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It’s not that the Conclusions section is difficult to write, it’s just that authors don’t
know what to write. In fact, several journals do not even have a separate Conclusions
sections, authors simply write a concluding paragraph in their Discussion.

Although the Conclusions may not be the last section that readers read, there is a
strong probability that they will be the last thing that the referee reads. Consequently,
the Conclusions must be clear and concise, and leave the referee with a good
impression. If your structure and English are poor this will have a negative impact
on the referees and may affect their final decision as to whether to accept your

paper or not.

The key skills are in knowing what referees and readers expect to find in Conclusions,
not repeating exactly the same phrases and information from your Abstract and
Introduction, and in providing a clear and high-impact take-home message for
readers.

19.2 Do I have to have a Conclusions section?

As clearly stated in an editorial in Nature Physics :
Conclusions are not mandatory, and those that merely summarize the preceding results and
discussion are unnecessary (and, for publication in Nature Physics , will be edited out).
Rather, the concluding paragraphs should offer something new to the reader.

However, many readers do expect a Conclusions section or your journal may require
one. Bear in mind the words of wisdom of Jonathan Shewchuk, professor of com-
puter science at Berkeley:

Conclusions should synthesize the results of your paper and separate what is signifi cant
from what is not. Ideally, they should add new information and observations that put your
results in perspective. Here's a simple test: if somebody reads your conclusions before read-
ing the rest of your paper, will they fully understand them? If the answer is yes , there's

probably something wrong. A good conclusion says things that become significant after the
paper has been read. A good conclusion gives perspective to sights that haven't yet been
seen at the introduction. A conclusion is about the implications of what the reader has
learned. Of course, a conclusion is also an excellent place for conjectures, wish lists, and
open problems.