How to Write a Discussion Section of a Thesis
1. Summarize Your Key Findings
- Reiterate your research problem and its significance.
- Summarize the major findings of your research clearly and concisely.
2. Share Your Interpretations
- Identify patterns or relationships among your data.
- Discuss whether the results met your expectations or not.
- Contextualize your findings within the framework of existing research.
- Explain any unexpected results and offer potential reasons for them.
- Consider alternative explanations for your results.
3. Discuss the Implications
- Discuss the relevance and broader implications of your research findings.
- Relate your results to previously discussed literature and existing knowledge.
- Explore the new insights or contributions your research makes to the field.
4. Acknowledge the Limitations
- Provide a clear picture of what conclusions can be drawn from your study despite its limitations.
- Evaluate the potential impact limitations might have had on the results and their interpretation.
- Explain why your results are still valid for answering your research question.
5. State Your Recommendations
- Make recommendations for practical implementation of your findings.
- Suggest concrete ideas for future research directions or improvements.