Chapter 5

Thesis Writing: What to Write in Chapter 5

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Introduction

This article tells what a budding researcher must include in Chapter 5-the Summary. It also includes the tense of the verb and the semantic markers, which are predominantly used in writing the summary, conclusions, and recommendations.

For others, writing Chapter 5 is the easiest part of thesis writing, but there are groups of students who would like to know more about it. If you are one of them, this article on how to write chapter 5 of your thesis is purposely written for you.

What to Write in Chapter 5

1. Write the Summary

Your summary in Chapter 5 may include:

  1. objectives of the study.
  2. statement of the problem.
  3. respondents.
  4. sampling procedures.
  5. method/s of research employed.
  6. statistical treatment/s applied, or hypotheses tested, if there is any; and
  7. results.

If you notice, all the parts mentioned above are already included in your Chapters 1- 4. So, the challenge is on how you are going to write and present it in Chapter 5 briefly.

First, you must go directly to the point of highlighting the main points. There is no need to explain the details thoroughly. You must avoid copying and pasting what you have written in the previous chapters. Just KISS (keep it short and simple)!

Then, write sentences in simple past and always use passive voice construction rather than the active voice. You must also be familiar with the different semantic markers.

When I was enrolled in Academic Writing in my master’s degree, I learned that there are semantic markers which can be used in order not to repeat the same words or phrases such as additionally, also, further, in addition to, moreover, contrary to, with regard to, as regards, however, finally, during the past ___ years, from 1996 to 2006, after 10 years, as shown in, as presented in, consequently, nevertheless, in fact, on the other hand, subsequently and nonetheless.

Next, you may use the following guide questions to check that you have not missed anything in writing the summary:

  1. What is the objective of the study?;
  2. Who/what is the focus of the study?;
  3. Where and when was the investigation conducted?;
  4. What method of research was used?;
  5. How were the research data gathered?;
  6. How were the respondents chosen?;
  7. What were the statistical tools applied to treat the collected data?; and
  8. Based on the data presented and analyzed, what findings can you summarize?

Finally, organize the summary of the results of your study according to the way the questions are sequenced in the statement of the problem.

2. Write the Conclusion or Conclusions

whattowriteinchapter5
Contents of Chapter 5.

Once you have written the summary in Chapter 5, draw out a conclusion from each finding or result. It can be done per question, or you may arrange the questions per topic or sub-topic if there is any. But if your research is quantitative, answer the research question directly and tell if the hypothesis is rejected or accepted based on the findings.

As to grammar, make sure that you use the present tense of the verb because it comprises a general statement of the theory or the principle newly derived from the present study. So, don’t be confused because, in your summary, you use past tense, while in conclusion; you use the present tense.

3. Write the Recommendations

The recommendations must contain practical suggestions that will improve the situation or solve the problem investigated in the study.

First, it must be logical, specific, attainable, and relevant. Second, it should be addressed to persons, organizations, or agencies directly concerned with the issues or to those who can immediately implement the recommended solutions. Third, present another topic which is very relevant to the present study that can be further investigated by future researchers.

But never recommend anything that is not part of your study or not being mentioned in your findings.

The recommendations must contain practical suggestions that will improve the situation or solve the problem investigated in the study.

First, it must be logical, specific, attainable, and relevant. Second, it should be addressed to persons, organizations, or agencies directly concerned with the issues or to those who can immediately implement the recommended solutions. Third, present another topic that is very relevant to the present study that can be further investigated by future researchers.

Recommend nothing that is not part of your research or not being mentioned in your findings.

However, there are universities, especially in the Philippines, that require a specific thesis format to be followed by students. Thus, as a student, you must conform to the prescribed form of your college or university.

Reference

Nordquist, R. n.d. Imperative Mood. Retrieved July 29, 2014, from https://www.thoughtco.com/imperative-mood-grammar-1691151

© 2014 July 29 M. G. Alvior | Updated 2024 January 10

100 thoughts on “Thesis Writing: What to Write in Chapter 5”

    • Hi, Tayo! Thanks so much for appreciating my work. God bless to your research endeavor.

  5. Hello! In writing the conclusion, you need to base your conclusion to the findings. For example, if you have 5 questions in the statement of the problem, it means that you will also have 5 conclusions. Each question has a result and a conclusion. However, if your questions are very specific and they can be grouped together as a topic, then, you can draw out the conclusion from the topic or sub-topic, if there is any. I wish that I was able to answer your question. Thank you for reading our articles. I hope that you will also share our site to your family, friends, and colleagues.

    God bless!

    • Hi, Lolo! How are you? Thank you so much for your appreciation. Please share this site to your friends and students who would like to learn about research, education, statistics, health, and environment.

  8. This write up is a life saver, after studying it my chapter five was written with ease and confidence…Thanks!!

    • Hi, Jaxx! I’m glad that I was able to help you. I wish that you also share this site to your family and friends.

      God bless to your research endeavour! You may also write a portion of your studies in this site.

    • Hi, Martins!

      I’m so happy that I was able to help you. I wish that you can also contribute the findings of the studies you conducted in this site. God bless you, too.

  10. Hello, ma’am Mary! Good day. I would like to ask how would I write a conclusion if my summarization for the chapters 1 to 4 are based on the happenings when my groupmates and I were doing the chapters 1 to 4? For example: my summarization is, “We went to our chosen company to pass our proposed system, then we found out that they needed, Employee Management System, Recruitment Management System and Task Management System. at the middle of the month of July our group started working for the documentation. Chapter 2 is about the system requirements, chapter 3, 4 so on.” I hope you read my comment, I just loved your site because it helped me a lot. Although some weren’t clear to me, like the question I just asked. Hoping that you can make me understand the chapter 5 better. Thank you once again and God Bless. 🙂

    • Hi, Luke! How are you? It seems that your paper does not follow a typical thesis writing format in which chapter 2 is the review of related literature and studies; chapter 3 is the research design; and chapter 4 is the results and discussion, Well, it is up to your professor or school. If that’s the given format, it is ok.

      In chapter 5, you are asking me how to write a conclusion if your chapters are arranged per topic and to the sequence of events when you were writing or doing your paper. Or should I say, it’s according to the needs of the company which you discovered when you submitted your proposal. If that’s the case, I would suggest that write your conclusion according to their needs. So, what generalization or conclusion can you make in their employee management system and so on.

      I wish I was able to help you. God bless and please share this site to all your classmates, family and friends. If you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to write me. You may also explore this site because there are other tips or articles written about research, education, statistics and environment. Thank you so much.

  12. Hi mam, can you explain to me what will i do to explain how to do conclusion and recommendation(chapter6 on us) on my classmates?
    I hope that you can help me for my report & also for our baby thesis. Thanks

    • Hi, Joemarie. Please read the thread of conversations or comments in this article. I already explained how it must be done. If there are still that you don’t understand, please ask specific questions. Thanks.

  13. Hi can i ask a question how am i able to write my conclusion what is the difference of conclusion to hypothesis do i really need to make. Conclusion or i can copy my hypothesis thank you

    • Hi, Liam. Hypothesis and conclusions are different. However, in your conclusion, you may also include in there your findings of the study in general. So, you can derive the conclusion from the hypothesis. You don’t simply copy and paste it, but you have to tell or state it using other words. Also, make it sure that the hypothesis you are referring to is the one that is already being tested by statistics. For other information, please read the thread of the conversations and comments of this article. I already gave the explanations to other readers. Thanks.

  15. Hi, Angelou Belocura! It’s my pleasure. Actually, it is easy. for as long as you have the results of your study, and a conclusion, just make a comment on how your study can help other researchers or how it can improve the situations or life of your participants.

  16. Hi, Angelou Belocura! It’s my pleasure. Actually, it is easy. For as long as you have the results of your study, and a conclusion, just make a comment on how your study can help other researchers or how it can improve the situations or life of your participants.

    • Hi, Camelle. Please read the thread of the comments. You may get an idea from there. Thanks.

  19. Thank you very much for these information’s, it really helped me a lot! Godbless you always and more power!!!

    • Hi, Cristina. You are welcome. May I know the school or university you came from? Thanks.

      Regards,
      Dr. Mary

  20. Your article is very illuminating. However is I possible to get more than one conclusion from one finding?

    • Hi, Abiona! Yeah, if it is long, why not? But you can also make it as a long paragraph using connectors like and, but, however, in addition, likewise, furthermore, etc., in order to have only one conclusion per result/finding.

  23. Hi, Ms Mary, may I kindly know what is a difference between the abstract portion of the paper and the summary? Thank, hope you could reply on this.

  28. Does this apply for both quantitative and qualitative study? Don’t quantitative study need to base the Chapter 5 from each table in Chapter 4? Hope you can immediately answer. Thanks a lot!

    • Hi, Andrea. Yes you can follow this in both qualitative and quantitative research. But if your school has its own format, please follow your format. Sorry for a much delayed reply because I’m getting sick lately and adjusting to my new job.

  29. I realy appreciate your write up ma…You were precise and nailed everything to the point…I normally consult up to 5tips since writing my thesis but this is the first time am using just one…Love you plenty and God bless

    • Thanks so much, Boche from Nigeria. Please pray for me that my health is always good in order to write and answer the questions in this site. God bless to your endeavour.

  30. Hi,Mary…am doing corrections for my thesis.Do I write my findings in point form or prose? What’s are apa guideline,can’t seem to get it
    Thanks and blessinngs.

    • Hi, Nancy. Since you are working for Chapter 5, and writing the findings, I think it is best for you to follow the format of your university. But if I were you I will write the findings in point form and not in prose. That is if you are referring to point form as numbered or bulleted form and you highlight only the important parts of the results or findings of the study.

  33. Hello ,
    How I can compose the previous studies to the result in conclusion, when I have hypothesis and nail hypothesis and research questions . could you you help ?? thanks

  34. Hi, Azar. Maybe null hypothesis you are referring to and not nail. Previous studies? What do you mean? I think you are referring to the results of other researches and you want to connect it to the results of your study in the conclusion. In my own opinion, it should not be the case. In writing a conclusion, you should not mention about the work of other researchers or the results of the previous studies. Just say something on the results of your study and make a concluding statement. As to your hypothesis, it must be written negatively and so, we call it as null. Your conclusion should be based on your answer to the null hypothesis. Thank you.

  37. Hello! It helps me with your article. Hope that you can also make a guide from chapter 1 to 4 of thesis hehe.. God Bless 😀

  39. Hi again.. can you please suggest 3 statement of the problem to my thesis? The title of my thesis is Architecture: For housing project in (let’s keep the place a secret 🙂 ) that will ameliorate the surroundings of the informal settlers… I hope you would help me with this because I get confuse some part of my thesis if there’s any related to my title. Thanks 🙂

    • Hello, Nicolle. A summary depends on the journal, the written requirement of the teacher or it depends on your school’s format for thesis or dissertation writing. However, when I teach Academic Writing, I usually said that it should be 1/3 or 1/4 of the original text. Thanks a lot.

  42. how to write a recommendation, my title is common causes of financial problem. Hope you can help me…

    God Bess

    • Hello, Jolven. Your recommendation must be based on your findings. So, if that is your title, and you found that the common causes are the ——-, then write a recommendation based on the causes.

  45. Hello ma’am, can I ask about in what part the recommendation in chapter 1 reflect the recommendation in chapter5? Thanks.

    • Sorry, Aly. This is very late. Take your statement of the problem. the results for the statement of the problem will be the basis for your recommendation.

  46. Hello maam my PhD research purely a qualitative study on community based organization of slum ..i used 3 tool case study , participant observation and FGDs to analyse role, impact, challenge and aspiration of CBOs . i used tabular form (matrix to analyse ) did not use any software..

    PLEASE HELP/GUIDE ME WHAT SHOULD I WRITE in my Chapter 5 ..
    your help is very much crucial as i have to submit thesis this weekend
    KULDEEP

    • I’m so sorry, Kuldeep. I wish you are done with your doctorate research. It is been a year then. I got sick and had a lot of work to do. God bless!

  47. Thanks very much for this all importing information on how to write chapter five in thesis writing. It gives me more insight as to how to develop the chapter five perfectly.

  49. Hello, Daryl. Thank you so much. About your request, I will find time to write about it. I got so busy the past months.

  51. This is very helpful especially the grammar part. It really jumped start my writing effort… really want to finish my study with style.

  52. I am still having problem in organizing my summary and conclusion (my topic is dress code in public schools. to be more specific, at the Voinjama Public School. Can you help me with a sample?

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