Writing Chapter 5: Discussion of The Results
Writing Chapter 5: Discussion of The Results
The discussion chapter is where you delve into the meaning, importance and
relevance of your results. It should focus on explaining and evaluating what you
found, showing how it relates to your literature review and research questions, and
making an argument in support of your overall conclusion. There are many different
ways to write this section, but you can focus your discussion around four key
elements:
There is often overlap between the discussion and conclusion, and in some
dissertations these two sections are included in a single chapter. Occasionally, the
results and discussion will be combined into one chapter.
Examples
The form of your interpretations will depend on the type of research, but some typical
approaches to interpreting the data include:
Examples
Do your results agree with previous research? If so, what do they add to it?
Are your findings very different from other studies? If so, why might this be?
Do the results support or challenge existing theories?
Are there any practical implications?
Your overall aim is to show the reader exactly what your research has contributed and
why they should care.
Examples
For example, if your sample size was small or limited to a specific group of people,
note that this limits its generalizability. If you encountered problems when gathering
or analyzing data, explain how these influenced the results. If there are
potential confounding variables that you were unable to control, acknowledge the
effect these may have had.
After noting the limitations, you can reiterate why the results are nonetheless valid for
the purpose of answering your research questions.
Examples
Suggestions for further research can lead directly from the limitations. Don’t just state
that more studies should be done – give concrete ideas for how future work can build
on areas that your own research was unable to address.
Don’t introduce new results – you should only discuss the data that you have
already reported in the results chapter.
Don’t make inflated claims – avoid overinterpretation and speculation that
isn’t supported by your data.
Don’t undermine your research – the discussion of limitations should aim to
strengthen your credibility, not emphasize weaknesses or failures.