How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Components of the discussion
How to write the discussion
Preparing the text

What are the essential features of a good discussion? The following advice will help ensure that all main components are present:

· Try to present the principles, relationships, and generalizations shown by the results. And bear in mind that in a good discussion, you discuss—you do not recapitulate—the results.

·  Point out, and reflect on, any exceptions or any lack of correlation and define unsettled points. Never take the high-risk alternative of trying to cover up or fudge data that do not quite fit into your paper.

·  Show how your results and interpretations agree (or contrast) with previously published work. Consider reasons for discrepancies.

·  Don’t be shy; discuss the theoretical implications of your work, as well as possible practical applications.

·  State your conclusions as clearly as possible.

· Summarize your evidence for each conclusion. Or, as the wise old scientist will tell you, “Never assume anything except a low-interest mortgage.”

Much as the methods and the results should correspond to each other, the introduction and the discussion should function as a pair. At least implicitly, the introduction should have posed one or more questions. The discussion should indicate what the findings say about the answers. The failure to address the initial questions commonly afflicts discussions. Be sure that the discussion answers what the introduction asked.

Whereas the content of the introduction commonly moves from the general topic to your specific research, in sort of a funnel format, the discussion tends to do largely the reverse, much like an inverted funnel (Figure 13.1). For example, a well-structured discussion may first restate the main findings, then discuss how they relate to findings of previous research, then note the implications and applications, then identify limitations of the current study, and perhaps finally identify unanswered questions well suited for future research. In the introduction, you invited readers into your research venue; in the discussion, you usher them out, now well informed about your research and its meaning.