Your results were amazing, but like: so what?

To some, the discussion section is the hardest to write. Yet, as an ARPL scholar, there is nothing hard for you.

When writing the discussion, you are trying to bring out meaning from the data you previously presented in the results. Unlike the results section, where you had to present the findings objectively without any commentary, now in the discussion section, it is finally your chance to make the readers understand what those findings mean and their implications in the broader context of the topic and field.

This section, often considered by some the most significant (for how it gives the gist and final interpretation), functions as it describes the significance of your findings, yet in light of what was already known about your problem. Further, you are also trying to explain new or fresh insights about your research problem after you have done your study, got the findings, and put them into consideration.

Usually, the discussion section connects back to the introduction where you have posed your research questions or hypotheses, and reviewed your literature references, yet without simply repeating it. You may think about it in a way that what you did can now move your readers' understanding of the problem or question from where they were left at the introduction's end. Besides the important points mentioned above, this section showcases your ability as a researcher to analyze and present a better and deeper understanding of your research problem.

Overall, through this section, you finally have the chance to delve into the broader implications of your study and its relevance to other fields. It is here that you can finally emphasize the importance of your study, potentially describing any gaps your findings may fill. It is where your research shows significance. While the following may be included in other sections, you can also, in the discussion, identify any new gaps in the literature, based on your study, that your findings couldn't cover. You should be noting the areas that are inadequately explored.

Drafting Your Discussion

According to Sacred Heart University, the following rules are important for you to adopt in your discussions:

Avoid verbosity or repetition.
Be as clear and concise as possible.
Use straightforward language, while always avoiding jargon and overly technical language that may be unclear.
Present your ideas logically and systematically.
While talking about established facts, use the present tense. However, when you are talking about prior studies, use the past tense instead.
If necessary, use subheadings to organize your points.

According to a review named "How to write the discussion section of a scientific article" by Rogério Faria Vieira, Renan Cardoso de Lima, and Eduardo Seiti Gomide Mizubuti, a number of studies have been reviewed and it was concluded that the following questions should be considered when you are composing your discussion section:

(a) What are the key findings from your research?

(b) Was your hypothesis disproven?

(d) What are the key strengths and limitations of your research?

(e) What additional factors might have influenced your results?

(f) How do your findings compare to those of other studies?

(g) Why do your results differ from those of other studies?

(h) How do the strengths and weaknesses of your study compare to others?

(i) Did you address and explain any unexpected outcomes?

(j) What initial assumptions did you make in your study?

(k) How do your results align with existing knowledge on the topic?

(l) How do your findings contribute to understanding the research problem?

(m) What makes your study’s contributions significant?

(n) Is there room to refine your hypothesis or model?

(o) What mechanisms might explain the observed phenomenon?

(p) Does your study have theoretical or practical applications?

(q) Did you suggest improvements for future experimental designs to address challenges?

(r) What new questions arise from your research?

(s) What general conclusions can be drawn from your study?

(t) How can your findings be applied to other fields or contexts?

(u) What further research is necessary to explore the issues raised by your findings?

Content Organization

For actually writing the section content, you may first start with a restatement of the research problem and questions addressed in the introduction. You then should explain the results to show whether they were expected or unexpected; you should do so in a systematic manner, then summarize your results, followed by their interpretation, and connections to relevant literature or theoretical frameworks.