How to Write a Discussion Section for a Research Paper - Wordvice

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Wordvice How to Write a Discussion Section for a Research Paper
Oct 12, 2022 78,177
How to Write a Discussion Section for a

Research Paper
Wordvice HJ
We’ve talked about several useful writing tips that authors Search...
should consider while drafting or editing their research
papers. In particular, we’ve focused on figures and legends,
as well as the Introduction, Methods, and Results. Now that
Editing &
we’ve addressed the more technical portions of your Proofreading
journal manuscript, let’s turn to the analytical segments of Prices
your research article. In this article, we’ll provide tips on
how to write a strong Discussion section that best portrays
the significance of your research contributions. Academic Editing Price
What is the Discussion section of a

Admissions Editing Price
research paper?
https://blog.wordvice.com/research-writing-tips-editing-manuscript-discussion/ Page 1 of 15
In a nutshell, your Discussion fulfills the promise you

Academic Editing
made to readers in your Introduction. At the beginning Services
of your paper, you tell us why we should care about your
research. You then guide us through a series of intricate
Admissions Editing
images and graphs that capture all the relevant data you
Services
collected during your research. We may be dazzled and
impressed at first, but none of that matters if you deliver
an anti-climactic conclusion in the Discussion section!
Categories
Are you feeling pressured? Don’t worry. To be honest, you

Academic
will edit the Discussion section of your manuscript
numerous times. After all, in as little as one to two Writing and Grammar
Journal Submissions
paragraphs (Nature‘s suggestion based on their 3,000-word
Manuscript Preparation
main body text limit), you have to explain how your
Writing Help Center
research moves us from point A (issues you raise in the
Industry Hot Topics
Introduction) to point B (our new understanding of these
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matters). You must also recommend how we might get to
point C (i.e., identify what you think is the next direction for
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research in this field). That’s a lot to say in two paragraphs!
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So, how do you do that? Let’s take a closer look.
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What should I include in the Resume/CV/Cover Letter
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Discussion section?
As we stated above, the goal of your Discussion section is
to answer the questions you raise in your Introduction
by using the results you collected during your research.
The content you include in the Discussions segment should
include the following information:
1. Remind us why we should be interested in this

research project.
2. Describe the nature of the knowledge gap you were

trying to fill using the results of your study.
3. Don’t repeat your Introduction. Instead, focus on

why this particular study was needed to fill the gap
you noticed and why that gap needed filling in the
first place.
4. Mainly, you want to remind us of how your research

will increase our knowledge base and inspire others
to conduct further research.
5. Clearly tell us what that piece of missing knowledge

was.
6. Answer each of the questions you asked in your

Introduction and explain how your results support
those conclusions.
7. Make sure to factor in all results relevant to the

questions (even if those results were not statistically
significant).
8. Focus on the significance of the most noteworthy

results.
9. If conflicting inferences can be drawn from your

results, evaluate the merits of all of them.
10. Don’t rehash what you said earlier in the Results

section. Rather, discuss your findings in the context of
answering your hypothesis. Instead of making
statements like “[The first result] was this…,” say,
“[The first result] suggests [conclusion].”
11. Do your conclusions line up with existing literature?
12. Discuss whether your findings agree with current

knowledge and expectations.
13. Keep in mind good persuasive argument skills, such

as explaining the strengths of your arguments and
highlighting the weaknesses of contrary opinions.
14. If you discovered something unexpected, o"er

reasons. If your conclusions aren’t aligned with
current literature, explain.
15. Address any limitations of your study and how

relevant they are to interpreting your results and
validating your findings.
16. Make sure to acknowledge any weaknesses in your

conclusions and suggest room for further research
concerning that aspect of your analysis.
17. Make sure your suggestions aren’t ones that should

have been conducted during your research! Doing so
might raise questions about your initial research
design and protocols.
18. Similarly, maintain a critical but unapologetic tone.

You want to instill confidence in your readers that you
have thoroughly examined your results and have
objectively assessed them in a way that would benefit
the scientific community’s desire to expand our
knowledge base.
19. Recommend next steps.
20. Your suggestions should inspire other researchers to

conduct follow-up studies to build upon the
knowledge you have shared with them.
21. Keep the list short (no more than two).
How to Write the Discussion

Section
The above list of what to include in the Discussion section
gives an overall idea of what you need to focus on

throughout the section. Below are some tips and general
suggestions about the technical aspects of writing and
organization that you might find useful as you draft or
revise the contents we’ve outlined above.
Technical writing elements

1. Embrace active voice because it eliminates the
awkward phrasing and wordiness that accompanies
passive voice.
2. Use the present tense, which should also be

employed in the Introduction.
3. Sprinkle with first person pronouns if needed, but

generally, avoid it. We want to focus on your findings.
4. Maintain an objective and analytical tone.
Discussion section organization

1. Keep the same flow across the Results, Methods, and
Discussion sections.
2. We develop a rhythm as we read and parallel

structures facilitate our comprehension. When you
organize information the same way in each of these
related parts of your journal manuscript, we can
quickly see how a certain result was interpreted and
quickly verify the particular methods used to produce
that result.
3. Notice how using parallel structure will eliminate

extra narration in the Discussion part since we can
anticipate the flow of your ideas based on what we
read in the Results segment. Reducing wordiness is
important when you only have a few paragraphs to

devote to the Discussion section!
4. Within each subpart of a Discussion, the information

should flow as follows: (A) conclusion first, (B) relevant
results and how they relate to that conclusion and (C)
relevant literature.
5. End with a concise summary explaining the big-

picture impact of your study on our understanding of
the subject matter. At the beginning of your
Discussion section, you stated why this particular
study was needed to fill the gap you noticed and why
that gap needed filling in the first place. Now, it is
time to end with “how your research filled that gap.”
Discussion Part 1: Summarizing Key

Findings
Begin the Discussion section by restating your statement of
the problem and briefly summarizing the major results. Do
not simply repeat your findings. Rather, try to create a
concise statement of the main results that directly answer
the central research question that you stated in the
Introduction section. This content should not be longer
than one paragraph in length.
Many researchers struggle with understanding the precise

di"erences between a Discussion section and a Results
section. The most important thing to remember here is
that your Discussion section should subjectively evaluate
the findings presented in the Results section, and in
relatively the same order. Keep these sections distinct by
making sure that you do not repeat the findings without
providing an interpretation.
Phrase examples: Summarizing the

results
The findings indicate that …
These results suggest a correlation between A and B

…
The data present here suggest that …
An interpretation of the findings reveals a connection

between…
Discussion Part 2: Interpreting the

Findings
What do the results mean? It may seem obvious to you, but
simply looking at the figures in the Results section will not
necessarily convey to readers the importance of the
findings in answering your research questions.
The exact structure of interpretations depends on the type

of research being conducted. Here are some common
approaches to interpreting data:
Identifying correlations and relationships in the

findings
Explaining whether the results confirm or undermine

your research hypothesis
Giving the findings context within the history of

similar research studies
Discussing unexpected results and analyzing their

significance to your study or general research
O"ering alternative explanations and arguing for

your position
Organize the Discussion section around key arguments,

themes, hypotheses, or research questions or problems.
Again, make sure to follow the same order as you did in the
Results section.
Discussion Part 3: Discussing the

Implications
In addition to providing your own interpretations, show
how your results fit into the wider scholarly literature you
surveyed in the literature review section. This section is
called the implications of the study. Show where and how
these results fit into existing knowledge, what additional
insights they contribute, and any possible consequences
that might arise from this knowledge, both in the specific
research topic and in the wider scientific domain.
Questions to ask yourself when dealing with potential

implications:
Do your findings fall in line with existing theories, or

do they challenge these theories or findings? What
new information do they contribute to the literature,
if any? How exactly do these findings impact or
conflict with existing theories or models?
What are the practical implications on actual subjects

or demographics?
What are the methodological implications for similar

studies conducted either in the past or future?
Your purpose in giving the implications is to spell out

exactly what your study has contributed and why
researchers and other readers should be interested.
Phrase examples: Discussing the

implications of the research
These results confirm the existing evidence in X
studies…
The results are not in line with the foregoing theory

that…
This experiment provides new insights into the

connection between…
These findings present a more nuanced

understanding of…
While previous studies have focused on X, these

results demonstrate that Y.
Step 4: Acknowledging the

limitations
All research has study limitations of one sort or another.
Acknowledging limitations in methodology or approach
helps strengthen your credibility as a researcher. Study
limitations are not simply a list of mistakes made in the
study. Rather, limitations help provide a more detailed
picture of what can or cannot be concluded from your
findings. In essence, they help temper and qualify the
study implications you listed previously.
Study limitations can relate to research design,

specific methodological or material choices, or unexpected
issues that emerged while you conducted the research.
Mention only those limitations directly relate to your
research questions, and explain what impact these
limitations had on how your study was conducted and the
validity of any interpretations.
Possible types of study limitations:
Insu#cient sample size for statistical measurements
Lack of previous research studies on the topic
Methods/instruments/techniques used to collect the

data
Limited access to data
Time constraints in properly preparing and executing

the study
After discussing the study limitations, you can also stress

that your results are still valid. Give some specific reasons
why the limitations do not necessarily handicap your study
or narrow its scope.
Phrase examples: Limitations

sentence beginners
“There may be some possible limitations in this
study.”
“The findings of this study have to be seen in light of

some limitations.”
“The first limitation is the…The second limitation

concerns the…”
“The empirical results reported herein should be

considered in the light of some limitations.”
“This research, however, is subject to several

limitations.”
“The primary limitation to the generalization of these

results is…”
“Nonetheless, these results must be interpreted with

caution and a number of limitations should be borne
in mind.”
Discussion Part 5: Giving

Recommendations for Further
Research
Based on your interpretation and discussion of the
findings, your recommendations can include practical
changes to the study or specific further research to be
conducted to clarify the research questions.
Recommendations are often listed in a separate Conclusion
section, but often this is just the final paragraph of the
Discussion section.
Suggestions for further research often stem directly from

the limitations outlined. Rather than simply stating that
“further research should be conducted,” provide concrete
specifics for how future can help answer questions that
your research could not.
Phrase examples: Recommendation

sentence beginners
Further research is needed to establish …
There is abundant space for further progress in

analyzing…
A further study with more focus on X should be done

to investigate…
Further studies of X that account for these variables

must be undertaken.
Consider Receiving Professional

Language Editing
As you edit or draft your research manuscript, we hope
that you implement these guidelines to produce a more
e"ective Discussion section. And after completing your
draft, don’t forget to submit your work to a professional
proofreading and English editing service like Wordvice,
including our manuscript editing service for paper editing,
cover letter editing, SOP editing, and personal statement
proofreading services. Language editors not only
proofread and correct errors in grammar, punctuation,
mechanics, and formatting but also improve terms and
revise phrases so they read more naturally. Wordvice is an
industry leader in providing high-quality revision for all
types of academic documents.
For additional information about how to write a strong

research paper, make sure to check out our full research
writing series!
Wordvice Writing Resources

How to Write a Research Paper Introduction
Which Verb Tenses to Use in a Research Paper
How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper
How to Write a Research Paper Title
Useful Phrases for Academic Writing
Common Transition Terms in Academic Papers
Active and Passive Voice in Research Papers
100+ Verbs That Will Make Your Research Writing

Amazing
Tips for Paraphrasing in Research Papers
Additional Academic Resources

Guide for Authors. (Elsevier)
How to Write the Results Section of a Research

Paper. (Bates College)
Structure of a Research Paper. (University of

Minnesota Biomedical Library)
How to Choose a Target Journal (Springer)
How to Write Figures and Tables (UNC Writing

Center)
Our Academic Editing Services
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How to Write a Discussion Section for a Research Paper - Wordvice 31/03/2024, 00:44

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Proofreading & Editing Pricing Citation Tools Resources

Wordvice How to Write a Discussion Section for a Research Paper

Oct 12, 2022 78,177

How to Write a Discussion Section for a

What is the Discussion section of a

In a nutshell, your Discussion fulfills the promise you

Are you feeling pressured? Don’t worry. To be honest, you

What should I include in the Resume/CV/Cover Letter

1. Remind us why we should be interested in this

2. Describe the nature of the knowledge gap you were

3. Don’t repeat your Introduction. Instead, focus on

4. Mainly, you want to remind us of how your research

5. Clearly tell us what that piece of missing knowledge

6. Answer each of the questions you asked in your

7. Make sure to factor in all results relevant to the

8. Focus on the significance of the most noteworthy

9. If conflicting inferences can be drawn from your

10. Don’t rehash what you said earlier in the Results

11. Do your conclusions line up with existing literature?

12. Discuss whether your findings agree with current

13. Keep in mind good persuasive argument skills, such

highlighting the weaknesses of contrary opinions.

14. If you discovered something unexpected, o"er

15. Address any limitations of your study and how

16. Make sure to acknowledge any weaknesses in your

17. Make sure your suggestions aren’t ones that should

18. Similarly, maintain a critical but unapologetic tone.

19. Recommend next steps.

20. Your suggestions should inspire other researchers to

21. Keep the list short (no more than two).

How to Write the Discussion

gives an overall idea of what you need to focus on

Technical writing elements

2. Use the present tense, which should also be

3. Sprinkle with first person pronouns if needed, but

4. Maintain an objective and analytical tone.

Discussion section organization

2. We develop a rhythm as we read and parallel

3. Notice how using parallel structure will eliminate

important when you only have a few paragraphs to

4. Within each subpart of a Discussion, the information

5. End with a concise summary explaining the big-

Discussion Part 1: Summarizing Key

Many researchers struggle with understanding the precise

Phrase examples: Summarizing the

These results suggest a correlation between A and B

The data present here suggest that …

An interpretation of the findings reveals a connection

Discussion Part 2: Interpreting the

The exact structure of interpretations depends on the type

Identifying correlations and relationships in the

Explaining whether the results confirm or undermine

Giving the findings context within the history of

Discussing unexpected results and analyzing their

O"ering alternative explanations and arguing for

Organize the Discussion section around key arguments,

Discussion Part 3: Discussing the

Questions to ask yourself when dealing with potential

Do your findings fall in line with existing theories, or

What are the practical implications on actual subjects

What are the methodological implications for similar

Your purpose in giving the implications is to spell out

영문교정 英⽂润⾊英⽂編修英⽂校正 ingilizce düzeltme