Congratulations you have completed the main part of your dissertation. However, there are a few more steps that need to be completed before you can submit it to ensure that your dissertation will be of the highest calibre. One of the most crucial is to determine the logical framework structure of the entire paper: the conclusion and the discussion. In this article, we will break down the different roles and importance of these two in your paper.
First, let’s look at the Conclusion. Conclusion is equivalent to the final chapter of the dissertation, its function is to summarise the whole content, summarise the results of the research, define the methods or strategies to solve the problem, define the future direction of the research, etc. It aims to convey a clear message to the reader. Its purpose is to convey a clear and unambiguous message to the reader – “Through my research, I have come to this conclusion”. Therefore, the conclusion should be concise and clear, ensuring that there is no new information or discussion.
Next comes the Discussion section. Discussion belongs to the in-depth analysis part of the dissertation, which is responsible for digging into the connotation and extension of the research results, clarifying the application value and comprehensible scope of the research results, exploring the gap between the research results and the existing theoretical research, proposing new hypotheses, and even revealing the shortcomings of the research process. The core task of the discussion part is to analyse and interpret the research results in depth to make them more persuasive and influential.
So, how to distinguish between conclusion and discussion? To put it simply, the conclusion focuses more on summarising, while the discussion focuses more on analysing and interpreting. The conclusion is the end point of the paper, while the discussion is the continuation of the paper. In addition, conclusions are usually shorter, while discussions are relatively longer.
All in all, conclusion and discussion are crucial components of a dissertation, and together they form the wings of the soul of the dissertation, making the research results more comprehensive, in-depth and meaningful. I hope the above introduction can help you understand and use these two parts better and improve the quality of your dissertation.
