Thesis Seminar Module 13: Results & Discussion I
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Options for Organizing and Reporting Qualitative Data: Your goal is to complete the results and discussion section by May 15, 2025 (i.e., approximately 2,250 words), which will allow the following week (i.e., Monday-Thursday) to complete the abstract and conclusion paragraphs (each around 250 words). See Thesis Seminar Course Guidelines 2026.pdf.
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See Developing Body Paragraphs in Results and Discussion Section.
Thesis Seminar: Week 13 RecapThesis Seminar: Week 13 Recap - Notes
Presentation: Options for Organizing and Reporting Qualitative Data.
🎯 Understanding
Instructors will understand that…
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The Results and Discussion section is typically written as one unified section: Results (what the data shows) + Discussion (what it means).
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Clear organization (by research question, themes, chronology, cases, etc.) makes findings easier to follow and more persuasive.
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Strong Results/Discussion writing balances evidence (quotes, observations, counts, visuals) with analysis (interpretation, implications, links to literature).
🎯 Language Objective
Students will be able to…
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Distinguish between results and discussion in sample excerpts and label each accurately.
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Draft 2–4 Level II subsection headings for their own Results & Discussion section and justify the organizing principle.
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Write a MEAL-style paragraph that presents results first and then discusses/interprets those results (with at least one citation/connection to the literature review).
🎯 Vocabulary
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results (findings; what you found)
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discussion (interpretation; what it means)
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evidence (data extract, quote, frequency, observation)
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analysis / interpretation
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implication
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theme (coding category)
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subsection / heading (Level II heading)
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triangulation
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compare / contrast with literature