Where good dissertations lose marks
Many candidates sail through the proposal and then lose momentum at Chapter Four. Presenting and analysing findings is technically demanding, and a handful of mistakes appear over and over.
Presenting without interpreting
The most frequent error is dropping in a table or chart and moving on. A table is not a finding. Every table needs narrative that says what the result shows and what it means for your research question. Data without interpretation is just decoration.
Reporting everything
Not every cross-tabulation deserves space. Students often flood the chapter with tables that have nothing to do with the objectives. Report what answers your questions and move the rest to an appendix or leave it out. Focus is a sign of understanding.
Misreading the statistics
Confusing correlation with causation, misreading p-values, or claiming a significant result from a test that was not significant are serious credibility problems. If you are unsure what an output means, confirm it before you write. Examiners probe exactly these claims.
Inconsistent tables and figures
Tables numbered out of order, missing titles, uneven decimal places, and unlabelled figures all suggest carelessness. Pick one format and apply it everywhere. Number each table and figure, give it a title, and refer to it in the text before it appears.
Ignoring the research questions
Chapter Four should be organised around your objectives and questions, not the order of items in your questionnaire. Group the analysis so that each section clearly answers one question. This single change improves coherence a lot.
No link to the literature
Strong results chapters note briefly whether the findings agree or disagree with earlier studies. You do not need a full discussion here, but signalling these connections shows you understand your findings in context.
Skipping reliability and validity
If you used scales, report reliability. If you made design choices to protect validity, mention them. Leaving these out invites questions you could have answered first.
Plan the chapter around your objectives, present each result with interpretation, keep the formatting consistent, and report only what matters. Treat every table as a claim you have to explain, and the chapter becomes easier to write and far more convincing to examine.