11.3: Writing Your Conclusions

After writing your discussion, it should be pretty easy to write your conclusion. Your conclusion is intended to leave a strong impression to your reasers (Caulfield, 2020), and generally comprises three things: (1) reaffirmation of you research question(s) or thesis statement; (2) a summary of the results/how the argument developed; and (3) suggestions for key take-aways from the article (Caulfiels, 2020). For empirical papers, one needs to restate both the research problem and research questions. This means reminding readers why the problem was important, the questions asked and the answers abstained. This needs not take up more than a paragraph. Remember, the key findings are what informed your discussion, and the research problem and questions should be retrievable from the introduction. For papers without a research question (such as theoretical and argumentative theses), Caulfield (2020) suggests you revert to the problem and thesis statement presented in the introduction, restate them and demonstrate how they were developed throughout the rest of the thesis.

The way you write the suggested takeaways will also depend on whether your paper is empirical or argumentative. According to Caulfield (2020), non-empirical papers (theoretical and argumentative theses) can close with a call to action, i.e., a list of practical suggestions that the concerned groups, organizations or people can take to remedy the situation. More theoretically-driven thesis can end with a reaffirmation of the significance of the arguments raised. However, empirical arguments might subtly highlight practical actions that might be needed to summarize the kinds of future research that are needed. See Box 11.4.1 for a checklist for writing your conclusion.

Box 11.5 – McCombe’s Checklist for Writing a Conclusion

McCombe’s (2019) checklist for writing a conclusion. I have….

• Clearly and concisely answered the main research question.
• Summarized my overall argument or key takeaways.
• Mentioned any important limitations of the research.
• Offered relevant recommendations.
• Explained what my research has contributed to knowledge.
• Not introduced any new data or arguments.

Source: McCombe (2019, Mar. 26). How to write a thesis conclusion: checklist and Examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/write-conclusion/

References

Caulfield, J. (2013, Oct. 30). Writing a Research Paper Conclusion: Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-conclusion/

McCombe (2019, Mar. 26). How to write a thesis conclusion: checklist and Examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/write-conclusion/