Each result reported should be followed by a proper discussion. This is the place to illustrate the link between your study and the existing literature and to demonstrate your comprehensive understanding of the research topic under investigation. Interpret your data in the discussion in appropriate depth. This means that when you explain a phenomenon you must describe mechanisms that may account for the observation. If your results differ from your expectations, explain why that may have happened. If your results agree, then describe the theory that the evidence supported. It is never appropriate to simply state that the data agreed with expectations, and let it drop at that.
Generally speaking, if results deal with facts, then discussions deal with points; facts are descriptive, while points are interpretive. Effective discussion sections are similar to effective lectures, which, as Olsen and Huckin (1990) note, are based on points, rather than on facts.
Discussion should be more than summaries. They should be more theoretical, or more abstract, or more general, or more integrated with the field, or more concerned with implications or applications and, if possible, some combination of these.
Activity3-1: Reporting results v.s. Discussing results
Work in groups and discuss the differences between reporting results and discussing results.
1._______________________________________________________________.
2._______________________________________________________________.
3._______________________________________________________________.
...
Structure of Discussing Section (referring to the following outline)
Ⅰ . First paragraph: begin with a statement of the major findings of the study
A. Direct, declarative, succinct
B. Do not include data (this should be in the results section)
C. Do not refer to the study design (this should be in the methods section)
Examples:
Our results suggest that extraversion has no statistically significant relation to academic achievement.
Our findings confirm that physical appearance has a significant impact on assessment of intelligence.
Next, expand on your first point.
Example:
It is important to note also that these results were consistent across all tested ages and genders.
As such, the original hypothesis was not supported for this sample.
Ⅱ . Second paragraph: explain your results
A. Why is this important or interesting?
B. What struck you most about your findings?
C. Were they as expected or not? If not, can you suggest why not?
Ⅲ . Consider alternative explanations
Example:
Hypothesis: GPA would have a positive relation to happiness
Results: no significant relation
Results: negative correlation between GPA and happiness
Ⅳ . All studies have limitations
A. What would you have done differently?
B. This can lead to suggestions for further research.
C. How can future researchers improve on your study?
D. What could a follow-up question be?
E. What is unclear in your study that could be addressed later?
Ⅴ . Conclusion
Activity3-2: Learning from the sample
Skim over the academic article titled Foreign Language Anxiety: Understanding Its Status and Insiders’ Awareness and Attitudes (See Appendix 2). Study its discussion and conclusion sections and find out specific examples to match the main elements of a discussion section.
Use the checklist below to evaluate your discussion section write-up.
In my discussion, I have...
summarized my main results.
interpreted (not described) my results.
discussed the significance of my results.
explained whether my results prove or disprove my hypothesis.
discussed my results in the light of previous research (confirmed or refuted previous studies).
explained the wider implications (importance) of my work.
discussed any problems with or limitations of my study.
made suggestions for improvements.
suggested directions for future research.
What You should Know
Results
In this section you objectively present your findings, and explain in words what was found. This is where you show your new results later contributing to the body of scientific knowledge, so it is important to be clear and lay them out in a logical sequence. Raw data are rarely included in a scientific article; instead the data are analyzed and presented in the form of figures (graphs), tables, and/or descriptions of observations. It is important to clearly identify for the reader any significant trends. The results section should follow a logical sequence based on the table and figures that best presents the findings that answer the question or hypothesis being investigated. Tables and figures are assigned numbers separately, and should be in the sequence that you refer to them in the text. Figures should have a brief description, providing the reader sufficient information to know how the data were produced. It is important not to interpret your results—this should be done in the discussion section.
Discussion
In this section you describe what your results mean, specifically in the context of what was already known about the subject of the investigation. You should link back to the introduction by way of the questions or hypotheses posed. You should indicate how the results relate to expectations and to the literature previously cited, whether they support or contradict previous theories. Most significantly, the discussion should explain how the research has moved the body of scientific knowledge forward. It is important not to extend your conclusions beyond what is directly supported by your results, so avoid undue speculation. It is advisable to suggest practical applications of your results, and outline what would be the next steps in your study.
Language Focus
Levels of Generalization
In the results section, statements may be quite specific and closely tied to the data.
As can be seen in Table 1, 84% of the students performed above the 12th-grade level.
Seven out of eight experimental samples resisted corrosion longer than the controls.
On the other hand, in the Abstract or in a summary section, space restrictions may lead to a high level of generality.
The results indicate that the students performed above the 12th-grade level.
The experimental samples resisted corrosion longer than the controls.
In the discussion section, we usually expect something in between these two levels.
One common device is to use one of the following “phrases of generality.”
Overall
In general
On the whole
In the main
With ... exception(s)
Overall, the results indicate that students performed above the 12th-grade level.
The overall results indicate ...
The results indicate, overall, that ...
In general, the experimental samples resisted ...
With one exception, the experimental samples resisted ...
(from Academic Writing for Graduate Students)
Assignment
1.Go to library or Internet to find out at least three research papers on your research field and carefully read and study the results and discussion sections.
2.The following passages are written using a personal style, which is inappropriate. Rewrite the paragraph which follows avoiding the first-person pronouns, at the same time, try refining the writing and being more concise.
Passage 1
In this paper we are presenting our analysis of our assignment on teamwork development. The group we selected for this assignment (the survey team) were a group of people who work for Advance Tours. We used two questionnaires developed by Cacioppe (1998) to try to measure the performance of the team and the way the team members felt about it. We then tried to present an analysis of the findings and we made a few recommendations about what the team can do to improve the way they work. Our recommendations are based a lot on what we read in the journals etc., but we would also like to say something about our own life and work experiences.
Passage 2
In this essay, I have decided that I am going to write about nutrition, because I think it is a worthwhile subject. The sort of nutrition I will be talking about is on patients admitted to a surgical ward. Firstly I will talk about under-nutrition, then I will move on to talk about malnutrition. We as nurses have done nutritional assessments and I have noticed in the books and articles I have read and on my ward placement, that nutritional assessment has become less important in terms of what the nurses do there. I think we need to have more teaching on nutrition in our course here.