RESEARCH GUIDE
Presenting Dissertation Results
Chapter Order, Tables and Effect Sizes
A results chapter works when a reader can follow each research question to its estimate, its interval and its table without hunting. The order of the findings, the layout of the tables and the effect sizes shown decide how easily they are checked.
THE STATISTICAL CHAPTER
What the Results Chapter Has to Carry
These five points are the statistical content a committee examines, and each can be settled from the saved analysis output.
Presenting dissertation results means setting out what the analysis found in an order that follows the research questions, with tables that carry the estimates, intervals and sample sizes behind each statement, and with the explanation of why results occurred left to the discussion. The chapter, its argument and its conclusions remain the researcher’s. OnlineSPSS, a specialist statistical consultancy for academic, clinical and professional research, supports the statistical component through an in-house PhD-level statistician: the analysis plan, the analysis, and the statistical results and their reporting.
Order of the Chapter A results chapter layout that works moves from the sample, with the flow of participants and missing data, to the checks that bear on the analysis, then to the primary result for each research question in the order asked. Secondary and exploratory analyses follow under their own labels.
Layout of the Tables Dissertation results tables usually carry the sample size, the estimate, its interval, the test statistic and the effect size in one row per result. Decimals are consistent, notes explain abbreviations, and APA 7 or your program's style guide sets the format. The text states the finding in words and points to the table.
Effect Sizes and Intervals Each result gives the effect size suited to its test, with a confidence interval, next to the exact p-value. Magnitude is judged against what is meaningful in the field, and a verbal label such as small or large is justified, not borrowed from a default cutoff.
Figures and Wording A figure earns its place when it shows what a table cannot, such as a distribution or an interaction, and it carries intervals. Wording follows the design: association is described as association, and causal verbs are kept for designs that support them.
Traceability to the Output Every reported number should trace to a saved table, and any change in the sample across analyses is explained, usually by missing data. Analyses planned but not carried out, or added later, are stated. For support with the statistical content of the chapter itself, see Dissertation Results Section Support.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions About the Results Chapter
A committee checks a results chapter faster when two small decisions are settled early: how many tables to use and which estimate leads.
How many tables should a results chapter contain?
As many as the research questions need, and no more: one table can serve a family of related models, while a single estimate is better stated in the text. Start with a table describing the sample, then one table for each main question or set of related analyses. Supporting detail, such as full model output or extra checks, can go to an appendix, with the chapter pointing to it.
Should adjusted and unadjusted estimates both appear in the results?
Often yes: the estimate from the planned model is the main result, and an unadjusted estimate beside it shows how much the covariates changed the picture. Both carry intervals, the covariates are listed in a table note, and the text names which estimate answers the research question. The covariates themselves come from the analysis plan, not from whichever set gives the clearest result.
How do you protect my research data and confidentiality?
Your dissertation materials and project details are handled confidentially. Project information is not published, and researcher names and institutions are not used publicly without permission. An NDA is available where required and can be arranged before sensitive materials are shared. Read more about confidentiality and data security.
What happens when I request an assessment, and how long does it take?
You share your research question, design and relevant materials, such as a protocol, an analysis plan or a dataset, and a statistically trained Research Coordinator reviews the request and responds the same day. The analysis, deliverables, timeline and one fixed project fee are then confirmed before any work begins, so the timeline follows from the agreed scope.
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NEXT STEP
Does Each Finding
Lead Back to Its Table?
Results that carry their estimate, interval and sample size are the ones a committee can check readily, and the statistical content of your chapter can be reviewed against the saved output before it is submitted.
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