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Structuring your Discussion

In your Discussion, you give an in-depth analysis of how your study differs from or adds to existing research, and what the implications of this are. You’ll want to cover these sections:

Summary of your study aim and findings​

In the first few sentences of your Discussion, you’ll typically recap what your study was about and what you found. Summarize your key findings, but don’t restate results in detail - that’s what the Results section is for. Find a few example summaries here.

Comparison of your study to existing literature​

Next, explain how your results compare to those of other studies that you cited in your work. Do they contradict them, or offer a new perspective or approach? Were there unexpected findings? If there are differences, explain where these may come from; think of the methodology (instruments, participants, conditions, etc.) or analysis (scoring method, statistics, etc.). Find a few examples of such comparisons here.

Strengths or limitations of your study​

Strengths or limitations will often relate to your study design and methods. Think of your sample size or instrument limitations. Find examples here.

The implications of your study​

Next, what do your results or findings mean? Are there practical implications or theoretical insights? Your study might, for example:

  • bridge a gap in the field
  • raise a new question
  • disprove prior studies
  • introduce or verify a method or model
  • provide practical implications

Future research​

There’s always more to explore! Briefly discuss what future research could focus on. Perhaps you’ve found a new relationship, effect, or method that should be investigated? These examples might help.

Useful phrases for your Discussion

FAQs about writing a Discussion

Discussion examples with explanations