Write the concluding chapter to dissertation. • Summarise the rationale and purpose of the research Remembering the BIIS framework from Stage 1, briefly summarise the background to your research issue, why your research problem and the research questions were important and how your research was intended to address them (i.e. provide a solution). • Discuss the implications of your findings and comment on their generalisability and applicability Set out a brief outline of your main findings. Remember, you don’t have to include everything you found in your research, otherwise there is a danger the narrative will lack coherence; concentrate on those findings that relate to your research questions. Discuss how the findings address the research questions and what their implications are in relation to the context within which you collected the data and to wider contexts. Then, perhaps most importantly, you need to say what are the main lessons or conclusions you draw from these findings. Has the research led to a better understanding of a practical problem or policy? Has the research contributed to the development of new knowledge? Does the research support, challenge or extend findings in the existing literature? • Limitations of your research This is an opportunity to reflect on any limitations your research has. For example, were there any limitations affecting the data you were able to collect; would a different research design or method of collecting the data have been better? Don’t be afraid to admit weaknesses in your research – all research has limitations and your examiners will understand this. It is better therefore, to acknowledge any weaknesses or limitations and say how they might be addressed in future, rather than try to hide them. This will help demonstrate to your examiner that you have developed the ability to reflect critically on what you have done and to learn from your experience of carrying out the research, which you will be given credit for. • Suggestions for further research The findings from your research or the discussion of the research’s limitations may lead to suggestions for further research. The research may have stimulated you to think of some new and important research questions, or you may want to suggest further research that addresses some of the limitations of your own research or that of others in the field. • Recommendations for policy or practice In this section, set out any recommendations for the participants in the research (e.g. for the organisation(s) you studied) or for policy more generally. For example, are there any suggestions for changes the organisation(s) you researched could make to improve practice? Remember that your recommendations should follow on from the conclusions of your research. Be wary of making recommendations that would be impractical or very difficult to implement. The previous chapters are attached as files.