MECM90038 Chap.12 Writing Findings, Discussion and the Final Report
Writing Findings, Discussion and the Final Report
The research report is the largest task in the subject: 2,500 words, worth 50%, due at 12:00pm on 2 November 2026. This chapter shows how to turn an annotated data set into findings that answer your research question, how to choose between ordering findings by analytic level or by theme, and how to write a paragraph that moves from claim to evidence to interpretation to the literature.
It separates findings from discussion, explains the systematic trail the Week 8 slides ask you to show, including an annotated data appendix, and sets out the Week 11 and Week 12 arrangements and the revision window before the due date. The report's own criteria are published on Canvas, so the chapter points you there rather than guessing at them.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Findings as answers to the research question, backed by textual evidence
- 02
Ordering findings by Fairclough's levels or by coded themes
- 03
A four-move paragraph: claim, evidence, interpretation and link to literature
- 04
Discussion as the step from separate findings to an overall argument
- 05
A systematic, explained analysis process with an annotated data appendix
- 06
Report length, weighting, due time and the Week 12 revision support
Worked example · free
Turning two findings into a discussion paragraph
- 1State what the findings mean together: coverage builds the issue as protection, not participation.
- 1Connect that meaning to the debate named in the literature review, saying where the results agree or extend it.
- 1Acknowledge what the sample of two podcasts cannot show.
Key terms
- Finding
- A finding is a supported answer to part of the research question, drawn from analysis of your texts. It differs from a description of the data because it states what the data show.
- Discussion
- Discussion interprets several findings together and places them against existing scholarship. It explains what the study contributes and where it agrees or disagrees with earlier work.
- Annotated data set
- An annotated data set is your original collected material with highlights and notes showing how you read it. The Week 8 slides welcome it as an appendix.
- Limitation
- A limitation is a boundary on what a study's design allows it to claim. Naming it honestly tells readers how far the findings can be generalised.
- Systematic process
- A systematic process is an analysis carried out in a stated, repeatable order. Explaining that order lets readers judge how conclusions were reached.
- SWOT Vac
- SWOT Vac is the study week the lecture plan places after teaching ends and before the report falls due. In this subject it runs from 26 to 30 October 2026.
Writing Findings, Discussion and the Final Report FAQ
How many words is the final research report and when is it due?
The report is 2,500 words and carries 50% of the subject. The lecture plan sets the deadline at 12:00pm on 2 November 2026, the Monday after SWOT Vac. Work submitted late without an approved extension loses 5% of the available marks per day or part of a day, and is not accepted after 20 University business days without written approval.
What is the difference between findings and discussion in a research report?
Findings report what your analysis of the texts shows, each one tied to part of the research question and supported by evidence. Discussion steps back to interpret those findings together, relate them to the debate identified in your literature review and acknowledge what the sample cannot establish. Keeping the two moves distinct makes the argument easier to follow.
Should I include my coded or annotated data in the report?
The Week 8 slides invite you to attach your original data set, marked up with your own highlighting and notes, as an appendix, because it shows the systematic process behind your analysis. Check on Canvas which submission the appendix should accompany and how it is treated in the word count before attaching it.
Where can I ask questions about writing up findings?
The lecture plan describes a Padlet wall for questions about writing up findings and discussions in Week 12, with answers given during the lecture. The Week 10 slides describe Week 12 as tutor consultation and a tutorial workshop on the final assignment, so confirm on Canvas which arrangement applies.
Assessment move
Print your research question and write each sub-question as a heading on a blank page. Under each, list the coded evidence that answers it, and discard anything that answers nothing. Draft one paragraph per heading using claim, evidence, interpretation and link, then write a separate discussion section that combines them and returns to your literature review's debate.
Add a limitation sentence that names your sample's boundaries. Assemble the annotated data appendix as you go. Read the report criteria on Canvas, post any questions to the Week 12 Padlet wall, and aim to have a full draft before SWOT Vac begins on 26 October.
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