Chapter 11 / 13

Research results in your thesis

In the results section of your thesis, you present the most important results of your research. It is important that you clearly and precisely show how your data answer your research questions and test the hypotheses.

Content of the results section

In this section you present the data you collected during your research. It is important that you do not interpret your results – that is done in the discussion – but only describe them. Every number, every quote or every observation should be clearly assigned to a specific research question or hypothesis.

Describe your data objectively and without judgment.
Use tables and graphs to visualize the data.
Organize the results according to their respective hypotheses or sub-questions.
Refrain from interpretations – these are made in the discussion chapter.

Quantitative research results

If you have conducted quantitative research, you present statistical data such as averages, frequency distributions or correlations. These results should be clearly structured and visually supported. Important tools are tables and diagrams that illustrate your results.

Structure your results according to hypotheses and sub-questions.
Explain the statistical methods used (e.g. regression, mean analysis).
Use diagrams to visualize important trends and relationships.

Example: You conducted a survey to measure the satisfaction of customers of an online shop. The data shows that 75% of respondents are satisfied with customer service, but only 45% of customers use the shop's mobile app. Figure 1, for example, shows that the mobile app has the lowest satisfaction rate in the 18-30 age group.

Qualitative research results

Qualitative research usually involves interviews, observations or open-ended questions in surveys. In the results of this research, you focus on describing thematic patterns, opinions and trends that you were able to identify.

Organize the results according to relevance or thematic blocks.
Use quotes from interviews or discussions to support your statements.
Describe general and recurring patterns in the responses.

Example: In a qualitative study, you conducted interviews with marketing professionals. One of the most common comments was that direct interaction with customers on social media leads to a better understanding of the brand. This statement is also reflected in the majority of responses, with "customer proximity" being mentioned as a central aspect. The quotes from the interviews illustrate this trend.

Important notes

Use the past tense to describe completed actions and results.
Don't add new information or studies – stick to your own results.
Avoid interpretations – these belong in the discussion.