Writing a Discussion Section

A discussion section is the section of a research paper or journal article in which authors present their interpretation of the major findings of their research. Discussion sections are one of the four major sections (i.e., introduction, method, results, and discussion) of most types of research papers. The discussion section typically includes the following components: (a) the significance of the study, (b) interpretations of the significant results, (c) implications, (d) limitations, (e) future studies, and (f) conclusion. The discussion section is placed at the end of the paper or article; but depending on the format required by a course professor or journal, the conclusion might be a separate section following the discussion section. For many academicians, the discussion section is a central focus of the ...