How to Write Results for a Qualitative Study

Once you have completed your qualitative analysis, you are ready to write your results. These might come in the form of a report, a journal manuscript, a book or a thesis. Choose the format that best meets your audience's needs. Remember to highlight the most novel and interesting findings of your research.

Instructions

    • 1

      Create an outline for your paper, including the following sections: background, methods, results, discussion and conclusion.

    • 2

      Set the stage for your results with a good introduction. Provide an overview of the existing literature relevant to your subject, including your own previous work on the topic. At the end of this section, state the objective of this particular study.

    • 3

      Detail the "how" of your study in the methods section. Explain how you recruited participants or selected locations. Provide some detail about how you collected the data, for example using a survey, focus groups or observation.

    • 4

      Present your results one at a time using sub-headings to create separate sections for each theme that you identified during your analysis phase.

    • 5

      Provide some basic descriptive statistics under each theme, such as how many participants identified this particular issue. Then elaborate on the theme in your own words and with quotes from participants in your study (if available).

    • 6

      Elaborate on your findings in the discussion section. Describe why you think you found what you did. Link your findings with previous studies and your own understanding of the situation that you observed.

    • 7

      Comment on the limitations of the study in the discussion section. For example, if the study participants were not randomly sampled or the study findings only apply to a particular group.

    • 8

      Sum up your findings and their implications for the real world in your conclusion. You may use this section to take a strong stance and call for action or more research on the topic.

    • 9

      Ensure that you have cited your sources well in your bibliography.

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