uttered)
The “discussion” section is intended to explain to your reader what your data can be interpreted to mean. As with all science, the goal for your report is simply to provide evidence that something might be true or untrue—not to prove it unequivocally. The following questions should be addressed in your “discussion” section:
Hogg, Alan. "Tutoring Scientific Writing." Sweetland Center for Writing. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 3/15/2011. Lecture.
Swan, Judith A, and George D. Gopen. "The Science of Scientific Writing." American Scientist . 78. (1990): 550-558. Print.
"Scientific Reports." The Writing Center . University of North Carolina, n.d. Web. 5 May 2011. http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/lab_report_complete.html
Science, health, and public trust.
September 8, 2021
We’ve heard “follow the science” a lot during the pandemic. But it seems science has taken us on a long and winding road filled with twists and turns, even changing directions at times. That’s led some people to feel they can’t trust science. But when what we know changes, it often means science is working.
Explaining the scientific process may be one way that science communicators can help maintain public trust in science. Placing research in the bigger context of its field and where it fits into the scientific process can help people better understand and interpret new findings as they emerge. A single study usually uncovers only a piece of a larger puzzle.
Questions about how the world works are often investigated on many different levels. For example, scientists can look at the different atoms in a molecule, cells in a tissue, or how different tissues or systems affect each other. Researchers often must choose one or a finite number of ways to investigate a question. It can take many different studies using different approaches to start piecing the whole picture together.
Sometimes it might seem like research results contradict each other. But often, studies are just looking at different aspects of the same problem. Researchers can also investigate a question using different techniques or timeframes. That may lead them to arrive at different conclusions from the same data.
Using the data available at the time of their study, scientists develop different explanations, or models. New information may mean that a novel model needs to be developed to account for it. The models that prevail are those that can withstand the test of time and incorporate new information. Science is a constantly evolving and self-correcting process.
Scientists gain more confidence about a model through the scientific process. They replicate each other’s work. They present at conferences. And papers undergo peer review, in which experts in the field review the work before it can be published in scientific journals. This helps ensure that the study is up to current scientific standards and maintains a level of integrity. Peer reviewers may find problems with the experiments or think different experiments are needed to justify the conclusions. They might even offer new ways to interpret the data.
It’s important for science communicators to consider which stage a study is at in the scientific process when deciding whether to cover it. Some studies are posted on preprint servers for other scientists to start weighing in on and haven’t yet been fully vetted. Results that haven't yet been subjected to scientific scrutiny should be reported on with care and context to avoid confusion or frustration from readers.
We’ve developed a one-page guide, "How Research Works: Understanding the Process of Science" to help communicators put the process of science into perspective. We hope it can serve as a useful resource to help explain why science changes—and why it’s important to expect that change. Please take a look and share your thoughts with us by sending an email to [email protected].
Below are some additional resources:
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Published on October 30, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on April 13, 2023.
The content of the conclusion varies depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or constructs an argument through engagement with sources .
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Step 1: restate the problem, step 2: sum up the paper, step 3: discuss the implications, research paper conclusion examples, frequently asked questions about research paper conclusions.
The first task of your conclusion is to remind the reader of your research problem . You will have discussed this problem in depth throughout the body, but now the point is to zoom back out from the details to the bigger picture.
While you are restating a problem you’ve already introduced, you should avoid phrasing it identically to how it appeared in the introduction . Ideally, you’ll find a novel way to circle back to the problem from the more detailed ideas discussed in the body.
For example, an argumentative paper advocating new measures to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture might restate its problem as follows:
Meanwhile, an empirical paper studying the relationship of Instagram use with body image issues might present its problem like this:
Avoid starting your conclusion with phrases like “In conclusion” or “To conclude,” as this can come across as too obvious and make your writing seem unsophisticated. The content and placement of your conclusion should make its function clear without the need for additional signposting.
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
Having zoomed back in on the problem, it’s time to summarize how the body of the paper went about addressing it, and what conclusions this approach led to.
Depending on the nature of your research paper, this might mean restating your thesis and arguments, or summarizing your overall findings.
In an argumentative paper, you will have presented a thesis statement in your introduction, expressing the overall claim your paper argues for. In the conclusion, you should restate the thesis and show how it has been developed through the body of the paper.
Briefly summarize the key arguments made in the body, showing how each of them contributes to proving your thesis. You may also mention any counterarguments you addressed, emphasizing why your thesis holds up against them, particularly if your argument is a controversial one.
Don’t go into the details of your evidence or present new ideas; focus on outlining in broad strokes the argument you have made.
In an empirical paper, this is the time to summarize your key findings. Don’t go into great detail here (you will have presented your in-depth results and discussion already), but do clearly express the answers to the research questions you investigated.
Describe your main findings, even if they weren’t necessarily the ones you expected or hoped for, and explain the overall conclusion they led you to.
Having summed up your key arguments or findings, the conclusion ends by considering the broader implications of your research. This means expressing the key takeaways, practical or theoretical, from your paper—often in the form of a call for action or suggestions for future research.
An argumentative paper generally ends with a strong closing statement. In the case of a practical argument, make a call for action: What actions do you think should be taken by the people or organizations concerned in response to your argument?
If your topic is more theoretical and unsuitable for a call for action, your closing statement should express the significance of your argument—for example, in proposing a new understanding of a topic or laying the groundwork for future research.
In a more empirical paper, you can close by either making recommendations for practice (for example, in clinical or policy papers), or suggesting directions for future research.
Whatever the scope of your own research, there will always be room for further investigation of related topics, and you’ll often discover new questions and problems during the research process .
Finish your paper on a forward-looking note by suggesting how you or other researchers might build on this topic in the future and address any limitations of the current paper.
Full examples of research paper conclusions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.
While the role of cattle in climate change is by now common knowledge, countries like the Netherlands continually fail to confront this issue with the urgency it deserves. The evidence is clear: To create a truly futureproof agricultural sector, Dutch farmers must be incentivized to transition from livestock farming to sustainable vegetable farming. As well as dramatically lowering emissions, plant-based agriculture, if approached in the right way, can produce more food with less land, providing opportunities for nature regeneration areas that will themselves contribute to climate targets. Although this approach would have economic ramifications, from a long-term perspective, it would represent a significant step towards a more sustainable and resilient national economy. Transitioning to sustainable vegetable farming will make the Netherlands greener and healthier, setting an example for other European governments. Farmers, policymakers, and consumers must focus on the future, not just on their own short-term interests, and work to implement this transition now.
As social media becomes increasingly central to young people’s everyday lives, it is important to understand how different platforms affect their developing self-conception. By testing the effect of daily Instagram use among teenage girls, this study established that highly visual social media does indeed have a significant effect on body image concerns, with a strong correlation between the amount of time spent on the platform and participants’ self-reported dissatisfaction with their appearance. However, the strength of this effect was moderated by pre-test self-esteem ratings: Participants with higher self-esteem were less likely to experience an increase in body image concerns after using Instagram. This suggests that, while Instagram does impact body image, it is also important to consider the wider social and psychological context in which this usage occurs: Teenagers who are already predisposed to self-esteem issues may be at greater risk of experiencing negative effects. Future research into Instagram and other highly visual social media should focus on establishing a clearer picture of how self-esteem and related constructs influence young people’s experiences of these platforms. Furthermore, while this experiment measured Instagram usage in terms of time spent on the platform, observational studies are required to gain more insight into different patterns of usage—to investigate, for instance, whether active posting is associated with different effects than passive consumption of social media content.
If you’re unsure about the conclusion, it can be helpful to ask a friend or fellow student to read your conclusion and summarize the main takeaways.
You can also get an expert to proofread and feedback your paper with a paper editing service .
Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:
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The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:
No, it’s not appropriate to present new arguments or evidence in the conclusion . While you might be tempted to save a striking argument for last, research papers follow a more formal structure than this.
All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the results and discussion sections if you are following a scientific structure). The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
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Chapter: chapter 3: summary of initial research findings.
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7 CHAPTER 3 Summary of Initial Research Findings All projects between transportation agencies and railroads that necessitate access to railroad property, expansion into or over transportation agency right-of-way for railroad projects, or incurring or reimbursing of costs, will require some type of agreements between the two parties. Depending on the project, this can mean extensive coordination, approvals, and signoffs from multiple levels within both organizations. Also, depending on the type of project, the coordination can start from the planning phase and continue through design and construction and into the maintenance of the project. Delays at various points in the process can result in increased project costs, adverse impacts to road traffic and rail freight movements, inconvenience to the traveling public, delayed project delivery, safety issues, and, in the case of the railroad companies, potential loss of profits and increased liability. The initial research project included a survey and follow-up meetings to obtain feedback from railroads and local, state, and federal transportation agencies. This research revealed that challenges faced on projects involving transportation agencies and railroads were commonly attributable to the following factors: ï· Delays in agreement processing; ï· Nonstandard agreement, resulting in each agreement going through extensive reviews; ï· Delays in coordination; ï· Transportation agency designs not meeting railroad requirements; ï· Insufficient insurance limits; ï· Communication issues; ï· Failure to anticipate and address construction issues; ï· Limited understanding of the differences in objectives, cultures, and operational models; ï· Inefficient workflow and duplications in workflow activities; ï· Delays in authorizing work and in making payments; ï· Strategies used often did not benefit both parties; ï· Differences in institutional priorities; ï· No shared interest; ï· Railroads being very risk-averse; and ï· Transportation agencies being cautious about spending taxpayer monies and concerns about public opinion. Further, it revealed that the goals, priorities, responsibilities, and perspectives of both organizations are very different, resulting in differences in approach to dealing with such projects. Addressing these different perspectives and objectives is essential to developing
8 solutions for delivering projects that involve both parties, keeping them on schedule and within cost and scope. Lessons learned from the initial research effort showed that positive engagement and collaboration of both parties is very important to address the challenges faced by either. Also, it was evident that partnering will be necessary to streamline the entire process, create win-win solutions, and sustainably address challenges in the long term. The initial research project also found that solutions to several of the above listed challenges had been successfully implemented in isolated pockets across the country. The 2011 communication and dissemination project documented in this report looked at strategies to take these isolated successful innovative solutions, enhance them where appropriate, and disseminate the information more widely. The project team recognized that the dissemination of innovations needed to be done carefully. The stakeholders noted that a marketing blitz might not be the best strategy for this project, because it might disseminate the information without resulting in meaningful progress in addressing the core problem. This could result in insufficient collaboration between the agency and railroad stakeholders, collaboration that is necessary for national adoption of innovations. The team found that an approach that involved the stakeholders working collaboratively would be a more effective way of productively communicating the message, while also positively influencing and triggering the adoption of the innovative practices. It was also felt that any successful strategy for dissemination needed to trigger a willingness among other transportation agency and railroad pairs to try the project innovations and best practices in their environments. Thus, successful widespread acceptance needed the collaborative involvement of both the railroads and transportation agencies.
TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Renewal Project R16A has released a prepublication, non-edited version of a report titled Communicating Railroad–DOT Mitigation Strategies. This project established a collaborative forum between transportation agencies and railroads and initiated dissemination of the research best practices developed by an earlier SHRP 2 project, Strategies for Improving the Project Agreement Process Between Agencies and Railroads .
SHRP 2 Renewal Project R16 also developed another supplemental report about the development of tools in this project.
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An expanding field of research is looking at how the gut affects different parts of people’s health, but how does it affect brain health? Drs. Barb Bendlin and Tyler Ulland join the podcast to talk about their 2023 study, which suggests a link between gut health, aging and changes related to Alzheimer’s disease. They discuss their findings on how gut inflammation could impact brain health, as well as explain what it means to have good gut health and how food, medications, where one lives and other factors can impact the gut microbiome.
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IMAGES
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Qualitative Findings. Qualitative research is an exploratory research method used to understand the complexities of human behavior and experiences. Qualitative findings are non-numerical and descriptive data that describe the meaning and interpretation of the data collected. Examples of qualitative findings include quotes from participants ...
forth between the findings of your research and your own perspectives and understandings to make sense and meaning. Meaning can come from looking at differences and similari-ties, from inquiring into and interpreting causes, consequences, and relationships. Data analysis in qualitative research remains somewhat mysterious (Marshall & Rossman,
Don't make the reader do the analytic work for you. Now, on to some specific ways to structure your findings section. 1). Tables. Tables can be used to give an overview of what you're about to present in your findings, including the themes, some supporting evidence, and the meaning/explanation of the theme.
Definition: Insights are focused explanations of opportunities, based on other user research and business context. While findings describe what is observed in the scope of a particular study or time frame of a live product, insights tie specific opportunities to specific user needs and they relate to valuable business objectives.
The Results (also sometimes called Findings) section in an empirical research paper describes what the researcher(s) found when they analyzed their data. Its primary purpose is to use the data collected to answer the research question(s) posed in the introduction, even if the findings challenge the hypothesis.
The discussion section provides an analysis and interpretation of the findings, compares them with previous studies, identifies limitations, and suggests future directions for research. This section combines information from the preceding parts of your paper into a coherent story. By this point, the reader already knows why you did your study ...
This round of memoing, for example, supports the initial development of an audit trail - a detailed description of the steps taken in the research - which can support the confirmability of the study's findings (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Tierney & Clemens, 2011).
A research study can be very good, but if it is not clearly described so that others can see how the results were determined or obtained, then the quality of the study and its potential contributions are lost. Results: After you completed your study, your findings will be listed in the results section.
A preliminary report is a document that presents the initial findings of a study or project. It often includes background information, research methods, findings, and recommendations. The report is intended to provide a broad overview of the situation, so the readers can draw their conclusions.
The results chapter in a dissertation or thesis (or any formal academic research piece) is where you objectively and neutrally present the findings of your qualitative analysis (or analyses if you used multiple qualitative analysis methods ). This chapter can sometimes be combined with the discussion chapter (where you interpret the data and ...
Report the relevant findings for each research question or hypothesis, focusing on how you analyzed them. ... The pretest mean was 29.00 with a standard deviation of 7.65, while the posttest mean was 26.50 with a standard deviation of 9.74 (Table 1). These results yield a significance level of .000, indicating a strong treatment effect (see ...
Rule 9: Report IDA findings in research papers. A clear and sufficient reporting of IDA findings in research papers is relevant for transparent and reproducible research. Yet, existing reporting guidelines need to be augmented to accommodate findings specific to initial data analyses . Importantly, IDA information that can influence the ...
INTRODUCTION. Scientific research is usually initiated by posing evidenced-based research questions which are then explicitly restated as hypotheses.1,2 The hypotheses provide directions to guide the study, solutions, explanations, and expected results.3,4 Both research questions and hypotheses are essentially formulated based on conventional theories and real-world processes, which allow the ...
When to use thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is a good approach to research where you're trying to find out something about people's views, opinions, knowledge, experiences or values from a set of qualitative data - for example, interview transcripts, social media profiles, or survey responses. Some types of research questions you might use thematic analysis to answer:
In broad terms, they focus on what the findings mean to you, what it should mean to others, and what those impacts might mean in context. Establish importance. Academic research writing tends to follow a structure that narrates a study from the researcher's motivation to conduct the research to why the research's findings matter.
For most research papers in the social and behavioral sciences, there are two possible ways of organizing the results. Both approaches are appropriate in how you report your findings, but use only one approach. Present a synopsis of the results followed by an explanation of key findings. This approach can be used to highlight important findings.
INITIAL FINDING definition | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples
Research Summary. Definition: A research summary is a brief and concise overview of a research project or study that highlights its key findings, main points, and conclusions. It typically includes a description of the research problem, the research methods used, the results obtained, and the implications or significance of the findings.
A "methods" section should include all the information necessary for someone else to recreate your experiment. Your experimental notes will be very useful for this section of the report. More or less, this section will resemble a recipe for your experiment. Don't concern yourself with writing clever, engaging prose.
Step 4: Create a research design. The research design is a practical framework for answering your research questions. It involves making decisions about the type of data you need, the methods you'll use to collect and analyze it, and the location and timescale of your research. There are often many possible paths you can take to answering ...
Placing research in the bigger context of its field and where it fits into the scientific process can help people better understand and interpret new findings as they emerge. A single study usually uncovers only a piece of a larger puzzle. Questions about how the world works are often investigated on many different levels.
Depending on the nature of your research paper, this might mean restating your thesis and arguments, or summarizing your overall findings. Argumentative paper: Restate your thesis and arguments. In an argumentative paper, you will have presented a thesis statement in your introduction, expressing the overall claim your paper argues for. In the ...
7 CHAPTER 3 Summary of Initial Research Findings All projects between transportation agencies and railroads that necessitate access to railroad property, expansion into or over transportation agency right-of-way for railroad projects, or incurring or reimbursing of costs, will require some type of agreements between the two parties ...
An expanding field of research is looking at how the gut affects different parts of people's health, but how does it affect brain health? Drs. Barb Bendlin and Tyler Ulland join the podcast to talk about their 2023 study, which suggests a link between gut health, aging and changes related to Alzheimer's disease. They discuss their findings on how gut inflammation could impact brain health ...