Implications

This section of the study presents importance of the findings yielded from the research at a macro-level scale. It must be able to argue how the insights from the study can potentially contribute to theory and knowledge building, standards of professional practice, program and policy development and social and ethico-moral dimensions of the findings. This section is divided into six subsections, presented as one paragraph each.

Table 1

Six subsections under implications

Subsection	Guide Questions
Theory and Knowledge Building	·      What new knowledge is being offered by the current study? ·      How does the study support or refute the current theoretical frameworks and research on the topic?
Professional Practice	·      How will the insights from the current study be able to inform and improve current professional standards and practice?
Program and Policy	·      How do the insights from the current study be used to inform current programs and policies on the topic? ·      What new programs and policies can be forwarded in order to address study findings?
Creativity and Innovation	·      How can the insights from the current study foster creativity and innovation in your practice?
Socio-cultural Implications	·      What do your findings say about the community and the society where the study was conducted? ·      How can the insights from your study be used in order to improve social conditions and cultural preservation?
Ethico-moral Implications	·      Using Christian morality as a framework, what do your findings say about the ethical considerations surrounding your topic? ·      How can the insights from your study be used in order to improve ethical decision making and behavior?

Using the hypothetical example on ethical standing and buying behavior, here is an example how a subsection can be presented.

Program and Policy. As this study shows that the ethical standing of companies influence their image and consequently the patronage of consumers on their products, it is important to set up policies and ethical codes in companies that are aligned with social justice, and make sure employees adhere to these standards. Creativity and Innovation. Finding the balance between maximizing profit and adhering to ethical standards and corporate social responsibility can be difficult. This study presents a challenge to companies in order for them to be creative in creating products and campaigns that are both profit generating and ethical image building.

Recommendations

This section of the study aims to present tangible and actionable recommendations and suggestions which are based from the minor and major findings of the study, “Based from the findings, the researcher therefore recommends the following:”.

Using the same format and the same set of beneficiaries/stakeholders found in the significance of the study section in Chapter one, offer a short, one-paragraph long recommendation for each. Using the example on the Anorexia Nervosa research, the following is an example of a recommendation:

Family members of patients with anorexia nervosa. Since the findings demonstrate the importance of family as a support system for anorexia nervosa recovery, it is suggested that parents and family members of persons with the disorder become more engaged in the treatment planning, implementation and monitoring.

As in the significance of the study, the last in the recommendations list are the future researchers. Remember to suggest new research topics based on your study to explore other aspects or improve on the biases that are found in your current study.

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Conclusions

This section of the study aims to answer the general statement of the problem. It usually begins with the clause, “Based from the findings, the researcher therefore concludes the following:”.

For quantitative non-experimental research, present the results from the inferential findings in statement form. Did your study demonstrate a significant relationship/difference? Characterize that relationship or difference. No need to put numbers.

For quantitative experimental research or qualitative outcomes research, answer the question: was the intervention/treatment/product/program/service effective? Characterize that effect.

For qualitative research, present and describe concisely the superordinate themes or higher level abstraction categories which directly address the general research problem.

For mixed methods research, focus more on the integration of research strands or phases that address the general research problem.

For research with output, also give a brief description of the output.

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Summary

This section of the study reorients the reader regarding the research objective of the study and the design and process it used in order to collect and analyze the data. Then it represents in outline form the general/major findings of the study that answers each research question.

The first paragraph is a concise description of the research problem and the methods used. Include only the important details on the methods, such as the research design, research method, population and sampling and data analysis procedure. See example below:

This study sought to analyze the predictive relationship of the ethical standing of shampoo brands as perceived by adolescent consumers and their buying behavior. This is a descriptive cross-sectional correlational study surveyed 2,000 adolescents recruited from public and private universities in South Manila. Findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression.

The first paragraph is followed by an outline of the findings of the study that is patterned from the specific research questions. Composite scores and major statistical values are also presented. See example below: 

Findings of the study are as follows: ·      Majority of the respondents are female (f=1,500; 75%), 18 years old (f=1,000, 50%), studying in private schools (f=1,200; 60%), single (f=1,900; 95%) and Roman Catholic (f=1,800; 90%). ·      The weighted means on ethical standing of shampoo brands as rated by the adolescents are 3.74 for brand A, 3.56 for brand B and 3.24 for brand C. All of the brands have an ethical standing with a verbal interpretation of very high ethical standards. ·      The mean score buying behavior of the adolescents for the shampoos are as follows: brand A with 7.5 times a year; brand B with 6.89 times a year and brand C with 2 times a year. ·      For all three brands, high ethical standing positively predicts buying behavior (p<0.01).

For qualitative research, the findings section of the summary indicates the major themes and the subordinate themes, and other lower level abstraction categories under them. Below is an example from a phenomenological study by Smethurst and Kuss (2018) on the weblogs documenting the inside experience of recovering from Anorexia Nervosa.

Findings on the super-ordinate themes, subordinate themes and subcategories that emerged from the analysis of data are as follows:       1.     Barriers to recovery 1.1.Perception of others 1.1.1.     Society’s ideal 1.1.2.     Others’ behavior 1.2.Time/patience 1.3.AN identity 1.3.1.     AN voice 1.3.2.     AN as a person influencing behavior       2.     Factors increasing recovery likelihood 2.1.Regaining control 2.2.Reclaim self-identity 2.2.1.     Increased self-worth 2.2.2.     Changed values/perspective 2.3.Recognizing the consequences of the disorder (AN)       3.     Support 3.1.Professional help 3.2.Interpersonal connections 3.2.1.     Family 3.2.2.     Friendships

For mixed methods or multi-phase research, answers for each strand or phase must be presented in the outline.

For research with outputs, briefly describe the output that you have created based on the empirical findings of your research.

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