Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusions
Purpose of Chapter 5
The final chapter interprets your findings, discusses their implications, and provides recommendations. This is where you demonstrate the significance of your research and its contribution to both theory and practice. It connects your findings back to the literature and addresses your original research questions.
Section Breakdown
Interpretation of Findings
- • Explain what your results mean
- • Connect findings to research questions
- • Compare with existing literature
- • Explain unexpected or contradictory results
Implications
- • Theoretical implications for the field
- • Practical implications for practitioners
- • Policy implications if applicable
- • Organizational recommendations
Limitations
- • Acknowledge methodological constraints
- • Discuss generalizability limits
- • Address potential biases
- • Explain scope boundaries
Future Research
- • Suggest specific research questions
- • Recommend methodological improvements
- • Identify new areas to explore
- • Propose replication studies
Structuring Your Discussion
Restate Purpose
Brief reminder of research problem and questions
Summarize Key Findings
Highlight most important results
Interpret Results
Explain meaning and significance
Connect to Literature
Show how findings support or challenge existing research
State Implications
Discuss theoretical and practical applications
Writing Effective Recommendations
Strong Recommendations
- ✓ Specific and actionable
- ✓ Based on your findings
- ✓ Feasible to implement
- ✓ Clearly linked to results
Weak Recommendations
- ✗ Vague and general
- ✗ Not supported by data
- ✗ Unrealistic or impractical
- ✗ Beyond scope of study
Addressing Limitations Professionally
Frame limitations constructively:
- • Be honest: "This study was limited by..."
- • Explain impact: "This may have affected..."
- • Suggest solutions: "Future research could address this by..."
- • Maintain confidence: "Despite these limitations, the findings provide..."
Contribution Statements
Example Structure:
"This study contributes to the literature in three ways:"
- 1. It extends [theory] by demonstrating...
- 2. It provides empirical evidence for...
- 3. It offers a new framework for understanding...
Future Research Suggestions
Methodological Extensions
Different methods, larger samples, longitudinal designs
Contextual Variations
Different industries, cultures, or settings
Theoretical Development
Testing new relationships or moderating variables
Concluding Paragraph Elements
- ✓ Reaffirm the study's significance
- ✓ Summarize key contributions
- ✓ End with forward-looking statement
- ✓ Inspire continued research
Common Pitfalls
- 🚫 Overstating: Making claims beyond what your data supports
- 🚫 New Information: Introducing new literature or data in discussion
- 🚫 Apologetic Tone: Being overly negative about limitations
- 🚫 Weak Ending: Finishing without a strong, memorable conclusion