How To Compose A Good Discussion Section For A Research Paper

A discussion section is the part of a research paper that covers the various links to existing research. The student may want to discuss any correlations in their data and how they have interpreted the work. If the student has left open questions within their results, the discussion section is the place where they can discuss the implications of these questions and expand on them.

Getting Started

Many research papers end up with hypotheses that did not play out or unanswered questions. The discussion section will vary from person to person because the findings in each study are different. This is the portion of the research paper where students can cover why a hypothesis was rejected or why a graph did not show a significant discovery. Students will want to be critically honest about their experiment and consider any changes that could be made to the experiment's design. In general, the discussion section is more about what was not found or discoveries were dealt with than the actual results.

Read Through Examples

Before writing, students should always read through a few examples. This will help the student to learn the type of writing and format that will be expected. Often, these examples can be found online or in the library. If the student is having problems finding a good example, they can always ask their professor or academic adviser for help.

Begin Early

As the student carries out their project, there will natural questions about the results or the procedure for conducting the experiment. The student should write down all of these questions or observations because they can ultimately be used in the discussion section. By preparing early, students will make it easier to finish writing their research paper.

Think of It Like a Cone

Students should write this portion of their work in a cone shape. Basically, information should start at the most narrow level and then broaden like a cone. In the beginning, the first few paragraphs will address the specific observations and questions. As the student writes, they will expand on their narrative and explain how it connects to the entirety of their project.

Use Transition Words

To make it easier to read and emphasize certain points, students should use transition words as they write. This will signal to the reader that the topic is switching to something new. Some common transitions include: “Our findings show that...” , “Therefore...” , “Previous studies have found...” , “However...” , and “Our results show that...”.