Whoever said that you do not need to follow a structure or format for the data analysis section is fooling you. There are strict guidelines for writing the data analysis chapter of the dissertation as there are for other chapters. There is an introduction, a body copy, a conclusion and appendix.
Moreover, there is a complete process to be followed for writing this chapter. First, you will clean the data and find any gaps that are present in the data bank that you have. If there, is some detail which is missing, then you will have to arrange it before you can start working on the research report. Similarly, all frivolous data, not relevant for the research, are removed. If these details are present in the dissertation, they will confuse the writer as well as the reviewer. Taking Dissertation Statistics Help for making sense of the data and cleaning it will ensure a hassle free analysis.
You will have to arrange the data, which is a part of the data management process. The data is presented in such a form that it is easy for readers to understand and facilitates data analysis. This is followed by application of the selected statistical tools, formation of modules and interpretation of the results. All these tasks are divided as per the following format:
- Introduction: It contains the summary of the data and tells the core issue being dealt. If there are any validity issues, they will be mentioned here. A brief outline of the expected results of the analysis is given.
- Body of chapter:The main body, related to data analysis, can be formatted in two ways. The traditional technique is to divide the chapter as:
- Ø Data
- Ø Analysis
- Ø Results
Another method is the question oriented technique. Here, all the issues raised in the research are stated one by one. For instance, if a study revolves around the performance of a team of managers, the sections will be divided as – what are the parameters for measuring performance, what are the deliverables and deadlines, how has the team applied management theories? Under each question, the details like the data being studied, statistical analysis and results will be stated. When you have access to statistics help offered by PhD statisticians, applying the tests and making the modules will be easy.
- Conclusion and discussion: In this section of the data analysis chapter, you will state the results and interpret them. Then the outcome is related to the objectives to see if a condition is being met or the goals are being achieved through the research.
- Appendix: This is the additional section, where the researcher is supposed to provide the details related to the work. These details comprise of the technical aspects of the statistical programs adopted for the analysis, exhaustive tables or computer generated results, coding that will help in understanding the analysis and graphs which are not there in the main body.
This format must be followed even when you are working on the dissertation proposal statistics section since the proposal is a blueprint of the actual report.