Writing the parts of scientific reports

21 Writing the discussion chapter

General

This section is as important as the previous one – the results section. It is often the most difficult to write. In some papers this part is the final section, which means it ends with a short summary or conclusion regarding the significance of the work.

In this section you analyse and explain findings. Were they what you expected? Were they consistent with your hypothesis, your aim and objectives? Did they fit the theory or seem to disprove it? How are they significant? It is important to keep an open and objective mind. For your project – and your supervisor – it might be more important that you understand the significance of your results than that your hypothesis is proved right or wrong.

While the results section is more descriptive (focus on facts), the discussion section is more interpretive (focus on points). Discussion sections should be more than summaries, they must go beyond the results because they do not recapitulate but discuss them. They should be more theoretical, abstract, general, more concerned with implications or applications.  And: the discussion should indicate whether the results provide a solution to the problems (aims and objectives) stated in the introduction.  In the discussion you also note strengths and limitations of the investigation.

Overall  (possible) structure of this section

Paragraph 1: Background information on the study

 

 

 

 

 Step 1: Restate the purpose of your study (e.g in this paper I have investigated../ the main purpose of this paper has been to….)

Step 2: Summarize/ highlight  the main findings

Step 3: Point out the value of your study (optional)
Paragraph 2/3/4/etc: Discussing the findings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 State the findings (compulsory)

Possible steps:

  • Compare the finding with other studies
  • Explain the finding by providing an example
  • Interpret your data by making suggestions as to why your results are as they are (Hypothesise on specific findings)
  • Highlight weaknesses
  • Point to recommend a course of action and/ or identify useful areas of further research
  • Anticipate and deal with potential criticism

Language focus

Whereas statements in your results section may be quite specific and closely tied to data (e.g. ‘As can be seen in table 1…’), statements in the discussion section can be more general (use e.g. overall, in general, on the whole, the overall results indicate, with one exception the….)

Language focus dealing with limitations

Limitations are not weaknesses of your study but the question is what cannot be concluded.

    • It should be noted that this study has been primarily concerned with …
    • This analysis has concentrated on …
    • The findings of this study are restricted to …
    • The results of this study cannot be taken as evidence for…

See also Language focus of the next section, Writing the conclusion & recommendations.

For useful phrases to lead your reader through the discussion section (meta-language), go to the Academic Phrasebank, Discussing Findings.

 

Licence

Academic Writing in a Swiss University Context Copyright © 2018 by Irene Dietrichs. All Rights Reserved.