Quantitative Results: Test for Relationships

(click to enlarge)

Note 1: even the hypotheses that were not rejected (not significant difference) should also be analyzed. The analysis can be either or both of the following: (1) literature that support the lack of significance, and; (2) a characteristic or flaw in the study design that could have been the source of the lack of significance.

Note 2: there is no specific rule on the length of discussion for the analysis of each result. However, it is generally understood that the more comprehensive the discussion of analysis, the better.

Quantitative Results: Test of Differences

(click to enlarge)

Note 1: even the hypotheses that were not rejected (not significant difference) should also be analyzed. The analysis can be either or both of the following: (1) literature that support the lack of significance, and; (2) a characteristic or flaw in the study design that could have been the source of the lack of significance.

Note 2: there is no specific rule on the length of discussion for the analysis of each result. However, it is generally understood that the more comprehensive the discussion of analysis, the better.

Quantitative Results: Mean and Measures of Spread

(click to enlarge)

Note 1: If the variable’s instrument does not suggest a verbal interpretation for the scores, replace the last column with the range of lowest to highest possible score. For example:

Table 1

Mean scores for psychological distress

Sub-scales of psychological distress	Mean	SD	Range of Possible Scores
Anxiety	32.20	3.22	9-54
Depression	12.61	2.11	4-23
Loss of Behavioral/ Emotional Control	26.82	1.23	9-53
TOTAL	3.75	0.11

Note 2: Make sure that all the new literature you have mentioned in Chapter 3 must be included in the review of related literature section in Chapter 1.

Quantitative Results: Frequency and Percentage

(click to enlarge)

Chapter 3: Results and Discussion

This chapter reports the results of the study and presents the researcher’s interpretation and analysis of the findings. You must first write a one paragraph introduction to the chapter, and the proceed in answering in detail the research questions in your statement of the problem. Generally, the flow of the results and discussion section is as follows:

1.     Identifying the research problem/question being addressed. Each research question is a subheading.

2.     Presenting the results in tabular form (may not be applicable in certain qualitative designs).

3.     Presenting the result in graphical form (only applicable in very rare occasions; only use graphs only when it would provide more insights than tables). Label graphs as figures.

4.     Presenting the results in textual form.

5.     Sharing of researcher’s insights about the findings (if applicable).

6.     Analyzing and comparing results with published literature.

a.     You may indicate previous research whose findings are similar to a specific result in your study.

b.     You may indicate previous research whose findings are inconsistent to and negate your results.

c.     You may indicate previous research that attempt to explain your findings.

d.     The more literature you use to support your findings and insights, the better. Make sure that the presentation of multiple literature is summarized, so that the analysis does not overwhelm your actual results.

 (and then when all research questions have been answered)

7.     Integrating all findings and relating them with each other.

8.     Making a grand discussion of all the findings, compared and analyzed with published literature under the subheading “discussion.”

Remember, that for quantitative research, the presentation of findings varies in terms of nature of variable and statistical treatment used.

For qualitative research, the design influences how the findings will be presented.

For mixed methods, multiple-phase research studies and triangulated studies, integration of findings is a MUST.

The following sections of this manual will present recommended formats of how to answer common forms of research questions (note: the examples are hypothetical and were created for illustration purposes).

.. 

Ethical Considerations

This section explains the ethical dimension of the study. The following are the subsections of this part:

1.     Justify your competence and credibility as a principal investigator. Also, justify the competence of other members in the team.

2.     Identification of vulnerability of population (if applicable).

a.     Declare which population is vulnerable.

b.     Explain why these research participants can be considered vulnerable.

c.     Protective measures to be undertaken by the research team to address vulnerability.

d.     Properly cite sources for your claims.

3.     Identification of risks

a.     Identify the risks to participants involved (one risk = one paragraph).

b.     Categorize whether the risks involved is physical, psychological, social or economic.

c.     Categorize whether the risks are minimal, moderate or high.

d.     Categorize whether the risks have low or high probability.

e.     Explain in detail how the research will address these risks to offer utmost protection for the participants.

f.      Properly cite sources for your claims.

4.     Identification of benefits: what will each individual participant, his/her community or organization, and society get from my research?

5.     Autonomy (prior, free, informed consent process).

a.     Explain briefly the informed consent process (parental consent and child’s assent for subjects that are minors).

b.     Indicate how you will ensure full disclosure, full comprehension and voluntariness in securing consent.

c.     For community based research, also explain the full process of acquiring social license to participate (entrée).

d.     Explain the general parts of your informed consent form (indicate appendix where the ICF can be found). Also, indicate whether there are multiple versions and language for the ICF.

e.     Explain your intentions to do covert observations and withholding of full consent and justify the scientific merits of these process. Also, justify that there will be no risk in withholding information or consent.

f.      Properly cite sources for your claims.

6.     Data protection plan

a.     Explain the procedures that you will undertake in order to maintain the privacy of the participant.

b.     Explain in detail how you will keep information de-identified (anonymized) and confidential.

c.     Explain where, how and how long you will store your data.

d.     Explain security measures and identify the personnel who will have access to the data.

e.     Explain how you will encrypt and protect digital data.

f.      Explain data destruction process.

g.     Properly cite sources for your claims.

7.     Justice

a.     Explain how equitable treatment for each participant will be achieved.

b.     Explain the specific details of compensation (cash or kind) to be received by the participant.

8.     Declaration of conflict(s) of interest, affiliations and financial interests of any research team member to the study.

..