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A Guide to Logistical/Ethical Considerations in Thesis/Dissertation Writing

4-minute read

• 14th May 2023

Why include a section on logistical/ethical considerations in your thesis/dissertation?

Ethical and logistical considerations are the guidelines that marshal your research practices and activities. With so many necessary steps to planning your dissertation , it may be tempting to dash off your logistical and ethical considerations section. However, don’t make that mistake! Including a thorough section on logistical and ethical considerations in your thesis shows that you have carefully considered your research plan, from the ethical implications of your research findings to the impact of performing the study itself.

And above all else, not providing well-thought-out ethical and logistical considerations in your research plan could derail your entire dissertation and have other grave consequences . But not to worry! Here, we offer a step-by-step guide to writing your logistical and ethical considerations section so that you can tick another essential item off your thesis checklist .

Steps for creating a logistical/ethical considerations section

• Clarify your ethical and logistical principles.

Your ethical and logistical principles will depend on many factors, such as research topic, fieldwork, and the possibility of direct interaction with vulnerable populations.

However, several overarching research principles are always helpful to remember. For example, the Belmont Report lists three often invoked principles: respect for persons, beneficence (i.e., maximize potential benefits to research subjects and minimize potential harm), and justice (i.e., people should be treated fairly). However, many other principles exist (and we offer a few other frequently cited principles below that might apply to your research).

If you haven’t done so already, discuss the ramifications of your dissertation work from an ethical standpoint with your adviser, who may bring up concerns that you’ve overlooked. You should also check with your organization’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) to confirm that there are no policies you need to be aware of.

• Evaluate each step of your research plan, as well as its potential risks and implications, and plan how you will ensure the ethical treatment of all persons involved.

Now that you have clarified your ethical and logistical principles, go through each stage of your research plan and consider the ethical impact of each step. Come up with a systematic plan to make sure that you’re protecting the ethical standards you’ve laid out for each one of the people affected by your research.

• Record your practices thoroughly and carefully during your research.

During the course of your study, keep detailed records of how you made sure the practices that address the ethical and logistical considerations were completed.

For example, if you should be obtaining verbal consent before conducting an interview, maintain a system to record that the consent was received.

Or, if it’s necessary to keep your digital data secure, be sure to make a note of the hardware and software you use. Plenty of online templates can help you keep these details organized.

• Write the ethical and logistical considerations section.

If you’ve kept detailed records, writing up your ethical and logistical considerations should be a straightforward process. It’s more common these days to see a section devoted to research ethics in dissertation structures .

Once again, check with your adviser to make sure you follow the proper protocol when you add your section on ethical and logistical considerations to your dissertation.

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Potential ethical and logistical considerations

This is not a comprehensive list, but here are a few more common ethical and logistical considerations that may apply to your research work:

●  Informed consent : Participants should be able to voluntarily join the study and know what the study is about and what the implications of the work are.

●  Anonymity, confidentiality, and data protection : Participants should have a reasonable expectation that their confidential data will remain private.

●  Nondiscrimination : You should avoid discrimination on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or any other factor.

●  Social responsibility : Research should contribute to the common good.

Following the four steps outlined in this post will help you write an ethical and logistical considerations section in your dissertation:

1. Define your principles

2. Evaluate the risks and implications of each stage of your research

3. Record your practices carefully

4. Write up your considerations in the appropriate format for the dissertation.

Although ethical considerations vary from study to study, our guide should get you through another step in writing your thesis! Remember to include enough time for editing and proofreading your dissertation , and if you’re interested in some help from us, you can try a sample of our services for free . Good luck writing your dissertation!

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Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, research ethics.

As an investigator be sure to protect your research subjects and follow ethical standards. As a consumer of research, be mindful of when investigators may be exaggerating results, making claims that exceed the authority of a research method, misrepresenting findings, or plagiarizing.

Research ethics are the moral principles and practices that guide how researchers work with information (especially data/texts), human subjects, and animals.

Since 1947, following the publication of the Nuremberg Code , governments (e.g., see Canada ) and professional organizations (e.g., see American Psychological Association) have created ethical codes of conduct to protect research subjects and society.

Since 1964, following the publication of the Declaration of Helsinki , investigators working with human subjects have been required to write an IRB Board in the U.S. or an Ethics Committee in the European Union before any research is conducted.

Research ethics and moral principles are a major concern across academic disciplines, professions, and consumers. Governments, hospitals, universities, and professional organizations have robust policies that guide how investigators work with texts, other humans, and animals, including

• policies for conducting research, such as prohibitions against plagiarism, misrepresentation of data, or fabrication of data
• policies for collaboration, authorship, peer review
• policies for protecting human subjects or animals involved in studies
• policies to account for, avoid, or ameliorate conflicts of interest
• policies for illustrating the value of funded research from governments, foundations, think tanks, and other organizations.

Even so, problems with research ethics endure.

Sometimes investigators cheat and engage in unethical behavior. Politics, economic interests, corporate interests, personal interests — these factors and more are associated with unethical behavior.

And sometimes investigators may not even be conscious that they are acting unethically. People can be unaware of their own confirmation bias, their tendency to ignore disconfirming evidence and selectively seek out evidence that confirms their thesis or research question .

Consumers of research are wise to consider ethics when weighing a study’s truth claims .

[ The CRAAP Test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) ]

In 2009, Dr. Daniele Fanelli, a professor at The University of Edinburgh, conducted a meta analysis of 21 surveys that explored how frequently scientists fabricate, falsify or cook data. Remarkably, she discovered that 33.7% of the scientists surveyed admitted to questionable research practices. When discussing the work of colleagues they assumed 14.12% of scientists falsified data and 72% engaged in questionable research practices:

it is likely that, if on average 2% of scientists admit to have falsified research at least once and up to 34% admit other questionable research practices, the actual frequencies of misconduct could be higher than this. Fanelli, Daniele (5/29/09). How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survey Data . PLOS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0005738

For researchers, research ethics and moral principles are not an ornamental feature, an afterthought. Rather, ethical considerations form the foundation of research protocols , guiding the selection of research methods, the techniques used to gather and interpret data, and the ways data are interpreted and represented in research reports.

Examples of Research Ethics

To learn more about research ethics and moral principles, review the following ethical codes:

• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Singapore Statement on Research Integrity
• American Chemical Society, The Chemist Professional’s Code of Conduct
• Code of Ethics (American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science)
• American Psychological Association, Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
• Statement on Professional Ethics (American Association of University Professors)
• World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki
• International ethical guidelines for biomedical research involving human subjects
• International ethical guidelines for epidemiological studies
• European Group on Ethics
• Directive 2001/20/ec of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Council of Europe (Oviedo Convention – Protocol on biomedical research)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Fanelli, Daniele (5/29/09). How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survey Data . PLOS ONE, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0005738

Related Articles:

Human subjects research, informed consent, irb (institutional review board), ethics committee, suggested edits.

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Be aware of the moral principles and practices that inform research with human subjects.

Informed Consent is a legal and ethical requirement for research studies engaged in human subjects research.

Prior to conducting research involving human subjects, be sure to seek approval from an IRB (Institional Review Board) or Ethics Committee.

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School of Social and Political Science

Dissertation research - ethics requirements.

All research carried out by members of the School, including undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation projects, are subject to ethical review procedures. The ethics review process is designed to support researchers in managing risks associated with their research, and to ensure the highest professional standards in designing, conducting and disseminating research.

What do I need to do?

Before you begin your undergraduate dissertation, you will need to complete the self-assessment ethics review form. This is an online form you can access at:

• Ethics form  (EASE login required)

On page 1 of the form, you will be asked to specify your supervisor and/or course organiser. For students completing the form for their UG dissertation, it is important that you list your supervisor here. If your supervisor does not appear in the drop-down list, please select  specify someone not in the list  and add in their details.

All of the questions you are asked on the form will be directly related to the type of research you will be undertaking and so it should be a straightforward form to complete.

You will be able to save your form at any point, so if there is a question you are unsure of, you can save your form and ask your supervisor for guidance. You can then resume completing your form by accessing it at:

• Ethics form  

Once you have submitted your ethics form, your supervisor will be in touch via email, so please keep an eye on your student email account for any correspondence. You should check your Clutter and Junk folders in case any of the communications are sent there. If for any reason you need to update, revise or check the status of your form, you can login to review.

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Ethical Considerations – Types & Examples

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Ethical considerations are integral to academic writing, particularly in shaping the methodology and conduct of research. They ensure that the research is reliable, credible, and conducted with respect for all involved parties. In designing the methodology for a study, it is paramount to account for these ethical considerations, as they underpin the trustworthiness of the academic discourse.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Ethical Considerations – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Ethical considerations
• 3 Why are ethical considerations necessary?
• 4 Ethical considerations: Types of ethical issues
• 5 Ethical Considerations: The danger of unethical practices

Ethical Considerations – In a Nutshell

• Ethical considerations are a crucial element of viable research .
• Disregarding ethical concerns can cause severe repercussions .
• Researchers must always uphold ethical considerations in the field as a basic condition for scientific research.

Definition: Ethical considerations

Ethical considerations in research refer to guidelines and principles which researchers must adhere to as they conduct their research. Research often involves face-to-face interaction with people as researchers study behaviors and test the effects of certain phenomena on a target population . Ethical considerations dictate the nature of such interactions to ensure research is done per the set rules and principles.

Why are ethical considerations necessary?

Ethical considerations are important because they promote research objectives , including avoidance of error, truth, and knowledge. Ethical considerations prohibit false interpretations and misrepresentation of facts in deriving conclusions from any research undertaking.

Furthermore, ethical considerations are necessary to promote trust , collaboration , and mutual respect since research usually involves cooperation between researchers and people from different dispositions. A cohesive environment fostered by ethical considerations ensures all the parties involved throughout the research can exchange responses and ideas for successful research undertaking in the following ways:

• Safeguarding the rights of the participants: It is vital to ensure that the rights of the participants are not violated in any way. Failure to respect the rights of research participants often leads to misleading information or hostility in some instances.
• Promote research validity: Going against ethical considerations through coercion or deliberately misleading research participants invalidates the research findings. Any evidence of misconduct during research may render your findings unusable and attract penalties.
• Protecting scientific integrity: Science aims to solve some of humanity’s most complex problems. Researchers should be guided by ethical considerations to collect data and propose useful findings used in policy making.

Ethical considerations also promote public participation in adoption of policies informed by research. Lack of adherence to ethical considerations may cause backlash from the public and inhibit efforts to create policies around known research undertakings. Additionally, ethical considerations help to hold researchers accountable for their methods during the research.

Ethical considerations: Types of ethical issues

Researchers should observe the following ethical considerations throughout their research:

Voluntary participation

Researchers should ensure no participants are coerced into participating in a study. Voluntary participation is a vital principle of ethics in research as it ensures every research participant does so as a personal decision. This is particularly relevant in “captive” populations such as prisons and institutions where the participants may be wrongfully mandated to participate in research studies.

Anonymity in research means that the identity of research participants should be kept secret by ensuring responses cannot be linked back to specific respondents. It can also imply that no personal identification details such as names and residential addresses are collected during the initial stages of the research.

Potential for harm

Potential for harm implies potential physical or emotional injury and other inconveniences that may arise from a subject’s participation in research. Researchers must fully disclose the potential risks associated with a study before any engagement with the research participants. The element of risk is usually captured in the consent form, which outlines the potential risks and the procedures in place for each.

Informed consent

Informed consent is one of the pillars of ethics in research. It is closely associated with voluntary participation, which implies participants should join a research case of their own volition with full disclosure from the research team. Consent must be obtained prospectively, and no undue influence should be exerted on the respondents. Informed consent may be given in writing or given orally.

Confidentiality

Most research projects involve the collection of personal data. Researchers must ensure the research participants’ identities and responses are protected. Confidentiality is important in studies such as health research, where a breach of confidence could stigmatize participants known to suffer from an ailment. Researchers should ensure that no one outside the research team can access respondents’ confidential information unless otherwise required by legal bodies.

Results communication

Communication of research results may raise ethical issues. Researchers are responsible for ensuring that they communicate their results honestly and credibly. Plagiarism is one of the most widespread ethical concerns in scientific research where researchers unlawfully present other people’s work as their own.

Ethical Considerations: The danger of unethical practices

Unethical research practices invalidate the research findings and cause grave physical, social, and psychological harm to the research participants. One of the most infamous cases of blatant ethical misconduct was the syphilis experiment of the 1940s carried out in Tuskegee, US.

The disease affected at least 1 in 10 Americans, and the government soon flagged syphilis as a national pandemic. Medical experts identified unprotected sex as the major avenue for transmission, although studies also showed that it could be transmitted during childbirth. Researchers propose two main research questions:

• Did late-stage syphilis excuse the risks of prevailing treatments?
• Was race a factor in the progression of the disease?

Initially, the research examined the progression of syphilis with minimal treatment in black men with late-stage non-contagious syphilis. However, the medications were replaced with placebos administered through invasive spinal taps to test the neurological effects of the disease. When the participants died, the PHS would use their bodies to “further their research.”

In today’s circumstances, the complete disregard for ethical principles, in this case, is appalling, but fortunately, it has set the foundation for ethical considerations.

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Why are ethical considerations important?

Ethical considerations are important to protect research participants . They also ensure research findings are credible , honest , and valid .

What is the difference between anonymity and confidentiality in research?

Anonymity refers to the actions undertaken by the researcher to ensure the participants’ identity cannot be linked to their responses . Confidentiality refers to the measures taken to ensure no one outside the research team knows the participants’ identities .

What is informed consent in research?

Informed consent is one of the most important ethical considerations. It means that research participants must agree to participate with full information and without undue influence.

What is research misconduct?

It refers to the manipulation and falsification of data in research. It is an adverse ethical matter as it may damage scientific credibility and an institution’s integrity.

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Social Sciences School of Law

Research ethics.

At Warwick, there is a comprehensive ethical scrutiny process to ensure that all research involving human participants, their data and/or tissue, addresses relevant ethical considerations and is subject to appropriate ethical review. Ethical scrutiny is required to protect the rights, safety, dignity and well-being of research participants, to safeguard the researchers conducting the study, and to maintain the research reputation of the university.

PLEASE READ THE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CODE OF PRACTICE This sets out the University's guiding principles and standards of good practice in research across all subject disciplines and fields of study in the University. It applies to all those undertaking research on the University’s premises using its facilities, or on behalf of the University, including staff, students, visiting or emeritus staff, associates, honorary or clinical contract holders, contractors and consultants.

Your research will require ethical scrutiny if it involves collection of individual-level information relating to human subjects (including, in some circumstances, deceased human subjects) or if it brings you into an environment where you will have contact with children or vulnerable adults (even if they are not research participants) or if the collection of data involves any risks to your safety as the researcher, or to the safety of any other person involved in the research.

Collection of data used to be covered by the Data Protection Act 1998 but this was replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation on 25th May 2018 and Data Protection Act 2018. The University is committed to compliance with both.

'Personal data' means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person. Information relating to a living identifiable person includes expression of opinon about or intentions towards that person.

'Special categories of personal data' may include information about an individual's racial or ethnic origin; political opinions, trade union status, religious beliefs, health or sexual life, or biometric data.

You have individual responsibility for the proper storage and disposal of data.

Where research data is electronic it must be stored securely on Warwick servers. Any hard-copy research data must be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the supervisor’s office.

Personal data should not be kept for any longer than is necessary. E.g. If email addresses are collected in order to send a summary of study results out, once the summary has been sent the email addresses should be destroyed, paper documentation should be shredded

Your research will not require ethical scrutiny where you are engaged in purely literature-based research or documentary analysis, or using previously existing datasets where individual-level information is not provided, or using historical records that do not contain individual-level data. If in doubt, you must consult your adviser/supervisor, or the department’s nominated ethics adviser. The burden of responsibility for seeking the necessary scrutiny and approval lies on you .

Graduate and undergraduate students

Every student who embarks upon the writing of: (1) an undergraduate dissertation or other research project (for example, URSS projects); (2) a postgraduate dissertation within the framework of the taught Master’s Degree programmes; and (3) postgraduate thesis work, is required, as part of their obligatory research training, to complete the standard form furnished by HSSREC in relation to their particular research topic. This should be done at the outset of the research project. While you are advised to undertake the full version of of Research Integrity online training course (Epigeum), the concise version of Epigeum must be completed prior to the application for ethics approval . It is also recommended that you undertake any other relevant induction training found on the central welcome hub . Details about your access to the online training course are available here Link opens in a new window .

Please read the Economic and Social Research Council Ethics Framework Link opens in a new window . The principal aim of the ethics review is, as far as possible, to protect all groups involved in research: participants, institutions, funders and researchers throughout the lifetime of the research and into the dissemination process.

Approval is normally done within the department under rules approved by the university's Humanities & Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC), more information can be found here Link opens in a new window . Guidelines for student research can also be found here Link opens in a new window .

Forms to be submitted to gain clearance both through HSSREC and the Law School are available here Link opens in a new window .

Please also note that projects which may have security risks will always have to be considered by HSSREC rather than within the department.

Ethical review must take place before any participant recruitment or fieldwork commences. It is recommended that ethical approval is sought as soon as possible. Normally, this will take place at the latest:

• At the point at which your dissertation proposal is put forward for acceptance by the department (for undergraduate and taught LLM dissertations, and LLMs by research).
• During the upgrade process (for PhD students).

In order to facilitate an early ethical scrutiny of fieldwork research proposals, the Law School has adopted a Research Ethics Protocol , adherence to which is now a requirement. Click on the link to read it. It has been amended to clarify the issue of retention. You should read and act in accordance with the Protocol.

Postgraduate students - please note: in exceptional cases it may be necessary for full ethical scrutiny to be conducted by HSSREC prior to approval being granted. You should be aware of the schedule of HSSREC meetings and allow sufficient time for your application to be (1) reviewed by the department and, if necessary, (2) referred to HSSREC before you commence participant recruitment or fieldwork. In cases where this procedure is necessary, we strongly recommend you to submit your application not less than four weeks before the next scheduled HSSREC meeting.

PhD students and those undertaking LLMs by research are advised to submit their application using the prescribed HSSREC form for standard or expedited approval, as appropriate Link opens in a new window . Also available are a Participant Information Sheet template and a template Consent Form .

Students on taught LLMs or undergraduate awards whose dissertations involve human subject research should include a section on research ethics as an appendix to their proposal form. As a matter of formality the proposal should also include a completed standard prescribed HSSREC Form. This must demonstrate that you have considered the ethical needs and implications of your research and taken appropriate steps to ensure that:

• Informed consent will be obtained from research participants, (where appropriate, you should include the proposed informed consent statement you intend to use).
• Data confidentiality and data protection issues have been properly addressed.
• Steps have been taken assure the wellbeing of any children or vulnerable adults involved in the research, and any necessary CRB checks have been completed.
• Where appropriate, that your safety and the safety of any research participants is properly assured.
• Any other relevant issues of research ethics have been considered.

This appendix does not count towards the normal word limit for your proposal.

The Law School’s current nominated Ethics Advisor is:

You are welcome to contact them for advice and information in preparing your application. Applications for departmental-level ethics approval should be submitted to them via e-mail, which you can find by click on their profile above.

The University's Research and Impact Services (RIS) Link opens in a new window provide a fuller account of university policies and procedures Link opens in a new window for ethical scrutiny and approval, including a Warwick code of conduct, a statement on the ethical conduct of research, and other guidance. Please read these carefully.

You may also find it useful to consider other relevant codes or guidelines on the conduct of ethical research, such as that produced by the Socio-Legal Studies Association Link opens in a new window .

Academic and research staff

Ethical approval from the university's Humanities & Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee Link opens in a new window (HSSREC) is normally required for all human subject research. If the University of Warwick is not the lead organisation for the research and ethical approval has been granted by another institution’s ethics committee it should not be necessary to submit the work for approval at Warwick but the Chair of the HSSREC will require a copy of the approval granted before the research at Warwick commences .

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• How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion

How to Write a Dissertation Conclusion | Checklist and Examples

Published on 9 September 2022 by Tegan George and Shona McCombes. Revised on 10 October 2022.

The conclusion is the very last part of your thesis or dissertation . It should be concise and engaging, leaving your reader with a clear understanding of your main findings, as well as the answer to your research question .

In it, you should:

• Clearly state the answer to your main research question
• Summarise and reflect on your research process
• Make recommendations for future work on your topic
• Show what new knowledge you have contributed to your field
• Wrap up your thesis or dissertation

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Table of contents

Discussion vs. conclusion, how long should your conclusion be, step 1: answer your research question, step 2: summarise and reflect on your research, step 3: make future recommendations, step 4: emphasise your contributions to your field, step 5: wrap up your thesis or dissertation, full conclusion example, conclusion checklist, frequently asked questions about conclusion sections.

While your conclusion contains similar elements to your discussion section , they are not the same thing.

Your conclusion should be shorter and more general than your discussion. Instead of repeating literature from your literature review , discussing specific research results , or interpreting your data in detail, concentrate on making broad statements that sum up the most important insights of your research.

As a rule of thumb, your conclusion should not introduce new data, interpretations, or arguments.

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Depending on whether you are writing a thesis or dissertation, your length will vary. Generally, a conclusion should make up around 5–7% of your overall word count.

An empirical scientific study will often have a short conclusion, concisely stating the main findings and recommendations for future research. A humanities topic or systematic review , on the other hand, might require more space to conclude its analysis, tying all the previous sections together in an overall argument.

Your conclusion should begin with the main question that your thesis or dissertation aimed to address. This is your final chance to show that you’ve done what you set out to do, so make sure to formulate a clear, concise answer.

• Don’t repeat a list of all the results that you already discussed
• Do synthesise them into a final takeaway that the reader will remember.

An empirical thesis or dissertation conclusion may begin like this:

A case study –based thesis or dissertation conclusion may begin like this:

In the second example, the research aim is not directly restated, but rather added implicitly to the statement. To avoid repeating yourself, it is helpful to reformulate your aims and questions into an overall statement of what you did and how you did it.

Your conclusion is an opportunity to remind your reader why you took the approach you did, what you expected to find, and how well the results matched your expectations.

To avoid repetition , consider writing more reflectively here, rather than just writing a summary of each preceding section. Consider mentioning the effectiveness of your methodology , or perhaps any new questions or unexpected insights that arose in the process.

You can also mention any limitations of your research, but only if you haven’t already included these in the discussion. Don’t dwell on them at length, though – focus on the positives of your work.

• While x limits the generalisability of the results, this approach provides new insight into y .
• This research clearly illustrates x , but it also raises the question of y .

You may already have made a few recommendations for future research in your discussion section, but the conclusion is a good place to elaborate and look ahead, considering the implications of your findings in both theoretical and practical terms.

• Based on these conclusions, practitioners should consider …
• To better understand the implications of these results, future studies could address …
• Further research is needed to determine the causes of/effects of/relationship between …

When making recommendations for further research, be sure not to undermine your own work. Relatedly, while future studies might confirm, build on, or enrich your conclusions, they shouldn’t be required for your argument to feel complete. Your work should stand alone on its own merits.

Just as you should avoid too much self-criticism, you should also avoid exaggerating the applicability of your research. If you’re making recommendations for policy, business, or other practical implementations, it’s generally best to frame them as ‘shoulds’ rather than ‘musts’. All in all, the purpose of academic research is to inform, explain, and explore – not to demand.

Make sure your reader is left with a strong impression of what your research has contributed to the state of your field.

Some strategies to achieve this include:

• Returning to your problem statement to explain how your research helps solve the problem
• Referring back to the literature review and showing how you have addressed a gap in knowledge
• Discussing how your findings confirm or challenge an existing theory or assumption

Again, avoid simply repeating what you’ve already covered in the discussion in your conclusion. Instead, pick out the most important points and sum them up succinctly, situating your project in a broader context.

The end is near! Once you’ve finished writing your conclusion, it’s time to wrap up your thesis or dissertation with a few final steps:

• It’s a good idea to write your abstract next, while the research is still fresh in your mind.
• Next, make sure your reference list is complete and correctly formatted. To speed up the process, you can use our free APA citation generator .
• Once you’ve added any appendices , you can create a table of contents and title page .
• Finally, read through the whole document again to make sure your thesis is clearly written and free from language errors. You can proofread it yourself , ask a friend, or consider Scribbr’s proofreading and editing service .

Here is an example of how you can write your conclusion section. Notice how it includes everything mentioned above:

V. Conclusion

The current research aimed to identify acoustic speech characteristics which mark the beginning of an exacerbation in COPD patients.

The central questions for this research were as follows: 1. Which acoustic measures extracted from read speech differ between COPD speakers in stable condition and healthy speakers? 2. In what ways does the speech of COPD patients during an exacerbation differ from speech of COPD patients during stable periods?

All recordings were aligned using a script. Subsequently, they were manually annotated to indicate respiratory actions such as inhaling and exhaling. The recordings of 9 stable COPD patients reading aloud were then compared with the recordings of 5 healthy control subjects reading aloud. The results showed a significant effect of condition on the number of in- and exhalations per syllable, the number of non-linguistic in- and exhalations per syllable, and the ratio of voiced and silence intervals. The number of in- and exhalations per syllable and the number of non-linguistic in- and exhalations per syllable were higher for COPD patients than for healthy controls, which confirmed both hypotheses.

However, the higher ratio of voiced and silence intervals for COPD patients compared to healthy controls was not in line with the hypotheses. This unpredicted result might have been caused by the different reading materials or recording procedures for both groups, or by a difference in reading skills. Moreover, there was a trend regarding the effect of condition on the number of syllables per breath group. The number of syllables per breath group was higher for healthy controls than for COPD patients, which was in line with the hypothesis. There was no effect of condition on pitch, intensity, center of gravity, pitch variability, speaking rate, or articulation rate.

This research has shown that the speech of COPD patients in exacerbation differs from the speech of COPD patients in stable condition. This might have potential for the detection of exacerbations. However, sustained vowels rarely occur in spontaneous speech. Therefore, the last two outcome measures might have greater potential for the detection of beginning exacerbations, but further research on the different outcome measures and their potential for the detection of exacerbations is needed due to the limitations of the current study.

Checklist: Conclusion

I have clearly and concisely answered the main research question .

I have summarized my overall argument or key takeaways.

I have mentioned any important limitations of the research.

I have given relevant recommendations .

I have clearly explained what my research has contributed to my field.

I have  not introduced any new data or arguments.

You've written a great conclusion! Use the other checklists to further improve your dissertation.

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion…”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g. “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5-7% of your overall word count.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

• A restatement of your research question
• A summary of your key arguments and/or results
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. & McCombes, S. (2022, October 10). How to Write a Dissertation Conclusion | Checklist and Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 6 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/conclusion/

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Research Ethics in Master’s Dissertations

Research Ethics

After reading a few dozen Master’s Dissertations over the past weeks I’d thought that I would add to my blogs to cover Research Ethics. For this topic, the institution where you are studying will hold strict rules and procedures to ensure that your research is ethical. This short blog may help you understand what to write in the dissertation to show that you have followed those procedures.

I believe that a few ethical approval certificates in the appendices is insufficient. The Research Methodology chapter should have a specific sub-chapter titled “Ethical Considerations”. This sub chapter could be structured as follows:

• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical research principals
• Show that you have understood the ethical implications for your chosen research method
• Prove that you have followed ethical guidelines and procedures

Perhaps half a page to a page on each item will be sufficient. This is far better than a short paragraph or nothing at all!

Understand Ethical Research

Ethics is about the moral principals of research. It is about good research practice. Ethics will directly affect the people that you are collecting data from. These people have a right to understand what the research is about, the risks involved and what the research data outputs will be.

The rights of individuals are paramount in research, and they do not have to take part in your research.

Ethics has several principals:

• To protect people from harm which may be physical, emotional, psychological, or social
• Prove ‘Informed Consent’ – to show that they know what they have signed up for
• ‘Promote Benefit’ – to allow the participant to understand the benefits of the research
• Justice – shared burden – to show that others are also being asked to provide help with the research

The readers (markers!) of your research will be keen to know that you have understood the importance of an ethical research approach.

How Research Ethics Affects Your Project

Now if your research methodology is interview or questionnaires, then you should see that the above is important background to the topic. Now is the time to mention the documents you will use to show that you will comply.

Even if you are using case studies, ethics is an important topic. You should show that you understand it, and demonstrate that it doesn’t apply in full.

Think carefully and ask your supervisor if in doubt. Some typical projects that I supervise might cause problems:

• Research into gender differences between project managers and project success (Equality issues)
• Investigations into why projects fail (Potential harm to interviewees and a source of bias)
• Exploration of cultural aspects of project management (Racial issues)

(Need more ideas for a title? I have a list of project titles available for download .)

Remind the reader of your chosen research methodology and prove to them that you understand the need for research that has been guided by ethical principals.

Demonstrate that you have Followed Ethical Guidelines

So, having shown that you understand research ethics, and understand how it impacts your own research project, finally point the reader to the documents that prove you have followed the guidelines/systems requested by your institution.  Write about, or point to the the appendices where you can show evidence of:

• Compliance with procedures
• Data storage and adherence to GDPR regulations
• Followed IT guidelines
• Security of paper copies and security of data on lap-tops/tablets
• Evidence that individuals are anonymous
• Information about  disposal after submission

Readers (markers!) of your research will be reassured to see that all of this has been covered.

Summary of Research Ethics

Readers (markers!) of your research will be keen to know that you have followed an ethical approach, and without this your research could be discredited.

Ethics is important. Show that you understand what ethical research is. Show that you have followed ethical guidelines/policies. Direct the reader to where all the information is in you dissertation.

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What earnings beat? Disney's streaming slowdown is all anyone on Wall Street cares about

• Disney's earnings report on Tuesday shows that Wall Street cares about one thing: streaming growth.
• The company's stock fell as much as 11% despite a report that looked mostly strong.
• Investors elected to focus on lighter-than-expected streaming-subscriber additions.

Disney seemed to do nearly everything right Tuesday when it reported its earnings for its fiscal second quarter .

The company announced better-than-expected profits and only a slight revenue miss, raised its full-year earnings-growth guidance to 25% from 20%, and communicated to investors that its streaming division would be profitable by its fiscal fourth quarter.

But that wasn't enough for Wall Street, with the stock diving as much as 11% following the earnings report, its worst daily decline in 18 months. Investors' main focus ended up being Disney's light forecast for streaming growth.

While Disney+ added 6.3 million new subscribers in the quarter, its total number of streaming subscribers, 153.6 million, was below Wall Street estimates by about 2 million. Additionally, the company's chief financial officer said in the earnings call that the current quarter was pacing toward flat growth.

The sharp move lower highlights the high standard Wall Street has set for Disney's streaming portfolio, which includes Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, and India's Hotstar.

Related stories

Disney investors would like the media giant to obtain a Netflix -like valuation multiple given its growing streaming business. But for that to happen, Disney would have to deliver incredible Netflix-like execution that's capable of shaking off investor fears about its shrinking legacy TV business.

So far, that doesn't appear to be happening, at least not at a quick enough pace for Wall Street.

And while Disney's streaming business is moving in the right direction overall, it will likely still be a bumpy ride ahead for the unit to deliver consistent profits.

"We are pleased with the progress we're making in streaming, although, as we said before, the path to long-term profitability is not a linear one," Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said on the company's earnings call.

Those comments came right before Disney disclosed that it expected further streaming losses in its fiscal third quarter due to a seasonal slowdown in Disney+ subscriber additions and added expenses related to its cricket rights in India. 

Despite the sour day for Disney, many Wall Street analysts defended the company and said the bullish thesis on its transition to a streaming-focused company simply needed more time.

"With Disney's streaming segment turning profitable for the very first time in its history, the stage is set for an earnings inflection," Geetha Ranganathan and Kevin Near, two Bloomberg Intelligence analysts, said in a Tuesday note. 

Correction: May 7, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of Geetha Ranganathan.

Watch: DeSantis vs. Disney: Who are the winners and losers?

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