How to write a discussion section

How to write a discussion section
Table of Contents
  1. How to write a discussion section
  2. What is the discussion section about?
  3. Research Questions
  4. Interpretation of the Research Findings
  5. Limitations
  6. Recommendation for Future Application of the Research Findings
  7. Conclusion

The discussion section of a paper is presenting a vital part of the research academic paper. It dwells on the interpretation of the findings, presents the limitation of the research, and states its significance. The section contains the essence of the paper. It intends to demonstrate how the methodology you applied in the research analyzed the datum. If you lack understanding of this part, look into more details on how to write a discussion section. 

What is the discussion section about?

A peculiarity of this section is its similarity with the conclusion. Let’s draw clear lines between the two sections. The aim of the discussion chapter is to present your analysis. Meanwhile, the conclusion is for the summary of the whole work you performed to achieve the results. However, academic requirements vary. The discussion and conclusion sections are often combined. In general, writing of any academic paper follows the same rules in aspects of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and plagiarism. The paper should be unique, express your ideas in your own words. All the used resources should be properly cited. This section, in particular, shows the work of an individual.

The structure of your paper should be approved by the supervisor. Draft the layout of your paper and show it to the supervisor before you start the research. It will save time and prevent unnecessary amendments. 

The supervisor can contribute a lot to smooth the planning of your research. To create an exemplary discussion section stick to these ground rules:

  1. Be precise and informative
  2. Use formal language and avoid colloquialisms
  3. Follow the rules of academic writing
  4. Fact check your data 
  5. Provide relevant information
  6. Preserve a clear structure 
  7. Group and categorize the findings, explanations, interpretations, etc. 
  8. Proofread all the written materials, check punctuation rules.

Imagine you have already conducted the research. All the tables with the results are in front of you and now you need to write the body part of the discussion section. The basis of this section will be provided by the following list of materials.

Research Questions

Each aim and objective specified in your introduction should be achieved and described in the discussion section. Hence, make sure you fix the discrepancies if you notice any. Look at the aims as they were questions you asked yourself initially. The study you conducted is supposed to answer these questions. The wording of the aims usually includes verbs like identify, investigate, analyze, define, appraise, confirm, etc. As a result, the analysis of the findings should be presented using the following constructions:

  • The study identified…
  • The datum analyzed confirms …
  • The findings display...

The number of research questions depends on the scope of your work. They will influence the size of the discussion section later on. Remember that until you finalize the research, the questions or objectives can still be deleted. If you see that the results of your research or one or two questions are not valid, it is better to avoid them. It might seem hard and you might need to request the help of your supervisor with this decision. However, it is a normal working process of research writing. 

Interpretation of the Research Findings

This part is devoted to describing your results and findings as well as your commenting on them. Focus on being as exhaustive as possible. The interpretations should include the results that came out unexpectedly. Explain the meaning of every result you received and demonstrate its practical application. Your research needs to be valid and relevant. With the interpretations section, you provide the proof that your research is in demand and carries some novelty. 

When writing your interpretations, remember to stay within the scope of the research you selected. Your interpretations cannot be on the random datum. 

If the findings are quite extensive, it is crucial to keep a connection between your interpretations in the research, to preserve the logical structure. The reader should not be confused after reading the paper. As a hint, use appendixes and follow the formatting rules

Limitations 

Although you are aiming at conducting research that will have a practical application, you will still hit certain bumps. In the section limitations, you specify the constraints that prevented you from figuring out certain details. The constraints become a topic of other research in the future. You need to state the reasons why some results or findings were impossible to acquire. Further on, in the next section, you propose the solutions.

Recommendation for Future Application of the Research Findings

After you present the interpretations and limitations, you are to explain how your findings can be applied. By this time, all your objectives are proofread and approved. It is a part in which you take every piece of findings and provide your vision. Regardless of the topic either electrical engineering or teaching techniques, the algorithm of recommendations provided in the research is the same. 

Conclusion

Compiling research is a task that requires patience, knowledge, and attention. It seems like analyzing the datum in the field you have been studying a lot is easy. It might be easy. However, arranging the research layout, presenting your views in a format that is clear enough for the target reader to understand your idea is a different skill. With that in mind, try using professional services to improve the quality of your work and get a better grade.