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» Processing findings
» Drawing out implications
As part of reflecting on what your findings mean, you need to draw out the implications of your
findings for the field itself and/ or societies. In longer theses, it is usual to situate findings in
the contexts of past and future research. Contextualising your findings within previous
research helps readers to grasp the significance of your research - how your research builds
on, and contributes to knowledge. It is also common to see somewhere in PhD Conclusions
'Recommendations for future research' whereby the study's limitations are acknowledged and
are presented in a more positive light: what you have learnt can pave the way for future
research. Ask yourself these questions.
To what extent do my findings align with those of other scholars, in what precise
ways, and if not why not?
If certain findings suggest a need for further research, what might this consist of
and how might such research extend or improve the current state of knowledge in
my field?
Are there any practical implications (e.g. policy implications) that I need to
specifically address?
A research implication is the logical connection between a condition and
its outcome. Before you write an implication on a research paper, take
your time to go back and read the significance of the study. What
potential did you think the data may provide when you were proposing
your study? Now that you have your data, has your perspective
changed? You should consider these themes on your implication
section. Step back and remember the problems you aligned to the
purpose, which led to your research questions then, methodology.
Practical Implication
Moreover, try as much as possible to be realistic in your description of
what the results of your study might imply. You don’t want to overstate
it. Also be sure that you don’t keep recommendations for future
research out of the implication body.
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