Drawing conclusions from the survey results is one of the last steps in conducting a survey. Most researchers find writing the conclusion as hard as creating the introduction to the survey because these two segments act as the frame of the study.
What do the survey results mean? Why do the findings matter? Are the survey results satisfactory in relation to the survey goals? The conclusion answers all of these questions and more. With just one or two paragraphs of text, the conclusion can emphasize the significance of the findings and create a positive impression on the eyes of the readers.
Being the final portion of your survey report, the conclusion serves as the researcher’s final say on the subject of the survey. The conclusion should be able to wrap up the entire survey from the formulation of survey goals up to the satisfaction of such objectives. As much as possible, no issue related to the subject should be left unanswered, which is why you must carefully choose the words to utilize when drawing conclusions.
A conclusion is considered “effective” only when the readers feel that they have gained something new and interesting from reading the survey and its results. An effective conclusion is one that makes an impact regarding the issue at hand, and is able to drive people to create decisions and take action related to the subject of the survey.
Here are some strategies that can help you write an effective conclusion for your survey:
The conclusion must answer the queries presented by your survey goals and objectives. In writing the conclusion, your mind must be set on fulfilling the very purpose of conducting the survey. With the survey goal in mind, you will be able to avoid common mistakes such as adding new information that were not previously stated earlier in the survey, or worse, creating a new thesis.
Oftentimes, the conclusion is mistaken as the summary of the survey report. Although it contains the vital points of the survey, the conclusion must be a synthesis of the survey results, the interpretation of such, and the proposal of a course of action or solution to the issues that emerged from the survey.
Surveys are performed for scientific or marketing purposes, thus, they must be written using a professional and academic style. With this in mind, the tone of the conclusion should match that of the results and the rest of the data collection process. Doing this will boost the credibility of your survey, rather than adding anecdotes or jokes in hopes of increasing the appeal of the results.
A conclusion of a survey must not be drawn from emotions in order to make the survey more appealing to the readers. The conclusion must be written in an interesting yet academic manner. Emotional praise is not ideal, but a refined commentary on the subject is acceptable.