11.4: Summary

The discussion and conclusion summarize what your research has achieved. The discussion begins with a paragraph that reduces the complexity of your findings to a single sentence on each major component. It then takes the momentum of those findings and bashes them up against other key findings in the field. This collision attempts to alter and amend rigid and soft discoveries in the field, also inquiring: how does my research challenge or support what others have been saying? Does it pick sides, or join them together? After engaging in this academic conflict, the discussion then waves its peace sign, seeking resolution between competing arguments in the field. This synthesis seeks to overcome doubts about the findings and apply your research outside of research. It asks the vital question once our doubts have been clarified through evidence or argument: how can these new assertions be put into practice? Finally, the limitations of your research are disclosed with attention to how future researchers and practitioners can overcome those limitations.

The conclusion again reiterates the significance of your findings with a renewed boldness. With the limitations discussed, it is time to offer your final word on the project. Align this proclamation with key conflicts and origins of your work. Your ‘take-aways’ will immediately appear grounded and memorable to your reader. Think hard about what the purpose of your article was, why it began and what it discovered, and affirm its significance.