Your results are in, so now what?
You know why you did your study and how you did it. And you’ve got some great results. Now, in your research paper discussion section, you need to make your findings matter. What have you contributed? How do your results reshape what we know? What’s next for your field?
Your research paper discussion needs to tread a careful path between the extremes of simply restating your findings or making sweeping claims that your results do not back up. So, how do you ensure your findings get noticed in the vast sea of knowledge?
Zoom out: connect your findings to the bigger picture
Your research paper introduction zoomed in: you funnelled your readers into your specific research question. Now, in the discussion, you zoom out again. This is where you position your findings within the larger scientific landscape and consider how they influence the broader scientific conversation.
Throughout your research paper discussion, keep asking yourself, “What is the added value of my research?”. Highlight how your study advances knowledge and where its outcomes can be applied within your field and beyond. Remember you are pitching your findings. So avoid vague statements. Be explicit about what your results reveal and why they matter. State clearly whether your study reinforces existing theories, challenges cherished assumptions or uncovers something no one expected.
Be selective in citing previous studies
Your research paper discussion is not a literature review. Choose the publications that are most relevant to your findings and that align with your research question. The goal is to help your readers understand where your research fits into the broader scheme of things. Questions worth considering when you decide whether or not to include a publication are:
- Does it support or refute your results (and state why this matters)?
- Does it contain assumptions, concepts or theories your research confirms or challenges?
- Does it highlight a knowledge gap your research fills?
- Does it contain an approach or methodology your research deviates from (state why)?
Address relevant strengths and limitations
Focus on the strengths and limitations of your study that affect the validity of your findings. Carefully criticise your research methodology and state how it can be improved and refined.
Start by highlighting the strengths of your study. For instance:
- Why is your methodology stronger than that of previous studies?
- How did you ensure the robustness and validity of your results?
- Which potential pitfalls did you manage to avoid?
Next, be specific (no laundry list of every possible flaw) about the limitations you encountered in your study and provide concrete suggestions for how future research might address these challenges.
Move beyond the bland “more research is needed”
Your research doesn’t end with this paper. It sparks further questions and opportunities for exploration. So don’t undermine your research paper discussion with a bland “more research is needed”. Instead of vague statements, carefully consider the next steps in your research thread. For example:
- What new research questions have emerged from your findings?
How should these be explored, and why? - State well-considered avenues for further research and the possible applications of your findings. This move will underscore the value of your study in advancing scientific knowledge and create openings for future collaborations with readers interested in your work.
Key takeaways
- Connect your findings to existing academic knowledge. Describe how your research advances your field and highlight its implications for other areas.
- Be strategic and selective when you compare your results to previous studies. Focus on studies most relevant to your research and which underscore its added value.
- Critique your research methodology. Address relevant strengths and limitations to reinforce the validity of your findings.
- Move beyond “more research is needed”. State clear avenues for further research that create possibilities for future collaboration.
Reach out
The discussion wraps up your research paper. It ensures your findings get noticed in the sea of knowledge and opens avenues for future research and collaborations.
Need help refining your research paper discussion?
Then contact The Golden Thread. We’ll be happy to help you shape your discussion and give your research paper the final human editing touch.
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