{"id":4034,"date":"2022-08-21T09:14:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T07:14:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/?p=4034"},"modified":"2023-07-18T16:05:54","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T14:05:54","slug":"discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/dissertation\/discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Discussion Section | Tips &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"colorbox\" href=index-3548.html><img decoding=\"async\" src=index-3549.html alt=\"Discussion section flow chart\" width=\"275\" class=\"alignright ml-4\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The <strong>discussion section<\/strong> is where you delve into the meaning, importance, and relevance of your <a href=index-3112.html>results<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It should focus on explaining and evaluating what you found, showing how it relates to your <a href=index-1575.html>literature review<\/a> and paper or <a href=index-3269.html>dissertation topic<\/a>, and making an argument in support of your overall conclusion. It should <strong>not<\/strong> be a second results section.<\/p>\n<p>There are different ways to write this section, but you can focus your writing around these key elements:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li><strong><a href=index-3262.html>Summary<\/a>:<\/strong> A brief recap of your key results<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interpretations:<\/strong> What do your results mean?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Implications:<\/strong> Why do your results matter?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limitations:<\/strong> What can\u2019t your results tell us?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recommendations:<\/strong> Avenues for further studies or analyses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left yellow\"><figcaption>Note<\/figcaption>There is often overlap between your discussion and <a href=index-3138.html>conclusion section<\/a>, but these are usually separate sections. However, in some cases, these two sections are combined.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re unsure about your field&#8217;s best practices, check out <a href=index-3550.html>sample dissertations<\/a> in your field or your departmental guidelines.<\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"card youtubeContainer\"><iframe src=lfcgowtf_tc438d.html?rel=0\%22 frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"what-not-to-include\">What not to include in your discussion section<\/h2>\n<p>There are a few common mistakes to avoid when writing the discussion section of your paper.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-errorlist\">\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t introduce new results:<\/strong> You should only discuss the data that you have already reported in your <a href=index-3112.html>results section<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t make inflated claims:<\/strong> Avoid overinterpretation and speculation that isn\u2019t directly supported by your data.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t undermine your research:<\/strong> The discussion of limitations should aim to strengthen your credibility, not emphasize weaknesses or failures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"summarize\">Step 1: Summarize your key findings<\/h2>\n<p>Start this section by reiterating your <a href=index-2933.html>research problem<\/a> and concisely summarizing your major findings. To speed up the process you can use a <a href=index-990.html>summarizer<\/a> to quickly get an overview of all important findings. Don\u2019t just repeat all the data you have already reported\u2014aim for a clear statement of the overall result that directly answers your main <a href=index13a6.html?p=22914\%22>research question<\/a>. This should be no more than one paragraph.<\/p>\n<p>Many students struggle with the differences between a discussion section and a <a href=index-3112.html>results section<\/a>. The crux of the matter is that your results sections should present your results, and your discussion section should subjectively evaluate them. Try not to blend elements of these two sections, in order to keep your paper sharp.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Examples: Summarization sentence starters<\/figcaption><ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>The results indicate that\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The study demonstrates a correlation between\u2026<\/li>\n<li>This analysis supports the theory that\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The data suggest that\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"interpret\">Step 2: Give your interpretations<\/h2>\n<p>The meaning of your results may seem obvious to you, but it\u2019s important to spell out their significance for your reader, showing exactly how they answer your research question.<\/p>\n<p>The form of your interpretations will depend on the type of research, but some typical approaches to interpreting the data include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Identifying <a href=index-2995.html>correlations<\/a>, patterns, and relationships among the data<\/li>\n<li>Discussing whether the results met your expectations or supported your <a href=index-3551.html>hypotheses<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Contextualizing your findings within previous research and theory<\/li>\n<li>Explaining unexpected results and evaluating their significance<\/li>\n<li>Considering possible alternative explanations and making an argument for your position<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can organize your discussion around key themes, hypotheses, or research questions, following the same structure as your results section. Alternatively, you can also begin by highlighting the most significant or unexpected results.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Examples: Interpretation sentence starters<\/figcaption><ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>In line with the hypothesis\u2026<\/li>\n<li>Contrary to the hypothesized association\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The results contradict the claims of Smith (2022) that\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The results might suggest that <em>x<\/em>. However, based on the findings of similar studies, a more plausible explanation is <em>y<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"implications\">Step 3: Discuss the implications<\/h2>\n<p>As well as giving your own interpretations, make sure to relate your results back to the scholarly work that you surveyed in the <a href=index-1575.html>literature review<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n<p>Ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do your results support or challenge existing theories? If they support existing theories, what new information do they contribute? If they challenge existing theories, why do you think that is?<\/li>\n<li>Are there any practical implications?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your overall aim is to show the reader exactly what your research has contributed, and why they should care.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Examples: Implication sentence starters<\/figcaption><ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>These results build on existing evidence of\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The results do not fit with the theory that\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The experiment provides a new insight into the relationship between\u2026<\/li>\n<li>These results should be taken into account when considering how to\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The data contribute a clearer understanding of\u2026<\/li>\n<li>While previous research has focused on\u00a0<em>x<\/em>, these results demonstrate that <em>y<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"limitations\">Step 4: Acknowledge the limitations<\/h2>\n<p>Even the best research has its limitations. Acknowledging these is important to demonstrate your credibility. Limitations aren\u2019t about listing your errors, but about providing an accurate picture of what can and cannot be concluded from your study.<\/p>\n<p>Limitations might be due to your overall research design, specific <a href=index-1758.html>methodological choices<\/a>, or unanticipated obstacles that emerged during your research process.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left yellow\"><figcaption>Note<\/figcaption>You should only mention limitations that are directly relevant to your <a href=indexd7eb.html?p=24222\%22>research objectives<\/a>. Then, share how much impact they had on achieving the aims of your research.<\/figure>\n<p>Here are a few common possibilities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If your sample size was small or limited to a specific group of people, explain how <a href=index-2770.html>generalizability<\/a> is limited.<\/li>\n<li>If you encountered problems when gathering or analyzing data, explain how these influenced the results.<\/li>\n<li>If there are potential <a href=index-2784.html>confounding variables<\/a> that you were unable to control, acknowledge the effect these may have had.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After noting the limitations, you can reiterate why the results are nonetheless <a href=index-3552.html>valid<\/a> for the purpose of answering your research question.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Examples: Limitation sentence starters<\/figcaption><ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>The generalizability of the results is limited by\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=index-3552.html>reliability<\/a> of these data is impacted by\u2026<\/li>\n<li>Due to the lack of data on <em>x<\/em>, the results cannot confirm\u2026<\/li>\n<li>The methodological choices were constrained by\u2026<\/li>\n<li>It is beyond the <a href=index-3270.html>scope<\/a> of this study to\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"recommendations\">Step 5: Share your recommendations<\/h2>\n<p>Based on the discussion of your results, you can make recommendations for practical implementation or further research. Sometimes, the recommendations are saved for the <a href=index-3138.html>conclusion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Suggestions for further research can lead directly from the limitations. Don\u2019t just state that more studies should be done\u2014give concrete ideas for how future work can build on areas that your own research was unable to address.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><figcaption>Examples: Recommendation sentence starters<\/figcaption><ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>Further research is needed to establish\u2026<\/li>\n<li>Future studies should take into account\u2026<\/li>\n<li>Avenues for future research include\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"example\">Discussion section example<\/h2>\n<p>Here is an example of how you can introduce your discussion section. Note that it includes everything mentioned above: notably research outcomes, limitations, interpretations, and avenues for future research.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=index-3553.html alt=\"Discussion section example\" width=\"660px\" class=\"aligncenter mt-4 mb-4\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"other\"><strong>Other interesting articles<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!<\/p>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md\" style=\"background-color: #e8f2fc; padding: 1.27rem 1.56rem; line-height: 1.8; border-radius: .5rem; margin-right: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;\">\n<p><strong><em class=\"fa fa-search\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em>Research bias<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding: 5px;\">\n<li><a href=index-2964.html>Anchoring bias<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3278.html>Halo effect<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3554.html>The Baader\u2013Meinhof phenomenon<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3047.html>The placebo effect<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-3555.html>Nonresponse bias <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\" style=\"background-color: #e8f2fc; padding: 1.27rem 1.56rem; line-height: 1.8; border-radius: .5rem; margin-right: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;\">\n<p><strong><em class=\"fa fa-desktop\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em>\u00a0AI<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding: 5px;\">\n<li><a href=index-1585.html>Deep learning <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1586.html>Generative AI<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1587.html>Machine learning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1588.html>Reinforcement learning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1589.html>Supervised vs. unsupervised learning<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\" style=\"background-color: #e8f2fc; padding: 1.27rem 1.56rem; line-height: 1.8; border-radius: .5rem; margin-right: 0.5rem; margin-top: 0.5rem;\">\n<p><strong><em class=\"fa fa-cogs\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/em>\u00a0(AI) Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding: 5px;\">\n<li><a href=index-989.html>Grammar Checker<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-988.html>Paraphrasing Tool<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-990.html>Text Summarizer<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-1590.html>AI Detector<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-931.html>Plagiarism Checker<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=index-991.html>Citation Generator<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <h2>Frequently asked questions about discussion sections<\/h2>\n<dl class=\"faq-list faq-list--arrows w-100 my-5\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"what-goes-in-the-discussion-chapter-of-a-dissertation\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=index-3556.html class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What goes in the discussion chapter of a dissertation?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"what-goes-in-the-discussion-chapter-of-a-dissertation-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>In the <a href=index-3013.html>discussion<\/a>, you explore the meaning and relevance of your <a href=index-3112.html>research results<\/a>, explaining how they fit with existing research and theory. Discuss:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your\u00a0<strong>interpretations<\/strong>: what do the results tell us?<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>implications<\/strong>: why do the results matter?<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>limitation<\/strong><strong>s<\/strong>: what can&#8217;t the results tell us?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"results-vs-discussion\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=index-3557.html class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What&#8217;s the difference between results and discussion?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"results-vs-discussion-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>The <a href=index-3112.html>results<\/a> chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The <a href=index-3013.html>discussion<\/a> interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=index-3558.html>qualitative research<\/a>, results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in <a href=index-2992.html>quantitative research<\/a>, it&#8217;s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n            <div itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\">\n            <dt id=\"discussion-vs-conclusion\" class=\"faq-list__title\">\n                <a href=index-3559.html class=\"faq-list__link qa-faq-anchor\">\n                    <span itemprop=\"name\">\n                        What&#8217;s the difference between the discussion and the conclusion?\n                    <\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/dt>\n            <dd id=\"discussion-vs-conclusion-answer\" class=\"faq-list__answer qa-faq-answer kb-article-styles\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\">\n                <div itemprop=\"text\">\n                                        <p>In a thesis or dissertation, the <a href=index-3013.html>discussion<\/a> is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.<\/p>\n<p>The<a href=index-3138.html> conclusion<\/a> is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main <a href=index-1762.html>research question<\/a> and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.<\/p>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/dd>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/dl>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The discussion section 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 paper or dissertation topic, and making an argument in support of your overall conclusion. It should not be a second [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[14863,73],"tags":[50088,50091],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>How to Write a Discussion Section | Tips &amp; Examples<\/title>\n
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