How to write discussion section?
- Summarize your key findings:
Start this chapter by reiterating your research problem and concisely summarizing your major findings. Don’t just repeat all the info you’ve got already reported – aim for a transparent statement of the general result that directly answers your main research question. This should be no quite 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 upon the sort of research, but some typical approaches to interpreting the info include:
a) Identifying correlations, patterns and relationships among the data
b) Discussing whether the results met your expectations or supported your hypotheses
c) Contextualizing your findings within previous research and theory
d) Explaining unexpected results and evaluating their significance
e) 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 foremost 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, supported the findings of comparable studies, a more plausible explanation is Y.
- 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 need for theory or practice. Ask yourself these questions:
a) Do your results agree with previous research? If so, what do they increase it?
b) Are your findings very different from other studies? If so, why might this be?
c) Do the results support or challenge existing theories?
d) Are there any practical implications?
e) 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 don’t fit with the idea 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 simplest research has some limitations, and acknowledging these is vital to demonstrate your credibility. Limitations aren’t about listing your errors, but about providing an accurate picture of what can and can’t 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 what proportion impact that they had on achieving the aims of the research.
For example, if your sample size was small or limited to a selected group of individuals, 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 simply were unable to regulate, 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 restricted by…
The reliability of this data is impacted by…
Due to the shortage of knowledge on X, the results cannot confirm…
The methodological choices were constrained by…
It is beyond the scope of this study to…
5.State your recommendations:
Based on the discussion of your results, you’ll 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 a way future work can repose on areas that your own research was unable to deal with .
Examples
Further research is needed to establish…
Future studies should take into account…