11 3

Practical Research 1
Quarter 2 – Module 8:
Writing Conclusions,
Recommendation, and References
 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Hooray! You are already at the last part of your research. This module
will guide you on how to knit together all the findings in your study in order
to come up with a conclusion. From there, you can recommend any
achievable actions that can be taken in order to serve the purpose of your
study.

Additionally, considering research ethics, a researcher must identify

and acknowledge the sources of information used in the study. Thus,
further discussion on this topic is included in this module.

Learning Competencies:
Draws conclusions from patterns and themes CS_RS11- IVg-j-1

Formulates recommendations based on conclusions CS_RS11- IVg-j-2

Lists references CS_RS11- IVg-j-3

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. identify the ways of making conclusions;

2. formulate recommendations based on the conclusions;
3. list the references used in the research study; and
4. appreciate the formulation of logical conclusions and
recommendations as well as the techniques in listing references.

WHAT I KNOW

Activity 1. Let’s check your prior knowledge…

Directions: Read each item carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is true
and FALSE if the statement is not true. Write your answers on your activity
notebook.

1. A conclusion is not a summary of the points or a re-statement of

the research problem but a synthesis of key points.
2. Evidences are bases of conclusion.
3. Shortage of proof leads to the success of a researcher.

1
 4. The findings should then be related to other evidences or
hypotheses as described in the main body, including a
comparison with other similar studies.
5. The conclusions may challenge the reader to accept or not the
ideas.
6. Recommendations should be practical and achievable.
7. Action that should be taken to address the problem is the entire
content of conclusions.
8. The final step of research is making conclusions.
9. Referencing is an essential part of any scientific writing.
10. The reference list is found at the completion of the article.

WHAT’S IN

Activity 2. In research, inferring is very important. Try to do the activity

below to assess how far you are in this particular skill.

Directions: Read the statement for each number and choose the
appropriate inference.

1. Mila's younger sister is in bed upstairs. She heard a bang and crying.
A. The baby is playing. C. The baby is talking.
B. The baby is sucking D. The baby is hurt.
the finger.
2. If air is heated in the balloon…
A. The air collapses. C. The air stops.
B. The air expands. D. The air multiplied.
3. Jhon played the piano. She had eaten a cake and ice cream, and then
watched as his friends opened his gifts.
A. John was at the C. Jhon was at a birthday
funeral. party.
B. Jhon was at the D. Jhon was sleepy.
kitchen.
4. Anna woke up at 1:00 am and saw that the light was ON in the sala.
She heard thin footsteps on the stairs and later perceived a bang on
the door next to her.
A. There was a ghost. C. Her brother arrived.
B. Flicker was possible. D. Grandma was cooking.
5. A lady with a known boyfriend was on the stairways, but she suddenly
dropped from the second floor with an old, unused iron chair. Blood
flashed from the lower part of her body and collapsed. Why was there
a sudden flash of blood? Because according to the doctor...

2
 A. The lady was pregnant.
B. The lady was shocked.
C. Her lower private part was hit with a hard object.
D. The lady was vulnerable.

WHAT’S NEW

Activity 3. Let’s try guessing…

Directions: Each number has 4 pictures for you to analyze. Guess the
words that are related to the lessons in this module. Some letters are
already revealed as clues.
1. 2.

Source: https://heavy.com/4-pics-1-word- Source: https://heavy.com/4-pics-1-word-

cheats/2014/03/list-graph-chart-think/ cheats/2014/04/think-lecture-idea-why/

__ E __ __ M __ __ N __ A __ __ 0 __ __ __ N __ __ U __ __ __ N

3.

__ E __ E __ __ N __ __ S

Source: https://heavy.com/4-pics-1-word-
cheats/2014/04/cds-study-books-read/

3
 WHAT IS IT

Conclusions
The conclusion is intended to help the reader appreciate why the
research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper. A
conclusion is a synthesis of key points. For most essays, one well-developed
paragraph is sufficient for a conclusion; although in some cases, a two- or
three-paragraph conclusion may be required (USC Libraries, 2014).
You need to draw together the threads of research to arrive at some
general conclusions. In other words, you summarize the ideas of the research
in terms of research problem, or objectives and tie up both ends neatly. The
conclusions are drawn by logical inference from findings (Mutai, 2001).
The conclusion culminates the research report and is of utmost
importance to one’s readers because it answers the questions that sparked
the collected data and its analysis in the first place. In concluding one’s
report, it is important to discuss the practical application and implications
of one’s findings in the real world. Although one is supposed to have
interpreted evidence at every step of one’s analysis, one’s conclusions pull
the strands together in a broader perspective and indicate possible action,
where appropriate (Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003).
In the main text of the conclusion section, one needs to draw together
the threads of the research to arrive at some general conclusions and,
perhaps, suggest some ways forward. Rather than let the report fizzle out as
it reaches the end, this part of the report should be constructive and
positive. Conclusions should not contain any ideas not previously raised in
the report. It should state in unqualified terms what the findings are. The
findings should then be related to other evidences or hypotheses as
described in the main body, including a comparison with other similar
studies. Where appropriate, a variety of options arising from the study
should be explained. The content of the conclusion logically precedes it. In
tying these materials together, the conclusion can perform the three
functions, as follows:
1) Recapitulate the ideas of the paper: This is done in the manner where
the researcher returns to the first paragraph or so, review, summarize
and ties up both ends neatly.

2) Extend a challenge: This is usually reserved for the problem-solving

paper. Such a conclusion may call on the reader himself to help make
the solution to take effect by telling him/her what to do.

4
 3) Draw inferences: If opposing ideas have been presented, the
conclusions may challenge the reader to accept one or other ideas, or
at least to consider their relative value (Mutai, 2001).

Problems to Avoid in Making Conclusions

The following problems should be avoided in writing the conclusion

(Ebrahim, 2018):

1) Failure to be concise: The conclusion section should be concise and to

the point. Conclusions that are too long have unnecessary details. The
conclusion section is not the place for details about the methodology
or results. Although one should give a summary of what was learned
from the research, this summary should be relatively brief, since the
emphasis in the conclusion is on the implications, evaluations,
insights, and others that one makes.

2) Failure to comment on larger or more significant issues: In the

introduction, one’s task is to move from general (the field of study) to
specific (the research problem). However, in the conclusion, one’s task
is to move from specific (the research problem) back to general or field
– i.e., how the research contributes new understanding or fills an
important gap in the literature. In other words, the conclusion is
where one places the study research within a larger context.

3) Failure to reveal problems and negative results: Negative aspects of the

research process should never be ignored. Problems, drawbacks, and
challenges encountered during the study should be included as a way
of qualifying the overall conclusions. If one encountered negative
results of findings that are validated outside the research context in
which they were generated, one must report them in the results
section of the paper. In the conclusion, use the negative results as an
opportunity to explain how they provide information in which future
research can be based on.

4) Failure to provide a clear summary of what was learned: In order to be

able to discuss how the research fits back into the field of study and
possibly the world at large, one needs to summarize it briefly and
directly. Often, this element of the conclusion is only a few sentences
long.

5) Failure to match the objectives of the research: Often, research

objectives change while the research is being carried out. This is not a

5
 problem unless one forgets to go back and refine the original
objectives in the introduction. As these changes emerge, they must be
documented so that they accurately reflect what one was trying to
accomplish in the research and not what one thought might be
accomplished when one began.

Recommendations

One’s summary and conclusions should lead logically to one’s

recommendations. Recommendations must be consistent with the purpose
of the study, its objectives, the evidence presented by the data, and the
interpretations given. Recommendations should be practical and achievable
(Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003).

The recommendations concerning the action to be taken follow the

conclusions. Where recommendations involve policy decisions, state them
completely as possible including who should do what, when and why (Mutai,
2001).

Common recommendations that researchers often make include the following:

1) Areas of further research: Emphasizing the questions in the study that

remain unanswered and therefore ought to be explored further.

2) Methodological issues: These could be addressed and refined to

improve future research in the areas of study.

3) Actions that should be taken to address the problem based on the

research findings: Solving specific problems could involve designing
and implementing an intervention of a project (Mugenda & Mugenda,
2003).
Writing the References

As per the considerations of research ethics, the researchers should

identify and acknowledge various sources they have used in their
work/write up. Referencing is a system used by the academicians to
indicate the source of the ideas, theories, quotes, facts or any other
evidence, data, and information that have been used for any write up or
assignment. It is an essential part of any scientific writing and one must do
this in all the academic assignments. It is the accepted way of giving credit
to the ideas and evidence on which one’s argument is based. References are
listed in an organized, structured, and consistent way, at the end of the
write up/assignment. In thesis, the list of references appears before the
appendices.

6
 Commonly Used Referencing System or Style of Writing References

Vancouver style

Most journals in medical sciences use the Vancouver system to write

the references. In this system, the citation in the text is done by reference
number. In the list, the references are in a numeric order (Arabic) in which
they are first cited in the manuscript. References are numbered
consecutively in the order that they are first mentioned in the text. Each
reference number is placed in parentheses or superscripted throughout the
text, tables, and legends.

In Vancouver style, the names of all the authors are written when
there are six authors. If there are more than six authors, “et al.” is used
after writing the first six authors.

While using the Vancouver style, if an author’s name is used in the

text, it is mandatory to use the citation number as well. For example, “as
Kaur 2 emphasized the high prevalence of depression in elderly...”

APA style

The APA style is a structured format for all sorts of academic writings,
including the journal articles, books, and other commentaries devised by the
American Psychological Association (APA) Table 1. The style guide titled as
‘Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association’ was first
published in 1929 as a seven-page document. After eighty years, the sixth
edition of the manual was published in 2009. This style is very widely used
in social and behavioral sciences like psychology, sociology, social work,
nursing, and education.

While citing reference in text, where one needs to cite one work by one
author, the following format is used: “Author’s Surname (year)”. For
example, “Sharma (2014) reported that 43% of antenatal females experience
intimate partner violence.” When the citation has three, four, or five authors,
cite all authors when the reference appears for the first time; in the
subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first author followed
by “et al.” and the year. For example:

“Kaur, Sharma, Bakshi and Sinha (2012) reported high prevalence of

stress among nurses…” (used as first citation in the text)

“Kaur et al. (2012) also found…” (used in the subsequent citation per
paragraph thereafter).

7
 For a web page with no author, cite the first few words of the title and
the year using double quotation marks around the title. The government
documents, books, technical/research reports, or brochures can also be
considered for writing the references. If a person is named on the title page,
use him or her as author. If no person is named, use the government
agency, department, or branch as a group author.

The reference list is written at the end of the article. The list provides
the necessary information required to identify and retrieve each source. In
APA style, the reference list should include only those references which are
actually used in the preparation of article. Hence, the APA style requires the
use of reference list, not bibliography. The order of the reference list is
prepared by arranging all entries in alphabetical order by the surname of
the first author followed by the initials of the author’s given name. The rule
is to alphabetize letter by letter. When there are several works by the same
author, they are to be arranged by year of publication; the earliest comes
first. For example, “Sharma N (2010)” precedes “Sharma N (2014)”. One-
author entries precede multiple-author entries beginning with the same
surname even if the multiple-author work was published earlier. For
example, “Kaur (2014)” shall precede “Kaur, Singh, and Sharma (2010)”.
This style mandates writing the names of all the authors in the reference list
up to seven authors. If there are more than seven authors, the following
format is used:

Kaur, S., Sharma, N., Sharma, S., Thakur, M., Agnihotri, N. Thakur
M,.…Saini, S. (2015). Effectiveness of peer evaluation in nursing training.
Education and Research Journal, 6, 167-177.

For government agency with no author, it can be written as U.S. Food

and Drug Administration, 2004.

Table 1
Format of Writing the References Using APA Style
Type of source Format Example

Book Personal “Author, A.A. (Year Kaur, S., Singh, M. (2014). Clinical Neuroscience
author(s) of Publication). Title and Critical Care Nursing. 1st Edition. New
of work. Publisher Delhi : Jaypee Medical Publishers
City, State:
Publisher”.

Book Author(s) Author, A.A. (Year of Chongtham, V (2016). Aggression in psychiatric

and Editor(s) publication). Title of patients. In N Sharma (Eds.). New Delhi: Sage.
book. In Editor’s
First Initial. Last
Name (Ed.). Place of
publication:

8
 Publisher.

Chapter in a “Author, AA, and Mohan, J. and Kaur, N. (2014). Emotional

book Author, B. B. (1995). Intelligence in relation to leadership traits in
Title of chapter or young women. In M. Meenakshi, A.K. Vashist,
entry. In A Editor, Luxmi and P.K. Ansal (Eds.). Emotional
B.Editor, and C. Intelligence. Past and present trends- shaping
Editor (Eds.), Title of the future. (pp.1-6). New Delhi: YS books.
book (pp. xxx-xxx).
Location: Publisher”

Journal article “Author, A.A. Ager, A. (2013). Annual Research Review:

Author, B. B., and Resilience and child well-being – public policy
Author, C. C. (year). implications. Journal of Child Psychology and
Title of article. Title Psychiatry, 54(4), 488–500.
of journal,xx, pp-pp. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12030
doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx”

Website/webpage “Author, A. (Date of Woollastan, V. (2014, Oct 1). What’s it like to

publication). Title of grow old in YOUR country? Global index ranks
work. Retrieved the world based on quality of life for the over-
month day, year, 60s. Retrieved June 24, 2015 from
from full URL” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-
2776444/What-s-like-grow-old-YOUR-country-
Global-index-ranks-world-based-quality-life-
60s.html

Note: To check more examples of APA style and other examples for Vancouver style
and Harvard style, you may browse and read the full paper at
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335652047_Writing_References.

Harvard style
This is also known as Author and Date system. The Harvard system
puts the authors and the date of work being referred to at the appropriate
point in the text rather than using a number. This is called a “citation”. All
the works cited are then listed at the end of the report/paper in an
alphabetical order according to the authors’ surname. The reader can then
refer from the text to the reference. The reference list must contain all the
works cited in the text.

It is economical in terms of time. It is very flexible as entries can be

added, deleted, or changed with a minimum of disruption to the rest of the
document. In addition, the reader can tell immediately who the author is
and when the study was published. It emphasizes the name of the author
and the publication year in the text with full bibliographic details in a
reference list.

While using Harvard style, if a citation is to be used in text, depending

on the style of your sentence, you will either include both the author and
9
year in brackets or just the year in brackets, with the author forming part of
your sentence. For example, “interpersonal stress is very common in first
year students (Sharma, 2010),” or “in a descriptive study by Sharma (2010),
interpersonal stress was emphasized in first year students.” Further, the
style mandates the use of specific page number as well if one is using a
direct figure or idea from a particular page, for example “(Kaur, 2014)”. For a
work done by more than one author, the name of all authors is to be given
in text up to three authors. If there are more than three authors, then write
the name of the first author followed by “et al.”

WHAT’S MORE

Activity 4. Let’s do it…

Directions: Read the following questions and answer them on your

notebook or activity sheets.

1. What’s the relationship between the conclusion and the data analysis
results?

2. How do you determine the validity of evidence as basis for your

conclusions?

3. Are you playing the role of a debater in doing a conclusion of your

research paper? Justify your answer.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Activity 5. Let’s reflect…

Directions: Write a short reflection on your activity notebook.

I thought that_____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

I learned that ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

10
 WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 6. Let’s prove it…

Directions: Read the following items below and do what is asked.

1. Make a final research report with the following parts: Cover Page,
Table of Contents, Introduction (Statement of the Problem, Scope and
Delimitation of the Study, and Significance of the Study), Review of
Related Literature, Methodology (Research Design, Participants,
Sampling, Data Gathering Procedure), Results, Conclusions,
Recommendations, and References using APA style.

2. Submit your final research report to your research teacher. Make it

presentable (computer encoded or neatly handwritten). You may
consult your teacher if you need more time to do this activity.
However, be sure to submit your output within the time allotted for
the 2nd Quarter for grading purposes.

ASSESSMENT

Activity 7. Let’s check it out…

Directions: Read carefully the statements below and identify the correct
terms that match the descriptions for each number. Write your answers on
your activity notebook.
1. ________ is intended to help the reader understand why the research
should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper.
2. The _______ should be related to other evidences or hypotheses as
described in the main body, including a comparison with other
similar studies.
3. ________ recapitulates the ideas in the research paper.
4. _______ must be consistent with the purpose of the study, its
objectives, the evidence presented by the data, and the
interpretations given.

11
 5. _______ is a system used by the academicians to indicate the source
of the ideas, theories, quotes, facts or any other evidence, data and
information that have been used for any write up or assignment.
6. The_______ style is a structured format for all sorts of academic
writings including the journal articles, books and other
commentaries.
7. ________ is a list that provides the necessary information required to
identify and retrieve each source.
8. ________ is also known as the Author and Date system.
9. __________ is a referencing style that is very flexible as entries can be
added, deleted, or changed with a minimum of disruption to the rest
of the document.
10. The APA style requires the use of reference list, not___________.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Activity 7. Let’s go beyond…

Directions: Share your experience in writing your research. You may do this
in a journal style or a 40- to 60-second vlog. For those who opt to share
their experience through a vlog, introduce yourself first, share your
experience in writing research, and finally, give positive advices for the
future writers. Don’t forget to share the link to your teacher. For those who
opt to write a journal, write your name and section and follow the same
sequence.

12