How to write an effective discussion and conclusion
How to write an effective discussion and conclusion
Author Resources > Reporting statistics for a journal article > Writing a discussion and conclusion
The conclusion is often considered the most difficult aspect of a manuscript to write. To help, we will answer common questions and share examples of effective conclusions and discussions from published manuscripts. We will also share a basic structure for you to model your discussion around, and questions you can ask yourself when writing a conclusion and discussion that will guide you through the process.
What is the difference between a discussion and a conclusion?
The discussion and conclusion sections always serve the same purpose: concluding what your study results mean. Both sections inform readers about what can be learned from your experiment while also providing context for the results. This remains the same, regardless of the journal you submit to.
How do I know if my discussions and conclusions are effective?
Discussions and conclusions aim to answer the question: what do your results mean? In other words, they should interpret your results. That is why an effective discussion and conclusion section highlights study results and outcomes.
When you are ready to write your discussion or conclusion, you have already introduced the purpose of your study and provided an in-depth description of the methodology. These sections inform readers about the larger implications of your study based on the results. Highlighting these implications while not overstating the findings can be challenging. This is particularly important if you are submitting to a journal that selects articles based on novelty or potential impact.
- the results of your research,
- a discussion of related research, and
- a comparison between your results and initial hypothesis.
Examples of effective discussions and conclusions
What does an outstanding discussion and conclusion look like?
Summarize the key findings in clear and concise language
"The general recommendations for actions to reduce plastic pollution that emerged from the present study were: (1) refuse non-necessary plastic items, such as straws; (2) reduce dependence on traditionally single-use plastic items (e.g. shampoo bottles), for example by refilling or buying larger bottles; (3) replace plastic items with reusable and/or alternative products with a lower environment impact; (4) correctly dispose of items, such as wet wipes, that may be essential and this impossible to refuse or reuse."
Acknowledge when a hypothesis may be incorrect
"All reported neck postures attained by live giraffes in the wild can be replicated with the virtual skeleton range of motion without disarticulating the cervical vertebrae. Therefore, the cervical range of motion of extinct vertebrates should follow the same criteria until evidence suggests otherwise. Hypothesis (ii) “some neck postures attained in life require disarticulating vertebrae", can be refuted.
Ontogenetic similarities between giraffe and sauropod neck osteological mobility
Place your study within the context of previous studies
"Our results, consistent with a number of studies of other species suggest that body mass, rather than CIs (condition indices), may be one of the most useful measures for linking nutritional changes to population dynamics."
Discuss potential future research
"Our results open an exciting new avenue of study focused on laryngeal variation among further mammalian clades, which will provide the context required to determine how particular the differences we observe here are to the evolution of the primate larynx. If the relative flexibility of the primate larynx is robust to future analyses with more clades, it would indicate an increased capacity to explore trait space in our lineage, which may in turn explain why primates have developed such diverse and complex uses of the vocal organ."
Provide the reader with a "take-away" statement to end the manuscript
"This further reinforces the notion that beyond being the apex predator of the latest Cretaceous Laurasian ecosystems, the tyrannosaurids were amongst the most accomplished hunters amongst large bodied theropods. We find that their anatomy, at once efficient and elegant, yet also capable of bursts of incredible violence and brute force, lives up to their monikers as the tyrant kings and queens, of the dinosaurs."
What to include in a discussion and conclusion
When drafting your discussion and conclusion sections, consider the following questions:
- Was my hypothesis correct?
- If my hypothesis is partially correct or entirely different, what can be learned from the results?
- How do the conclusions reshape or add to existing knowledge in the field? What does previous research say about the topic?
- Are your results consistent with other findings? If not, you should discuss why that is the case.
- Why are the results significant or relevant to your audience? Do they add further evidence to a scientific consensus or disprove prior studies?
- How could your findings be applied? How can future research build on these observations? What are the key experiments to carry out?
- What is the “take-home” message you want your readers to leave with?
- What were the limitations of your study? This shows reviewers and readers that you have considered the weaknesses of your research.
- What do your results mean for researchers in the same field as you? What about researchers in other fields, and the general public?
By implementing the above suggestions, you will make a lasting positive impression on the editors and reviewers that work on your submission, as it makes it clear that you have an in-depth understanding of your topic and can think objectively about your research.
How to structure your discussion
Trying to fit a complete discussion or conclusion into a single paragraph can add unnecessary stress to the writing process. If possible, you will want to give yourself two or three paragraphs to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of your study as a whole. Here is one way to structure an insightful discussion and conclusion.
Writing an effective discussion and conclusion
What to prioritize when you create a discussion or conclusion
- Read the journal’s guidelines on the discussion and conclusion sections. If possible, learn about the guidelines before writing the discussion to ensure you are writing to meet their expectations.
- Begin with a clear statement of the principal findings. This will reinforce the main take-away for the reader and set up the rest of the discussion.
- Explain why the outcomes of your study are important to the reader. Discuss the implications of your findings realistically based on previous literature, highlighting both the strengths and limitations of the research.
- State whether the results prove or disprove your hypothesis. If your hypothesis was disproved, what might be the reasons?
- Introduce new or expanded ways to think about the research question. Indicate what next steps can be taken to further pursue any unresolved questions.
- If dealing with a contemporary or ongoing problem, such as climate change, discuss possible consequences if the problem is avoided.
- Be concise. Adding unnecessary detail can distract from the main findings.
What to avoid when writing a conclusion or a discussion?
- Rewrite your abstract. Statements with “we investigated” or “we studied” generally do not belong in the discussion.
- Include original arguments or evidence not previously discussed. Information and evidence should be included in the main body of the paper.
- Apologize. Even if your research contains significant limitations, do not undermine your authority by including statements that doubt your methodology or execution.
- Shy away from mentioning limitations or negative results. Including limitations and negative results will give readers a complete understanding of the presented research. Potential limitations include sources of potential bias, threats to internal or external validity, barriers to implementing an intervention and other issues inherent to the study design.
- Overstate the importance of your findings. Making grand statements about how a study will fully resolve large questions can lead readers to doubt the success of the research.
Final thoughts
The conclusion is often considered the most difficult aspect of a manuscript to write. This is because it can be challenging to balance highlighting implications while not overstating findings. This is further complicated when submitting to a journal that selects articles based on novelty or potential impact. Follow these simple steps to structure and write an effective discussion and conclusion.
