A Complete Guide to Forming a Research Paper Discussion

Writing a comprehensive research paper is not an easy task. It requires complete focus and grip on presenting arguments with supporting references from credible research sources like journal articles, books, conference papers, and so on.

The discussion part of a research paper enhances the reader’s understanding because it contains the analysis of the information presented in the literature review, introduction, results and findings sections. Most of the students struggle to write perfectly crafted analysis content in the paper due to unfamiliarity with the right steps.

They usually mix the elements of the conclusion and discussion section, resulting in unstructured or ineffective sentences being outlined in the discussion & analysis section. Some research studies contain discussion & analysis content in one section to comprehensively form a study.

What is the Purpose of a Discussion Section?

The discussion section is meant to contextualise the whole content of the research paper into one comprehensive section. It provides the overall picture of the sections written up to the literature review or introduction in the form of a portion containing interpretation, analysis, and explanation.

The discussion section of the paper tells why the results are important and where they fit in the current literature while discussing the limitations of the study as well.

Things to Avoid While Writing the Discussion Portion of a Research Paper

Students, while writing dissertations or SCI papers, usually make some mistakes when writing the discussion section of the study. It has been observed that they usually mix the elements of the conclusion or other sections with the discussion & analysis portion.

Make sure to consider the below points to avoid making errors in your research study.

• Rewriting the Results Section

Students usually write the sentences of the results and findings section in this particular section due to lack of guidance and make this portion subtle for the readers to land straight to the point. You should provide the interpretation and analysis of the arguments discussed above instead of presenting a fruitless summary.

• Drawing Conclusions without References

Researchers mistakenly draw the conclusions in this section without presenting the supporting arguments placed in the literature review of the study. Try to remain within the demarcations that you have drawn before starting to write, and only back up your evidence with the data being used.

• Adding New Information

Don’t confuse your paper by presenting the new pieces of information in the discussion section. If you have something really important to tell your audience, use the results or findings section instead. The discussion section is only limited to encompassing the data already presented in the above sections.

• Selective Addition of Results

There are chances that you may get some results and findings that are not in accordance with your research questions or aims outlined in the introduction portion. It’s totally fine to get the results apart from the expectations.

The research paper discussion section is the place to only discuss why or how this may have happened to present the favouring evidence in your research paper.

• Avoid Undermining Your Research

Try not to overemphasise the limitations or weaknesses present in your study because it weakens the credibility of your content. Discuss the limitations in the content that strengthens your credibility instead of raising questions on it.

How to Write a Discussion in a Research Paper?

The most common question that we have received at ResearchProspect from students of all study levels, undergraduate, master, PhD, is how to write a discussion in a research paper. It seems that students associated with the different fields of research studies lack the skill of putting the arguments in a structured way to convince their readers.

That’s why after consulting the top researchers of the whole world, we have devised some chronological steps that are easy to follow for every student. Make sure to use the below steps while writing the discussion section of a research paper.

• Concisely Present Key Findings

Start your research paper discussion section by presenting your research problems and major findings concisely in your paper. Try not to just repeat the data presented above instead, aim for a clear statement that directly answers your main research questions.

Don’t write more than one paragraph and precisely evaluate the findings and discussions to not blend elements of the conclusion and discussions section.

• Present Interpretations of Findings in Context

It is obvious that the results you are trying to derive from your research study may seem quite clear to you, but the case is not for all the readers. That’s why, try to present your interpretations based on the type of research methodology you have used.

You can use this section to base your whole idea around the key findings in relation to the literature review to show the larger image of your research study to the audience new to this concept or field of study.

• Discuss Future Implications of Research

After discussing the key findings, you can jump on to the future implications present in your study. Highlight the ideas that readers can use for conducting further studies based on your research paper.

You need to ask yourself some questions, like what new information has been deduced from the results or findings section. Ensure to discuss the results or findings in line with your research questions or not to open the door for non relevant studies.

• Highlight Limitations

It has been observed that every research study contains some limitations, either in research gaps being addressed or in research questions left out from being discussed. It helps you to strengthen the credibility of your research study.

Remember that limitations are not simply a list of mistakes or errors present in the paper. Instead it helps the readers to view the content in a wider picture. Make sure to only list down the limitations directly related to your topic of discussion or research aims that you want to achieve.

• Highlight Areas of Potential Research (Recommendations)

Present concrete ideas for future work and pinpoint the areas where there is a need to conduct further research studies. Make sure to provide a stepping stone to the coming researchers to make them able to build arguments on areas that your own research paper was unable to address.

What is the Difference Between Discussion and Conclusion Section in a Research Paper?

The conclusion holds the precise summary of the arguments or data presented in the whole paper to provide a recap of the whole journey in a few paragraphs. On the other hand, the discussion section is the thorough examination of results being interpreted to discuss how or why they are the way they are.

Moreover, the research paper discussion section is also used to highlight the limitations of the study or pinpoint research gaps for future implications. All in all, it is a meaningful section presenting the implications with a detailed discussion.

How Can the Main Points of the Discussion Section be Constructed?

Generally, the discussion section of the research paper should not be more than 6 to 7 paragraphs in accordance with the length of the introduction, literature review, results, and methodology section. Make sure to divide the portion into 3 separate paragraphs: introductory, intermediate, and concluding paragraph.

The introduction paragraph must contain the reason behind conducting the research studies, and the intermediate paragraph must present the issue with solutions being addressed, implications of future research, recommendations for future studies, and how the paper under observation solves specific issues to be discussed in the conclusion portion.

Conclusion

Writing a dissertation study or a term paper requires a lot of focus or a firm grip on the concepts of the research study in the best manner to make it readable or beneficial for the user. The art of putting the right words in the right place increases the credibility of the arguments being presented.

You must learn this art to write perfectly the research paper discussion section for conducting the perfect research study. If you are stuck halfway through writing the discussion part of your research paper, you can consult our experts to complete the study on time so that you won’t miss the submission deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions