Writing the Results Chapter of a Quantitative Dissertation

By Dr. Amanda R., PhD in Clinical Psychology. Reviewed by Dr. James W.. 2025-10-22.

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Key takeaways

• Present findings objectively, save interpretation for the discussion chapter
• Follow a logical order: data screening, descriptives, then inferential analyses
• Organize inferential results by research question or hypothesis
• Always report effect sizes alongside statistical significance
• Use APA-formatted tables for complex data and figures for visual patterns
• State clearly whether each hypothesis was supported or not

Structuring Your Results Chapter

The results chapter of a quantitative dissertation presents your findings objectively, without interpretation. Think of it as a detailed, organized report of what your data reveals. Interpretation comes in Chapter 5 (Discussion).

A well-structured results chapter typically follows this order: data screening and cleaning procedures, assessment of statistical assumptions, descriptive statistics (sample demographics and variable descriptions), then inferential analyses organized by research question or hypothesis.

Begin with a brief introduction that reminds readers of your research questions and the statistical tests used to address each one. This creates a roadmap that makes the chapter easier to follow, especially when you have multiple hypotheses.

Presenting Descriptive Statistics

Descriptive statistics characterize your sample and variables. Start with a demographics table showing the composition of your sample: frequencies and percentages for categorical variables (gender, ethnicity, education level) and means and standard deviations for continuous demographic variables (age, years of experience).

Present descriptive statistics for all study variables in a summary table: variable names, sample sizes, means, standard deviations, ranges, and skewness/kurtosis values. This table allows readers to understand your data's characteristics at a glance.

Include correlation matrices when your analyses involve multiple continuous variables. This shows the bivariate relationships among your variables and helps readers understand the data structure before you present more complex analyses.

Reporting Inferential Statistics

For each research question or hypothesis, present: the statistical test performed and why, whether assumptions were met (and what you did if they weren't), the test results with all relevant statistics, and a clear statement of whether the hypothesis was supported.

Use APA format for statistical reporting. For t-tests: t(df) = value, p = value, d = value. For ANOVA: F(df between, df within) = value, p = value, η² = value. For regression: report the overall model (R², F, p) and individual predictors (B, β, t, p) in a table.

Always report effect sizes alongside significance levels. Statistical significance tells you whether an effect likely exists; effect sizes tell you how large the effect is. Include 95% confidence intervals when possible. This provides more information than p-values alone.

Use tables for complex numerical data and figures (charts, graphs) to illustrate patterns and relationships visually. Number and title each table and figure according to APA format, and reference each one in the text.