The Discussion section represents the part of your research paper where you contextualize or expand your results. This section of your research paper, article, or scientific paper can be one of the most difficult to write. The other sections are properly defined; however, this part of your paper can be more difficult to grasp.
This is where you interpret the findings in the Results section. Some researchers may struggle with this. How do you interpret the Results of a lab experiment or study to the wider world? Decisions need to be made about how long this part of your paper should be and what parts of the outcomes should be emphasized and explained.
In an effective Discussion, you should clearly state and summarize your results. In addition, you should contextualize it by comparing it to the results of past work, especially regarding references mentioned in your Introduction or Literature Review.
Lastly, you should point out both the strengths and limitations of your research, as well as the wider importance and significance. In this article, we discuss general principles that one should follow when writing this segment of your article or paper.
What is the role of the Discussion Section?
In this section, you explain the meaning and wider importance and relevance of your results. The Introduction of the Research Paper can be described as being funnel-shaped, with a broad context and relevance being used to give background to your research.
The results narrow down to proving or testing specific hypotheses or research questions. You are supposed to broaden the scope of the study to include its importance or relevance. In short, it is a reflection and extension of what you do in the Introduction.
The importance and relevance of your findings could have implications for the theory underlying your research area, economic or industrial implications, or social implications. You would be surprised to know that many papers have been rejected by journal editors or reviewers because of their failure to properly explain the significance or importance of findings, even when Results and Methods were valid.
Knowing how to contextualize and explain the importance of your research is a crucial part of the scientific process and scientific communication. The Discussion provides you with the chance to do so.
What to do and include
For example, the discovery of a new method to create artificial diamonds at a far cheaper price than natural diamonds would have a major effect on the jewelry industry.
Considering the funnel shape of the introduction, the narrowing of the results section, and the broadening out again of the discussion, it can be said that the IMRAD section represents overall an hourglass shape. In the following, we discuss the major components of this part of your paper.
1. Clearly state and summarize the results
Clearly state whether or not your original hypotheses or research statements were supported by your results and analysis and summarize your main findings. If your hypotheses were not supported, try to explain with clarity the factors that may have contributed to such an outcome.
2. Contextualize your results within your field
This is done by comparing your results to those of previous researchers before you. Make sure that when doing this, you tie it in to your literature section. The same sources that are mentioned in the introduction and literature section should be mentioned again to demonstrate how your results differ, match, or make any new contributions.
3. Explain the importance of your finding
A statement on the importance of your findings should be properly reasoned and remain contained and not exaggerated. The limitations should be fully taken into account when explaining this importance. Discuss the larger issues associated with your findings. You may also consider your outcomes in the following terms:
Theoretical implications
Clinical implications
Practical significance
For example, what problems are solved by your findings? What problems remain unsolved? And what new problems arise as a result of these outcomes? Care should be taken to ensure that you provide a reasoned basis for the interpretations that you provide.
4. Show how your results agree or contrast with those of past work
In the Discussion, you continue the work that you began in the Introduction and Literature Review. In the Literature Review, you referenced how past work relates to the objectives of your research.
In addition, you’re supposed to relate your results and outcomes to that of the same past work you mentioned in your literature review. It would make sense to repeat the more important references that supported your objectives or hypotheses in the Introduction or Literature Review.
This is to inform your readers how your Results match up with your intended outcomes. If there is a disagreement with the work of others, you should try your best to explain the probable reasons for that being the case.
5. State your conclusions and support them
It is also here that you have to draw your conclusions based on the Results. You have to ensure that all your conclusions are clearly stated and supported by the results. Don’t overstate. You should always make sure that your conclusions don’t stray too far away from what can be justified by your actual Results.
6. Point out both the strengths and limitations
You should acknowledge both the strengths and limitations of your study. Strengths would include having a sample size that is larger and more representative of the relevant population. You should not be modest and hesitate to point out how your study is superior to that of others.
On the other hand, you should not try to hide the limitations of your study. A common limitation would be the inability of your sample to apply to the wider population. This is also related to factors such as whether or not sample sizes are wide and representative enough, which I mentioned earlier.
This reflects on how credibly your study outcomes can be applied to other settings, populations, conditions, and so on. Limitations can also include 1) explaining differences between the sample and the wider target population, 2) incentives, and 3) the specific settings of the study.
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Final thoughts on how to write the Discussion section of a research paper
As mentioned earlier, the Discussion represents a proper landing for your research. You wouldn’t want a properly done experiment or study with a well-written Introduction, Methods, and Results to have a crash landing. One of the dangers is that you can be too verbose. This means that you may end up overwriting or over-explaining.
As with all forms of academic writing, the focus for this section should be on being concise and to the point. It would be best to map out what your main arguments would be even before you start writing. In this section, you should show the broader relevance and importance of your work by pointing out recommendations or even policy implications.
This would entail you having the breadth and depth of knowledge. This emphasizes the importance of doing effective research in your literature review. The Discussion is the place where you get the chance to tie in technical and dry scientific work with real-world problems and solutions.
Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, August 07). How to Write the Discussion Section of a Research Paper. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/how-to-write-the-discussion-section-of-a-research-paper |
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