Interpretation of Research Results

    INTRODUCTION. The previous chapter outlined the research methodology. The measuring instrument was discussed and an indication was given of the method of statistical analysis. Chapter 4 investigates the inherent meaning of the research data obtained from the empirical study. Learnership perspectives, as the focal point of this study, have to be ...

  18. Analysis and Coding Example- Qualitative Data

    Step 1: Open Coding. Codes for the qualitative data are created through a line by line analysis of the comments. Codes would be based on the research questions, literature review, and theoretical perspective articulated. Numbering the lines is helpful so that the researcher can make notes regarding which comments they might like to quote in ...

  19. Research Paper

    This chapter contains presentation, interpretation and analysis of the data gathered by the researcher including the "Perception on Motivation in the New Modes of Learning of the Senior High School Students of La Patria College during the school year 2021-2022. A. Profile of the Respondents. The table below show the frequency and percentage ...

  20. Chapter 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

    Gilbas. This paper highlights the trust, respect, safety and security ratings of the community to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Province of Albay. It presents the sectoral ratings to PNP programs. The survey utilized a structured interview with 200 sample respondents from Albay coming from different sectors.

  21. Presenting Your Qualitative Analysis Findings: Tables to Include in

    To help clarify on this point, we asked our qualitative analysis experts to share their recommendations for tables to include in your Chapter 4. Demographics Tables. As with studies using quantitative methods, presenting an overview of your sample demographics is useful in studies that use qualitative research methods. The standard demographics ...

  22. PDF Chapter 4 Analysis, Presentation and Description of The Research

    4.2.1 Sample characteristics 4.2.1.1 Second year respondents The sample size was 172, and its characteristics are discussed below. • Age Table 4.1 Age distribution (n=164) How old are you? N Valid 164 Missing 8 Mean 29.4207 Std. Deviation 7.12809 Minimum 19.00 Maximum 52.00

  23. PDF CHAPTER 4 Analysis and presentation of data

    This chapter discusses the data analysis and findings from 107 questionnaires completed by adolescent mothers who visited one of the two participating well-baby clinics in the Piet Retief (Mkhondo) area during 2004. The purpose of this study was to identify factors contributing to adolescent mothers' non-utilisation of contraceptives in the area.

  24. Chapter 4 Research Findings and Discussion

    However, both men and women rank the relative importance of the four quantitative evaluation criteria in the same order: 1) developer's reputation; 2) services; 3) environment; and 4) quality of 19 fother residents. The finding that women demand higher standards than men is consistent with general impression.