Page 322 - English for Writing Research Papers

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In the Discussion / Conclusions it is essential to:

• be clear what YOU did and what other authors have done

• highlight your UNIQUE contribution
• discuss LIMITATIONS of your fi ndings

• state what the applications and implications of your research are
(2) Think about the answers to these questions.

1. What is your most important finding?
2. Why is it so fantastic?
3. How does it compare with similar findings made by other researchers? What are its advan-

tages and disadvantages?

Write one paragraph highlighting your finding. This task should help you focus on
what really is important about your research.
************
People read papers in different ways. Readers in a hurry may read the title and then
just look at the figures! Many begin from the part that they find the most interesting,

which is often the Discussion.
Most authors find discussing their results to be the most difficult part of the paper to

write. When referees reject a paper, it is very often due to a poorly written Discussion.
As one of my PhD students commented:
It is a ‘grey zone’ where I have to express my point of view without a specifi c or logical
‘grid’. Writing the introduction is easier because you can be really helped by the articles
that you have read.

Although there is no grid (i.e. template) in which to insert your own text, there is a
general pattern or structure to most Discussions. This chapter is designed to teach
you various strategies to simplify the process of discussing your results. You will
learn how to structure the Discussion and how to ensure that what you write will
satisfy the typical requirements of the referees.
The secret is to sound both convincing and credible at the same time. You can do
this by being positive about your own limitations, and constructive when discussing
what you believe to be the limitations of others.
Another skill is to interpret your results without repeating them.