How to Write a Discussion Section

As you work to finalize your thesis or dissertation, the discussion section represents a critical opportunity to delve into the meaning and implications of your research findings. This section allows you to move beyond simply reporting your results to thoughtfully interpreting their significance and situating them within the broader academic landscape.

The discussion section should focus on the following:

1. Summary: Provide a concise recap of your key results.
2. Interpretations: Explain your results and how they relate to your research questions or hypotheses.
3. Implications: Discuss the broader importance and relevance of your findings. Why do these results matter?
4. Limitations: Acknowledge your study’s constraints or boundaries. What do your results not tell us?
5. Recommendations: Suggest potential directions for future research or analysis based on your work.

Purpose of the Discussion Section

The purpose of the discussion section in a research paper is to interpret and contextualize your study results, relating them to your research questions or hypotheses and the broader field of study. This critical part of your paper should summarize key findings in the results section, then delve into their underlying meaning and significance.

A good discussion section enhances the reader’s understanding of the research problem by comparing your findings with prior research surveyed in the literature review, addressing any limitations of your study, and suggesting avenues for future research.

What Not to Include in Your Discussion

When writing the discussion chapter, be sure to steer clear of these common missteps:

• Don’t Introduce New Findings: The discussion should be limited to interpreting your already presented results. Introducing new data here would be inappropriate. 
• Avoid Unsupported Claims: While the discussion allows for more interpretation, you must ground your assertions in your actual evidence. Resist the temptation to make inflated or speculative claims.
• Don’t Undermine Your Research: Acknowledging limitations is essential, but don’t dwell on weaknesses to the point of undermining your findings. Maintain a balanced perspective.

5 Steps to a Compelling Discussion

The discussion section of your paper is your chance to make an impact on your research truly. When you write the discussion section, you can provide an insightful interpretation of the findings and compare your results to existing literature. By following these five steps, you can craft an effective discussion that is well-reasoned and impactful:

1. Start with a clear summary of the main results of your study.
2. Provide a thorough interpretation of the findings, explaining their significance.
3. Compare your results with previous research in the field.
4. Address the limitations of your study honestly.
5. Suggest implications and future research directions.

By incorporating these elements, you’ll create an effective discussion section that bridges your results with the broader context of your research paper, setting the stage for a strong conclusion section.

Step 1: Summarize Your Key Findings

Begin your discussion section by revisiting the core research problem or question that your study sought to address. Then, summarize your primary findings concisely – the key takeaways that directly answer this central objective. 

Avoid rehashing the specific data points you presented in the results section. Instead, aim for a clear, overarching statement that distills the essence of what your research has revealed. This high-level summary should be succinct, typically no more than a single paragraph.

Remember, the discussion is distinct from the results section in that it should involve more subjective interpretation and evaluation of your findings. Whereas the results section presented the data objectively, the discussion is your opportunity to delve into the meaning and significance of those results.

Example Summarization Statements

• The findings reveal that…
• The data illustrate a relationship between…
• The results provide evidence supporting the notion that…
• The analysis points to the conclusion that…
• The evidence suggests the possibility that…
• The investigation shows that…
• The observations indicate…

Step 2: Give Your Interpretations

This is your opportunity to delve into your findings’ more profound meaning and significance. Rather than simply restating the results, use this section to thoughtfully explain what your data reveals.

Some practical approaches to interpreting your results include:

• Identifying significant correlations, patterns, or relationships emerging from the data
• Evaluating whether the outcomes matched your initial hypotheses or expectations
• Contextualizing your findings within the existing body of research and theoretical frameworks
• Offering explanations for any unexpected or surprising results
• Considering alternative interpretations or plausible explanations for your observations

You can organize this discussion around your central research questions, key themes, or the most impactful takeaways. The goal is to move beyond just reporting the data to provide your expert analysis of its meaning.

By thoroughly unpacking the implications of your results, you can help the reader understand the true importance and relevance of your research contribution.

Example Interpretation Statements

• Aligning with the hypothesis…
• In contrast to the expected connection…
• The findings challenge Smith’s (2022) assertions that…
• The results could imply x. Nevertheless, considering analogous research, a more convincing interpretation is y.

The discussion section is your chance to demonstrate your deep understanding of the subject matter and guide the reader toward meaningful conclusions.

Step 3: Discuss the Implications

Beyond simply interpreting the meaning of your results, it’s crucial to relate your findings back to the broader scholarly context you examined in your literature review. This is where you demonstrate how your work fits into and contributes to the existing knowledge base.

Ask yourself the following questions to guide this paragraph of the discussion section:

• Do your results support, challenge, or expand upon the theories and models presented in prior research? What new insights do they provide?
• What are the practical implications of your findings? How might they inform real-world applications, policies, or interventions?
• Your goal is to communicate the significance and consequences of your research, showing the reader why your work matters and what it adds to the current understanding of the topic.

Example Implication Statements

• These findings further support the existing body of evidence regarding…
• The results are inconsistent with the established theory that…
• The experiment offers a fresh perspective on the connection between…
• It’s essential to consider these results when determining how to…
• The data enhance our understanding of…
• While prior research has concentrated on x, these results indicate that y.

Step 4: Acknowledge the Limitations

Every research endeavor comes with its set of constraints. Acknowledging these is crucial to uphold your credibility. Limitations don’t merely entail listing errors but providing an accurate depiction of what can and cannot be inferred from your study.

Limitations may stem from your overall research design, specific methodological decisions, or unforeseen challenges encountered during the research process.

Note: Only mention limitations directly pertinent to your research objectives. Then, discuss their impact on achieving your research aims.

Here are some common scenarios:

• If your sample size was small or restricted to a particular group, elaborate on how this affects generalizability.
• If you faced data collection or analysis challenges, discuss their implications on the results.
• If there are potential confounding variables beyond your control, acknowledge their potential impact.
• After outlining the limitations, reaffirm why the results remain valid in addressing your research question.

Examples: Starting sentences for addressing limitations

• The generalizability of the findings is constrained by…
• The reliability of these data is influenced by…
• The absence of data on x prevents conclusive confirmation of the results…
• Methodological choices were limited by…
• This study does not encompass…

Step 5: Share Your Recommendations

Drawing from the discussion of your findings, you can propose recommendations for practical application or for future research endeavors. At times, these recommendations may be reserved for the conclusion.

Suggestions for further research can naturally stem from the limitations identified. Rather than simply suggesting more studies, provide specific ideas on how future endeavors can expand upon aspects that your own research couldn’t address.

Examples: Starting sentences for recommendations

• Additional research is warranted to establish…
• Subsequent studies should consider…
• Potential paths for future research encompass…

Example Discussion Section

Here is an example of a discussion section that illustrates these key principles: