Interpreting Empirical Findings

Many scholars in the social and natural sciences describe their research findings in a chapter entitled "Findings" or "Results". They then include a "Discussion" or "Interpreting Results" chapter in which they restate key findings and interpret them. However, in some scientific disciplines, it may be conventional to provide an interpretation immediately after the results in an amalgamated section that might be called 'Results & Discussion'. Here, we will focus on common language patterns writers use when interpreting their own empirical findings, as well as the findings of others.

"Interpreting Empirical Findings" typically involves:

  • Indicating if a finding is similar to other findings (e.g. either your own, or those presented in other literature)
  • Indicating if a finding is different from other findings (i.e. either your own, or those presented in other literature)
  • Explaining a finding (e.g. why a finding occurred, or hypothesising if it was expected or unexpected)

Oxford Interpreting Findings Examples

Please follow the links below to examples of Oxford students interpreting findings in their research:

Examples

Key Points

Often, writers will highlight an important finding and comment on that finding in a single paragraph or in a suite of connected paragraphs before providing an interim conclusion in the form of a "key point".  Put another way, the writer puts forward smaller observations, which add up to a "key point": a one sentence, or one paragraph, conclusion to a section that (often) provides an important generalisation that the writer wants the reader to remember going forward. Writers will often foreshadow their key points in the abstract or introduction section of their study, and summarise and comment on them in a final conclusion. For an example of how a Key Point is constructed within the writing of an Oxford student please see: MPLS Discussion Example

Organising Empirical Chapters

Below is a possible organisational pattern for structuring a chapter in which empirical findings are interpreted:

Move 1: Review Introductory Content

1.1 Restate aims
1.2 Restate methods
1.3 Restate research question
1.4 Refer back to the literature

Move 2: Introduce or Restate Key Findings

(Possibly discuss how it answers research questions)

Move 3: Exploring Individual Findings

3.1 Introduce/Restate a specific method and/or a finding
3.2 Indicate if expected / similar to (an)other finding(s) / supported by literature
3.3 Indicate if unexpected / different from (an)other finding(s) / unsupported by literature
3.4 Justification for Steps 3.2 or 3.3 (e.g. linking to theory/literature)

Move 4: State Key Point

(Optional) Move 5: Make Claims about Possible Future Research

(Optional) Move 6: Claim on the Contribution of your Research

Oxford Empirical Discussion Examples

Please follow the links below an example of an empirical Discussion chapter that utilises the model above:

Examples

 

 

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