Effective techniques to present the discussions section of your dissertation/research paper

19 Jun 2023 Sushma V 1 Comment

Though all the chapters/section in your thesis or research paper have their own significant contribution to the making of a worthy document, the analytical and discussion chapters are the ones that truly highlight the way you have achieved the objectives of your research. These sections are the final part of your research and you must know how to make these sections impressive and clutter-free. Let us understand the specifics of the discussion section of your research. We will highlight the way this part of your research is to be implemented, what to consider and what are the things to avoid.

What is the discussion section of your research paper/thesis?

An effective discussion section of your research paper should present a comprehensive analysis of the findings that you have encountered in your research, the more unexpected they are, the better your research be. Since this is the final leg of your research, you must make sure not to elaborate things and keep them condensed, keeping in mind that the basics are not repeated because your target audience knows the subject well by reading thus far in your research. Once you have analysed and interpreted your findings, then you must put forth a brief significance of the things you have discussed by connecting your findings to the research objectives that you have stated. In simpler terms, you must show the importance of the things you have studied or an issue that you have brought up.

The purpose of the findings and discussions section

This section is supposed to start only when you have finished the exploration part of your research because the purpose here is to offer a clear context by discussing what is already done. In very clear and crisp terms, the purpose of the findings and discussion chapter of your research is to take relevant parts of each of the preceding chapters/sections and make it simpler for your target audience to connect the dots.

The discussion section must be split into at least three main parts. These three parts could be called by different names but should sequentially include the interpretation, the analytical part, and the required explanation. This means that your target reader should be given a review by showing what your outcome is and how it fits within the science. It is also required that in this chapter you are self-critical and mention the limitations that have been encountered by you. In order to make this section and impressive and effective, it is better to take professional experts help if you don’t feel confident about it.

What should be the length of the discussion chapter?

This question is tricky and there cannot be a generalized answer to this question because the length of the discussion chapter is going to vary depending upon the total length of your document as well as your subject. The thumb rule that you can apply here is that your discussion part should not be any longer than the sum of the other sections of your research. You must confine it to six to eight paragraphs and the word count to be anywhere between 1500-2500 words. It is obvious and imperative that your length is going to be directly correlated to the number of findings that you have but the discussion chapter should not repeat the findings word by word but just include the gist of it because the purpose is to divide your total amount of words for three vital sections.

What should be the structure of the discussion section of your document?

This is the most challenging question to answer for any student or researcher. But let us try and make it simpler, though as told earlier, one cannot generalize the sections, word count, and the number of paragraphs to be included in this section but one can have a fair idea about it that can be followed across all domains.

You must provide three main objectives in the research

Discussion of your research paper: You must begin with the main objective as well as answers thar explain your research and give a brief background of the methodology adopted by you. This section is quite succinct and brief and does not need much elaboration.
Analysing the findings: This is the mid-section of the discussion chapter and this is the section that should include the analytical writing. It should also have a brief comparison of the earlier research papers along with the references. The outcome here is to offer support to your study and the methods adopted by you in your research This is the sub section where you will first start showing the interpretation of your results and defend the answers which are the introduction to your findings.
Interpreting the results of your research: In the last leg of the discussion chapter/section, you must ensure to explicitly state the strength and limitations of your study by giving the interpretation of your results in a much greater depth. You must correlate your findings to the objectives that you have stated before, here. The flow of this section should be such that it should clearly indicate that this is the conclusive part of the research. You must frame the sentences in such a way that you should talk about the conclusion of your study and discuss the significance of your research paper. If you have been able to fill the gap in any existing field of research you must highlight it here at this point. However, be very clear and do not confuse the discussion and conclusion sections. The conclusion chapter is a different chapter and here you must only give a short review and write a research summary. You must take all the key points and explain the things in writing in succinct

1. What is the discussion section of your research paper/thesis?

Ans. An effective discussion section of your research paper should present a comprehensive analysis of the findings that you have encountered in your research, the more unexpected they are, the better your research be. Since this is the final leg of your research, you must make sure not to elaborate things and keep them condensed, keeping in mind that the basics are not repeated because your target audience knows the subject well by reading thus far in your research. Once you have analyzed and interpreted your findings, then you must put forth a brief significance of the things you have discussed by connecting your findings to the research objectives that you have stated. In simpler terms, you must show the importance of the things you have studied or an issue that you have brought up.

2. The purpose of the findings and discussions section

Ans. This section is supposed to start only when you have finished the exploration part of your research because the purpose here is to offer a clear context by discussing what is already done. In very clear and crisp terms, the purpose of the findings and discussion chapter of your research is to take relevant parts of each of the preceding chapters/sections and make it simpler for your target audience to connect the dots.
The discussion section must be split into at least three main parts. These three parts could be called by different names but should sequentially include the interpretation, the analytical part, and the required explanation. This means that your target reader should be given a review by showing what your outcome is and how it fits within the science. It is also required that in this chapter you are self-critical and mention the limitations that have been encountered by you. In order to make this section and impressive and effective, it is better to take a professional expert’s help if you don’t feel confident about it.

3. What should be the length of the discussion chapter?

Ans. This question is tricky and there cannot be a generalised answer to this question because the length of the discussion chapter is going to vary depending upon the total length of your document as well as your subject. The thumb rule that you can apply here is that your discussion part should not be any longer than the sum of the other sections of your research. You must confine it to six to eight paragraphs and the word count to be anywhere between 1500-2500 words. It is obvious and imperative that your length is going to be directly correlated to the number of findings that you have but the discussion chapter should not repeat the findings word by word but just include the gist of it because the purpose is to divide your total amount of words for three vital sections.

4. What should be the structure of the discussion section of your document?

Ans. This is the most challenging question to answer for any student or researcher. But let us try and make it simpler, though as told earlier, one cannot generalize the sections, word count, and the number of paragraphs to be included in this section but one can have a fair idea about it that can be followed across all domains.

You must provide three main objectives in the research

Discussion of your research paper: You must begin with the main objective as well as answers that explain your research and give a brief background of the methodology adopted by you. This section is quite succinct and brief and does not need much elaboration.
Analysing the findings: This is the mid-section of the discussion chapter and this is the section that should include the analytical writing. It should also have a brief comparison of the earlier research papers along with the references. The outcome here is to offer support to your study and the methods adopted by you in your research This is the sub-section where you will first starts showing the interpretation of your results and defend the answers which are the introduction to your findings.
Interpreting the results of your research: In the last leg of the discussion chapter/section, you must ensure to explicitly state mathe strength and limitations of your study by giving the interpretation of your results in a much greater depth. You must correlate your findings to your objectives that you have stated before, here. The flow of this section should be such that it should clearly indicate that this is the conclusive part of the research. You must frame the sentences in such a way that you should talk about the conclusion of your study and discuss the significance of your research paper. If you have been able to fill the gap in any existing field of research you must highlight it here at this point. However, be very clear and do not confuse between the discussion and conclusion section. The conclusion chapter is a different chapter and here you must only give a short review and write a research summary. You must take all the key points and explain the things in writing in a succinct manner.

Well, now how to write these three sub-sections in a succinct manner? Let us learn this by a sequential seven step guide to writing all the subsections of your discussion chapter/section

Make notes of all the previous chapters/sections of your research: you must start by reading through all the previous sections of your research and jot down the notes of the important points. The notes should flow in a sequential manner and start from the first part to the last part of the document in a sequential manner.
Create a framework of the main objectives of the thesis: Each thesis or research paper is going to be unique and so you must feel free to present things in a more condensed way, the way it suits your document and its uniqueness. Whatever subject you are dealing with, it must be related to the main problem and the framework of the objectives should be such that it is identifiable to the reading audience in context to the larger problem of the world.
Bring your findings in the forefront: Once the main research subject has been introduced, you must introduce your findings. You purpose of the findings must basically, take this as an opportunity to discuss what you have learnt. Make sure it is not a replica of your results here, but a simpler and clearer version of it as if explaining the outcome of your results to a layman for easier comprehension.
Give a layout of the process: you should give a layout of the process in an analytical tone right after you have given the discussion of your analysis. It might just be the most daunting thing to do if you are not aware of how to go about it.
Give an interpretation of the pros and cons of research: Do not highlight only the good or the bad parts as you provide an interpretation. It means that you must include all sides of your research as you look at the findings.
State the limitations of your research: It is where you should talk about the limitations and the challenges you have faced in the process of the research. Some of the limitations are quite general particularly the ones pertaining to paucity of resources and time and some of them could be specific to your topic and domain of study.
vii. The place your research holds in the scientific community: This basically means, it should highlight the position your research has in the scientific realm or the genre in which you have undertaken the study and the way it has filled a minor or a major gap and created a niche for itself.

Things to avoid in the discussion chapter/section

When you are at the initial stage of creating your results section, you need help in understanding what needs to be done and the time you start exploring notes and look back at the work done up until now, it is important to make sure that nothing of significance is missed and at the same time you are not going repetitive and bringing up things that have already been discussed again and again So, by now you know what needs to be done to create an effective discussions chapter but there are a few things that you need to refrain from doing and what are those things to avoid in creating the discussions chapter of your research? Let us have a look at the checklist regarding things you must avoid as you work on this section.
Do not copy your results section: Though you should give information about your research results, you must interpret them rather than stating them repeatedly. The style of writing as well as the tone of the vocabulary used must be analytical in nature. It should be a level higher than a simple summary. Try to be unbiased and honest to the best extent possible.
Not have evidence to support your findings: when you state your findings, you must support them with examples relating to your research. It can be a case study or a research reference but should be supported by statistical evidence or quote should bEffective techniques to present the discussions section of your dissertation/research papere there to support the explanations that you give. Do not jump outside your domain of study and stay in your scientific field unless mandatory to do so.
Not build a connect with your target reader: you must build a connect with your target reader and provide the information that joins the dots with all the previous content in the research. The target reader as layman will have to be explained by establishing sequential links across the content.
Pitch in new or fresh information in the discussion chapter: your discussion should only include what has been mentioned previously. Adding information is only permissible if it makes things clear. Never deviate from or forget the main purpose of the research section.
Incorporate the unimportant or insignificant parts of your research in the chapter: Since you must interpret your findings, pick some crucial facts that make your research sound good. Even if your work could not address the problem or an issue that has been researched, it is perfectly fine to say it out.

How to make your discussion section a benchmark?

It is an achievement if your discussions section becomes a benchmark for the other researchers and they look up to meeting the same standards in their own research. It is even more a cherry on the cake if after knowing about your accomplishments in your research they are willing to gear up into action. There may be some impatient readers who may want to straightway come to this part of your research and not sequentially read through the entire document. If your discussions are like an executive plan that instantly explains every single bit of important component of your research, even impatient readers will not go empty-handed. Finally, the golden rule to remember is to start with the thesis statement of your research paper because it will remind the readers about the key objective that you wanted to achieve and what barriers have been overcome in achieving the same.

Well, now how to write these three sub-sections in a succinct manner? Let us learn this through a sequential seven-step guide to writing all the subsections of your discussion chapter/section

Make notes of all the previous chapters/sections of your research: you must start by reading through all the previous sections of your research and jot down the notes of the important points. The notes should flow in a sequential manner and start from the first part to the last part of the document in a sequential manner.
Create a framework of the main objectives of the thesis: Each thesis or research paper is going to be unique and so you must feel free to present things in a more condensed way, the way it suits your document and its uniqueness. Whatever subject you are dealing with, it must be related to the main problem and the framework of the objectives should be such that it is identifiable to the reading audience in context to the larger problem of the world.
Bring your findings in the forefront: Once the main research subject has been introduced, you must introduce your findings. You must basically, take this as an opportunity to discuss what you have learnt. Make sure it is not a replica of your results here, but a simpler and clearer version of it as if explaining the outcome of your results to a layman for easier comprehension.
Give a layout of the process: you should give a layout of the process in an analytical tone right after you have given the discussion of your analysis. It might just be the most daunting thing to do if you are not aware of how to go about it.
Give an interpretation of the pros and cons of research: Do not highlight only the good or the bad parts as you provide an interpretation. It means that you must include all sides of your research as you look at the findings.
State the limitations of your research: It is where you should talk about the limitations and the challenges you have faced in the process of the research. Some of the limitations are quite general, particularly the ones pertaining to the paucity of resources and time and some of them could be specific to your topic and domain of study.
The place your research holds in the scientific community: This basically means, it should highlight the position your research has in the scientific realm or the genre in which you have undertaken the study and the way it has filled a minor or a major gap and created a niche for itself.

Things to avoid in the discussion chapter/section

When you are at the initial stage of creating your results section, you need help in understanding what needs to be done and the time you start exploring notes and look back at the work done up until now, it is important to make sure that nothing of significance is missed and at the same time you are not going repetitive and bringing up things that have already been discussed again and again So, by now you know what needs to be done to create an effective discussions chapter but there are a few things that you need to refrain from doing and what are those things to avoid in creating the discussions chapter of your research? Let us have a look at the checklist regarding things you must avoid as you work on this section.

Do not copy your results section: Though you should give information about your research results, you must interpret them rather than state them repeatedly. The style of writing as well as the tone of the vocabulary used must be analytical in nature. It should be a level higher than a simple summary. Try to be unbiased and honest to the best extent possible.
Do not have evidence to support your findings: when you state your findings, you must support them with examples relating to your research. It can be a case study or a research reference but should be supported by statistical evidence or a quote should be there to support the explanations that you give. Do not jump outside your domain of study and stay in your scientific field unless mandatory to do so.
Empty-handed not build a connection with your target reader: you must build a connection with your target reader and provide the information that joins the dots with all the previous content in the research. The target reader as a layman will have to be explained by establishing sequential links across the content.
Pitch in new or fresh information in the discussion chapter: your discussion should only include what has been mentioned previously. Adding information is only permissible if it makes things clear. Never deviate from or forget the main purpose of the research section.
Incorporate the unimportant or insignificant parts of your research in the chapter: Since you must interpret your findings, pick some crucial facts that make your research sound good. Even if your work could not address the problem or an issue that has been researched, it is perfectly fine to say it out.

How to make your discussion section a benchmark?

It is an achievement if your discussions section becomes a benchmark for the other researchers and they look up to meeting the same standards in their own research. It is even more a cherry on the cake if after knowing about your accomplishments in your research they are willing to gear up into action. There may be some impatient readers who may want to straightway come to this part of your research and not sequentially read through the entire document. If your discussions are like an executive plan that instantly explains every single bit of important component of your research, even the impatient readers will not go empty-handed. Finally, the golden rule to remember is to start with the thesis statement of your research paper because it will remind the readers about the key objective that you wanted to achieve and what barriers have been overcome in achieving the same.

Writing an Annotated Bibliography and its Usefulness to Your Research

9 May 2022 admin Leave a comment

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources that has been referred to within the course of the research and have been directly quoted or implicitly used in the research paper with short paragraphs (called an annotation) about each source, this annotation provides an overview or a brief account of the available research that has been cited, hence the annotation is preceded by the citation of the source.

An understanding of citation styles

Before going into annotated bibliography, an understanding of citations is important. Each source in the annotated bibliography has a citation which is the information a reader needs to find the original source, this information is coded according to formats that have been established in the field of academic research. These formats are called citation styles. Some examples of commonly used citation styles include:

APA style: It is the style recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) and used in many of the social sciences.

MLA style: developed by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the MLA style is most commonly used to cite sources within the language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities disciplines.

Chicago style: The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to two different documentation systems Notes-Bibliography System (NB) and Author-Date System used for respective subject disciplines.

The annotated bibliography format varies based on the citation style you’re using.

The explanation for the styles would run into a whole blog by itself, but we recommend that you explore the guidelines at

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_general_format.html (official handbook has to be purchased)
https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Annotated Bibliography v/s Literature Review

The literature review and the annotated bibliography deal with the sources you have used for your research but they are not similar.

Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. The annotated bibliography is a compilation of ordered list of sources for additional reading and may detail the credibility or relevance of the reading to the topic under study.
They are structurally different from each other, as the literature review is presented in a more conversational tone, as it looks to relate the findings of the source to the research question under review but the annotated bibliography is separated from each other and are arranged alphabetically.
The literature review also consists of an essay layout with an introduction to the topic, an understanding of how the sources are related and a concluding summary of the background of research. The annotated bibliography relies on the citation style that is used like APA, MLA or Chicago on how it is represented in the paper.

Writing the annotated bibliography

Annotated Bibliography is a list of citations that are included in the reference section of your research paper. These citations can be books, journals, websites, and other written sources. The descriptive and evaluative comments are depicted under the citation format you use in your research paper. Before writing your annotated bibliography, researchers has to make sure if there is any particular requirement in regards to the type of annotated bibliography your institution demands:

Summary/descriptive – provides a concise overview of the main argument and focus is on the key arguments and methods of each source.
Critical/evaluative – in addition to providing an overview, it analyzes the sources while comparing its strengths and weaknesses and the validity of the methods or conclusions that have been provided as a result of the study being cited.
Combination – This is when the annotated bibliography requires both a description and evaluation of the sources with an added crust of how the source is reflective to your own research.
The annotated bibliography for each source might include a short description of the author, basically to highlight his/her qualification and expertise in the respective domain of study.
Arrange the entries alphabetically.
The annotation should include a summary of the overall argument relevant to your research and selected details about the content with use of essential keywords that were helpful to you as well.
The researcher should be careful to keep it concise with only a brief outline of argument(s) and main ideas. For particular sources, you can highlight any special features of the text that were unique or helpful.
The referencing style that your paper follows should be consistent with every annotation in your bibliography.

The main purpose of having an annotated Bibliography is to give credit to the authors who have contributed to the paper. They can also help you verify the accuracy of your sources.

Annotated Bibliographies are often used in research papers because they make it easy to find your sources.

They are especially helpful if you are writing a paper on a topic that has many different articles or books to choose from. Annotated Bibliographies make it easier for readers to look at all of the sources you have used so that they can read them more easily and learn more about them. They can also help you find specific information you need. By annotating your bibliography, you can highlight certain passages in books that you want to refer back to when writing your paper. This way, it will be easier for readers to find those passages more easily when they read your paper.

Save Yourself From Last Minute Crises: Avail PhD Thesis Writing Services

31 Jan 2020 admin Leave a comment

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