If you are reading this post, chances are that you have reached the discussion chapter of your dissertation. There are also high chances that you are here in search of guidance to write an effective dissertation discussion chapter. Well, you have come to the right place. In this post, I will unpack and demystify the 6 golden steps to writing this important chapter of a dissertation. However, before moving on towards the 6 steps, let’s discuss what this chapter entails and why it is so important.
What Is A Dissertation Discussion Chapter?
The discussion chapter of a dissertation is the chapter where you delve into the meaning, importance, and relevance of your research results to the defined research questions. This chapter should focus on explaining and evaluating what you have found after conducting thorough research on your chosen topic. As a researcher, you relate this chapter to your
literature review and make an argument in support of the overall conclusion of the research study. Hence, this is what a dissertation discussion chapter entails.
6 Steps To Writing An Effective Discussion Chapter
The discussion chapter is one of the most important chapters of your dissertation. Being an important one, it is also sometimes the longest one to write. The length and complexities of this chapter make it difficult to write. However, with today’s 6 step guide on writing this chapter, it will not be difficult to craft an effective discussion chapter. Hence, a brief description of the 6 steps is as follows:
1. Restate The Research Problem And Questions
The first step in writing your dissertation discussion chapter is to remind your reader of the research problem and questions. If you have a hypothesis to test, simply reiterate that hypothesis. This mention of the research problem and questions is necessary because after reading dozens of dissertation pages, your reader may have forgotten them. It is also likely that the readers jump from the introduction chapter straight to the discussion chapter to have a know-how of the results. So, try to remind the reader of the research aims and problem.
2. Summarise The Key Findings
Next, you will be required to report the findings of your research. There is no need to repeat all the findings that you have just mentioned in the results chapter. Just take the key findings related to your research problem and report them. The reporting of key findings will be different for qualitative and quantitative data. In qualitative data, you report the themes and patterns. Whereas in quantitative data, you summarise the numbered results. 3. Give Your Interpretation Of The Results
Once you have restated your research problem and summarised the key findings in your dissertation discussion chapter, the next step is to spell out the significance of those results. It means that you should give your interpretation of the research results. It is important to remember that while interpreting your results, do not include anything new. Only interpret the results which have already been reported. If you feel that you cannot do so, getting
dissertation help online is the solution.
4. Acknowledge The Limitations Of Your Study
Not every research is perfect enough to answer each and every aspect of the research study. There are some obvious limitations of every study that you must acknowledge in your discussion chapter. These limitations can be related to any part of your dissertation. For example, in your study, you have only studied a small population with unique characteristics. Now, it is quite obvious that your results cannot be applied to the overall population of the area. So, it is a limitation of your research study, and you must report it.
5. Make Recommendations For Future Research
Again, there is not a single research study which touches each aspect and area of a field and answers all the questions related to it. There is always room for more research on a topic, and you must mention that room in the recommendations section of your dissertation discussion chapter. In the recommendations section, you also need to talk about the practical side of your research and show how your findings are applicable. 6. Give Concluding Summary
Finally, you have reached the end of the rope. It is time to finish your discussion chapter by giving a concluding summary. The concluding summary should provide a brief recap of the major research findings and results. Basically, this summary should explain to your reader what you have found and what they need to take away from this
research study.
Conclusion
Conclusively, in today’s post, I have demystified the top 6 steps to writing a dissertation discussion chapter. These 6 steps, if followed properly, will help you a lot in creating a stunning discussion chapter. So, read this guide from start to end and start crafting an effective discussion chapter.
