Scribd
Upload
299 views

How To Write A Discussion Section

The document discusses how to write the discussion section of a research paper. It provides guidelines on interpreting results, discussing implications and limitations, and making recommendations. Key elements to focus on include interpreting what the results mean, explaining why they are important, acknowledging limitations of the study, and suggesting future research. The discussion section relates the results back to previous research and theories.

Uploaded by

gerarda jocel imperial
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
299 views

How To Write A Discussion Section

The document discusses how to write the discussion section of a research paper. It provides guidelines on interpreting results, discussing implications and limitations, and making recommendations. Key elements to focus on include interpreting what the results mean, explaining why they are important, acknowledging limitations of the study, and suggesting future research. The discussion section relates the results back to previous research and theories.

Uploaded by

gerarda jocel imperial
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

How to Write a Discussion Section |

Checklist and Examples


Published on March 21, 2019 by Shona McCombes. Revised on October 13, 2020.

The discussion chapter is where you delve into the meaning, importance and relevance of
your results. It should focus on explaining and evaluating what you found, showing how it
relates to your literature review and research questions, and making an argument in support of
your overall conclusion. There are many different ways to write this section, but you can focus
your discussion around four key elements:

 Interpretations: what do the results mean?


 Implications: why do the results matter?
 Limitations: what can’t the results tell us?
 Recommendations: what practical actions or scientific studies should follow?

There is often overlap between the discussion and conclusion, and in some dissertations these
two sections are included in a single chapter. Occasionally, the results and discussion will be
combined into one chapter. If you’re unsure of the best structure for your research, look
at sample dissertations in your field or consult your supervisor.

Table of contents

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Summarize your key findings
Start this chapter by reiterating your research problem and concisely summarizing your major
findings. Don’t just repeat all the data you have already reported – aim for a clear statement of
the overall result that directly answers your main research question. This should be no more than
one paragraph.

Examples

 The results indicate that…


 The study demonstrates a correlation between…
 This analysis supports the theory that…
 The data suggests that…

Give your interpretations


The meaning of the results might seem obvious to you, but it’s important to spell out their
significance for the reader and show exactly how they answer your research questions.

The form of your interpretations will depend on the type of research, but some typical
approaches to interpreting the data include:

 Identifying correlations, patterns and relationships among the data


 Discussing whether the results met your expectations or supported your hypotheses
 Contextualizing your findings within previous research and theory
 Explaining unexpected results and evaluating their significance
 Considering possible alternative explanations and making an argument for your position

You can organize your discussion around key themes, hypotheses or research questions,
following the same structure as your results section. You can also begin by highlighting the most
significant or unexpected results.

Examples

 In line with the hypothesis…


 Contrary to the hypothesized association…
 The results contradict the claims of Smith (2007) that…
 The results might suggest that X. However, based on the findings of similar studies, a
more plausible explanation is Y.

What can proofreading do for your paper?


Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing
by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.
See editing example

Discuss the implications


As well as giving your own interpretations, make sure to relate your results back to the scholarly
work that you surveyed in the literature review. The discussion should show how your findings
fit with existing knowledge, what new insights they contribute, and what consequences they have
for theory or practice. Ask yourself these questions:

 Do your results agree with previous research? If so, what do they add to it?
 Are your findings very different from other studies? If so, why might this be?
 Do the results support or challenge existing theories?
 Are there any practical implications?

Your overall aim is to show the reader exactly what your research has contributed and why they
should care.

Examples

 These results build on existing evidence of…


 The results do not fit with the theory that…
 The experiment provides a new insight into the relationship between…
 These results should be taken into account when considering how to…
 The data contributes a clearer understanding of…
 While previous research has focused on X, these results demonstrate that Y.

Acknowledge the limitations


Even the best research has some limitations, and acknowledging these is important to
demonstrate your credibility. Limitations aren’t about listing your errors, but about providing an
accurate picture of what can and cannot be concluded from your study.
Limitations might be due to your overall research design, specific methodological choices, or
unanticipated obstacles that emerged during the research process. You should only mention
limitations that are directly relevant to your research objectives, and evaluate how much impact
they had on achieving the aims of the research.

For example, if your sample size was small or limited to a specific group of people, note that this
limits its generalizability. If you encountered problems when gathering or analyzing data, explain
how these influenced the results. If there are potential confounding variables that you were
unable to control, acknowledge the effect these may have had.

After noting the limitations, you can reiterate why the results are nonetheless valid for the
purpose of answering your research questions.

Examples

 The generalizability of the results is limited by…


 The reliability of this data is impacted by…
 Due to the lack of data on X, the results cannot confirm…
 The methodological choices were constrained by…
 It is beyond the scope of this study to…

State your recommendations


Based on the discussion of your results, you can make recommendations for practical
implementation or further research. Sometimes the recommendations are saved for
the conclusion.

Suggestions for further research can lead directly from the limitations. Don’t just state that more
studies should be done – give concrete ideas for how future work can build on areas that your
own research was unable to address.

 Further research is needed to establish…


 Future studies should take into account…

What to leave out of the discussion


There are a few common mistakes to avoid when writing the discussion section of your
dissertation.

 Don’t introduce new results – you should only discuss the data that you have already
reported in the results chapter.
 Don’t make inflated claims – avoid overinterpretation and speculation that isn’t
supported by your data.
 Don’t undermine your research – the discussion of limitations should aim to strengthen
your credibility, not emphasize weaknesses or failures.
Checklist
Checklist: Discussion
0 / 8
 I have concisely summarized the most important findings.
 I have discussed and interpreted the results in relation to my research questions.
 I have cited relevant literature to show how my results fit in.
 I have clearly explained the significance of my results.
 If relevant, I have considered alternative explanations of the results.
 I have stated the practical and/or theoretical implications of my results.
 I have acknowledged and evaluated the limitations of my research.
 I have made relevant recommendations for further research or action.
How to Write a Discussion Section | Checklist and Examples (scribbr.com)

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy