‘Discussion’ is a critical section in any scholarly research paper. It serves to describe and interpret the significance of the research findings based on what you already clear about the research problem under discussion. This is where as the best research paper writers, explain new insights or understanding about the issue after considering the results. The discussion is connected to the introduction section through the hypotheses or research questions that you posed in the literature review. You shouldn’t, however, rearrange or repeat the introduction section of your paper as the discussion. You need to explain how your study has changed the audience understanding of the research problem forward from where they were at the end of the introduction.
Arrangement of the Research
A good research paper should have the discussion part divided into at least three parts; all focused on the paper’s theoretical contributions. These include; Policy or managerial implications, limitations of the study and suggestion for future research.
1. Theoretical Contributions
This is the first part or sub-section of your paper’s discussion part. It should show the following aspects;
• A repeat of the Research problem
Repeat the research problem for further analysis.
• Explanation and Clarification of Results
Explain and clarify the research findings and their significance. Tell the reader if your research findings were in line with the initial assumptions or hypothesis. Also, tell them if you identified new or unexpected outcomes that were of particular significance to your research. In this case, you should explain to the audience the new findings and clarify their relevance or new avenues for the future investigation related to your research topic. Document negative results and explain to the reader how they emerged.
• Reference to other Research Work
Compare and contrast the results of your research to the previous studies related to the topic under discussion. In other words, present your discussion in line with other research findings. You can incorporate this by checking on the previous research papers that you have already mentioned in the ‘literature review’ and ‘results’ sections of the paper.
• Link to the broader framework
The discussion section is where you begin to include your result interpretations of the research work. Describe how the findings of your research are related to the more extensive knowledge or concepts on a particular topic issue, and explain any correlations and links that is clear in your data. Explain the similarities and/or difference concerning the previous studies that explored similar problems presented in the study.
• Discussion of Hypothesis
Present an overall conclusion that emanated from your research findings, regardless of whether your hypothesis was confirmed or refuted. You can also link the overall outcome to you present to emerging avenues for purposes of the future study.
• Solutions to the research problems- Provide and explain the solutions to the issues you encountered based on your discoveries.
2. Policy or Managerial Implications
Policy or managerial implications are often included in research papers working on topics related to social sciences such as marketing, business management, finance, and economics. These demonstrate how your research responds and offers solutions to real and current problems or issues experience in tour field of study. Include your proposed practical measures for policy makers or managers.
Limitation of the study and Direction for Future Research
You can include this part as one subsection of two separate parts, depending on the length of how you discuss each of them. This is where you indicate any research problems or issues that you did not include in the previous sections of your paper. This also serves as the direction or suggestion for future research. For empirical research studies, you should focus on the limitations of your chosen research methodologies, limitations on data collection or gathering of information, restrictions on the outcomes and interpretation. Provide a detailed understanding of the issues experienced and why. Include one or two recommendation for future studies or academic research.
The discussion section is one of the most tedious and most extended parts you write in a research paper. Many students tend to rush when compiling this section. Eager to finish the paper, they end up missing on some of the results of their study and failure to put them in context of other previous studies in that work. This attracts poor grades in the final research work. It’s therefore recommended that paper writing services give this section time and attention it deserves.