"The purpose of a PhD project is to learn how to do proper scientific research. When you defend your thesis you have to show that you were able to do such research. Finding only significant results is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for a successful defense. On the contrary, significance often gets too much attention in social science research. Relevance of specific determinants, whether significant or not, is more important" Prof Nico Keilman
"Frequent reasons include lack of power, attrition, missing data, or an unexpected variable or sample issue. In human subjects research, we have less control over these problems, since subjects are volunteers. I would support the award of a doctoral degree to a student whose results did not reach statistical significance, if she demonstrated a sound rationale for the study, had conducted a power analysis based on the most recent data for effect size for the experimental intervention... I would expect that the discussion section would include a thorough discussion about the lack of significant findings, including how to improve the research in the future, and the clinical implications of lack of significant findings" Prof. Maryanne
OT
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