How to Write Chapter 4 Results of a Quantitative Dissertation (Step-by-Step)

To write Chapter 4 of a quantitative dissertation, present your findings in a neutral, factual order: start with sample descriptives, then test assumptions, then report each inferential test organized by research question — with APA 7-formatted statistics, tables, and no interpretation (save that for Chapter 5). The most common mistake PhD candidates make is blurring results with discussion, which gets flagged in committee review and sends you back for revisions. This guide shows you exactly what goes where.

Key Takeaways

• Chapter 4 reports what you found, not what it means — all interpretation, implications, and literature comparisons belong in Chapter 5.
• Structure Chapter 4 in this order: chapter introduction → sample demographics → data screening and assumptions → results organized by research question/hypothesis → summary.
• Every inferential test must report the test statistic, degrees of freedom, exact p-value (no leading zero), and an effect size in APA 7 format, e.g. t(58) = 2.43, p = .018, d = 0.63.
• Use tables for descriptive statistics and complex output (correlation matrices, regression models); use the text to highlight only the key numbers.
• Tools like StatRyx run the correct test and generate the APA 7 write-up automatically, so Chapter 4 becomes copy-editing rather than hand-calculation.

What should Chapter 4 of a dissertation actually contain?

Chapter 4 of a quantitative dissertation contains only your empirical findings, presented objectively and tied directly to your research questions or hypotheses. It answers "what did the data show?" — nothing more. You do not explain why a result occurred, compare it to prior studies, or discuss limitations here; those live in Chapter 5 (Discussion).

A standard Chapter 4 follows this sequence:

1. Brief introduction — restate the research questions/hypotheses and preview the chapter's organization (1–2 paragraphs).
2. Sample and demographics — final N, response rate, participant characteristics.
3. Data screening and assumptions — missing data handling, outliers, normality, homogeneity of variance, multicollinearity.
4. Results by research question — the inferential tests, reported in APA 7.
5. Chapter summary — a concise recap of each hypothesis outcome.

Keep the tone flat and reportorial. A good Chapter 4 reads like a lab notebook, not an essay.

How do you report sample and demographic data?

Report your final sample size, how it was reached, and the descriptive makeup of participants before any hypothesis testing. This lets a committee member judge whether your sample was adequate and representative.

State the final N after exclusions and the response or completion rate. Then summarize demographics with frequencies and percentages for categorical variables (gender, education level) and means with standard deviations for continuous ones (age, years of experience).

Of the 212 surveys distributed, 164 were returned (77.4% response rate), and 148 were retained after removing incomplete responses. Participants were predominantly female (n = 94, 63.5%), with a mean age of 34.2 years (SD = 8.7).

Put anything longer than three or four variables into a demographics table rather than cramming it into prose.

How do you report assumption testing?

Report assumption checks for every inferential test before you present the test results, because a violated assumption changes which test is valid. Committees increasingly expect this — skipping it is a frequent revision request.

For a t-test or ANOVA, that means reporting:

• Normality — Shapiro-Wilk (W) or a note on skewness/kurtosis.
• Homogeneity of variance — Levene's test.
• Outliers — how you identified and handled them.

For regression, add linearity, multicollinearity (VIF), and homoscedasticity. If an assumption fails, state what you did about it (e.g. switched to a Mann-Whitney U test, applied a Welch correction). If you're unsure which test survives a violated assumption, our guide on choosing between the t-test and Mann-Whitney U walks through the decision.

Levene's test indicated equal variances, F(1, 146) = 1.12, p = .291, so the assumption of homogeneity was met.

How do you report results organized by research question?

Organize the body of Chapter 4 so each research question or hypothesis gets its own subheading, with the relevant test reported underneath in full APA 7 format. This one-to-one mapping makes it effortless for your committee to confirm you answered every question.

Under each subheading: name the test, state the result in a sentence with full statistics, then reference the supporting table. Report the result the same way whether it's significant or not — never hide a non-significant finding.

A worked example: reporting an independent-samples t-test

Suppose Research Question 1 asked whether online learners and in-person learners differ in final exam scores. You run an independent-samples t-test on 60 students (30 per group).

Here's how that result appears in Chapter 4:

Research Question 1. An independent-samples t-test compared final exam scores between online (n = 30) and in-person (n = 30) learners. In-person learners scored higher (M = 82.4, SD = 7.1) than online learners (M = 77.9, SD = 8.3), a statistically significant difference, t(58) = 2.26, p = .028, d = 0.58, 95% CI [0.52, 8.48].

Decoding each number so you can report your own:

• t = 2.26 — the test statistic (bigger magnitude = larger group difference relative to variability).
• (58) — degrees of freedom (n − 2 = 60 − 2).
• p = .028 — the probability of this result if there were truly no difference; below .05, so it's significant. Note the dropped leading zero (APA 7).
• d = 0.58 — Cohen's d, the effect size; roughly a medium practical difference.
• 95% CI [0.52, 8.48] — the plausible range for the true difference in points; because it excludes 0, it agrees with the significant p-value.

That single sentence contains everything a reader needs. You do not add "this suggests online delivery harms learning" — that interpretation is Chapter 5.

Chapter 4 vs Chapter 5: what goes where?

The line between Results and Discussion trips up more candidates than any other part of a dissertation. Use this table.

If a sentence contains the words "because," "suggests," "consistent with [author]," or "implies," it almost certainly belongs in Chapter 5.

When should you use tables instead of text?

Use a table whenever reporting the numbers in prose would be cluttered — typically for demographics, correlation matrices, multiple-group descriptives, or regression models. Report simple results (a single t-test, one correlation) in the text; reserve tables for anything with three or more rows of numbers.

A key APA 7 rule: