Sometimes we find all these three sections in one research paper, so what is the difference between them?
Many good answers are provided already. This is my summary:
- Results section: In this section simply present what you found,
- Discussion section: (a) Try to explain "What do your results mean?", and (b) how they relate to the literature,
- Conclusions section: Re-state the main points in a new concise way that you want your readers to remember.
Study results normally refer to direct answers to your research questions that you generate from the data. Discussion is about interpreting your study results. When you discuss the study results, you relate your study findings to previous studies; you contextualize the contribution of your study. As for having them as sections in a research paper, that depends on what a researcher wants to communicate. Some researchers would present study results first before discussing the study findings. This strategy allows a researcher to focus on presenting the study results only in conjunction with the research questions and/or objectives. Other researchers would prefer to combine presentation of study results with discussion given that both are closely connected.
Hello,
Results section is just a presentation of the data. There should not be any discussion in the results section (that goes in the discussion section). The results need to be presented in enough detail for someone not familiar with the scientific paper to understand them.
Discussion unrolls the main results, explain their meanings. Put there the new questions and perspectives, describe the most interesting points for the entire field. Define the possible answers, write down why and how and what for, your suggestions.
Conclusion is a summary of the discussion or the whole work. You can put there the main points and results, their factual meaning for the field and a possible further direction. I like to describe this as "discussion's points and facts without the discussion."
Best regards, Mourad
RESULTS are the presentation of data and hence findings or investigations.
DISCUSSION provides the explanation and interpretation of results or findings by comparing with the findings in prior studies.
CONCLUSION is to write the output of the work/ investigations in summarized form.
They are all different:
Results is actual data, numbers, etc
Discussion is how are these data compare with previous workers' finds.
Conclusion is what you learned from all this work. The meaning of the results in everyday life, or elsewhere.
Under the results section the author can present the evidence eg:- statistical evidence.
Under the discussion section the author can present the interpretation of evidence (statistical evidence).
Conclusion is the final part of the research paper and this will present the findings briefly and describe winding up.
In the Results Section, the data as compiled is presented. In this section the interpretation of data is not done.
In the Discussion section, the findings are discussed.
The Conclusion Section discusses the conclusions from the data analysis & discussion.
Trying to split the three sections is cumbersome. You can see what works best and merge the first and second or second and third sections. It is perfectly fine and acceptable.
I think result is totally based on data. own criticism is not applicable in result section. In discussion one may put own thought in describing the result and evidence from other literature could be used here for argument for or against the findings obtained in result section. conclusion should be the key message of the study which is expected to be critically extracted from the result and discussion section.
Liqqa Habeb,
Obviously, the results section of a research report very often portray objective information that the particular researcher has collected through research. In point of fact, analytical research reports such as surveys or experiments,which involve collection of important information, require the presentation of original data that have been collected and analyzed. The effective and convincing way of presenting such data require pictorial tools like graphs and tables that objectively depict the targeted data and the statistical analyses followed by using the language of report.Unlike the results section, the discussion part helps the reader with a subjective explanation of significant ways by which your findings differ from or agree with those of similar research on the same issue. Finally, the conclusion brings the report to a final touch down by giving a summary of vital details in one or several short paragraphs.
Best regards,
R. Biria
What is the difference between results, discussion, and conclusions in writing a research paper?
Dear respected researchers
Gabriel Faimau
Derra Mourad
Zahir Hussain
Michael Issigonis
Anuradha Iddagoda
Emmanuel Vijayanand Murray
Rasel Babu
Reza Biria
Anirbid Sircar
Han Ping Fung
Thank you so much for your valuable opinions. I highly appreciate what you state. It is really helpful huge bulk of information.
Liqaa
Many good answers are provided already. This is my summary:
- Results section: In this section simply present what you found,
- Discussion section: (a) Try to explain "What do your results mean?", and (b) how they relate to the literature,
- Conclusions section: Re-state the main points in a new concise way that you want your readers to remember.
I agree with my colleagues above Mahmoud omid and Howieda Fouly. Best regards.
Dear researchers
Mahmoud Omid
Howieda Fouly
It is really very good summary to the main idea . I highly appreciate it. Thank you so much for your enriching answers.
Liqaa
Thank you so much for your answer Nabeel Hameed Al-Saati.
Liqaa
Results: is what you got actually after your Statistical Analysis
Discussions: How you will relate the Results to your Literature Review and show the relations or impact you need to address in your research
Conclusion or Recommendations: is a combination of suggestions that enhance and motivate professionals to apply what you are proposing with full framework about future implications
The results section usually presents your the findings of your study. The discussion section connects your results/findings with the existing literature and also sometimes includes a section on implications of your findings (for policy, for instance). The conclusion summarises the entire piece of writing.
Dear colleagues
Ajay Kumar
Moetaz Soubjaki
Maia Chankseliani
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable opinions.
Liqaa
All the answers are good. Of course interpretations would vary among disciplines. I am a social scientist, and I would add that the discussion is where you analyse your results, as opposed to simply presenting them (which you would have done in the results/findings section). This does not just involve relating the findings to existing literature, but includes adding your own sense of their meaning.
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results: Result are the data you get after doing experiment,
discussion: Discussion part is very important in article because you need to correlate with other similar article and discuss your idea and compare it with other
conclusions: you need to say what your research proof and give important information.
I agree with the responses already given. I just want to add that conclusion would also include the conclusions you have come to arising from your discussion of the results regarding your research.
Lots of good answers already. I only would like to add that the Conclusions section should not include anything that has not already covered in the Discussion section. If writing the Conclusions you discover you have something relevant to say that you did not include in the Discussion, go back to the Discussion and add it there in detail, then mention it briefly in the Conclusions.
Les mots parlent presque d'eux-mêmes!
Dans la partie "résultats" sont regroupés les résultats originaux établis à partir des données recueillies après leurs traitements et analyses; dans la partie "discussion" les interprétations, les biais et les limites des résultats à la lumière notamment des études précédentes sur la question; dans la partie "conclusions" le rappel des principaux résultats obtenus et les pistes de recherches ouvertes par la recherche présentée dans l'article.
Generally, you progress from objectively presenting your research, to more subjectively making arguments based on your data, and then even more subjectively commenting on the implications and importance of your research.
Specifically:
1. look at journals you find interesting and see how published writers handle the issues in the different sections. There can be variations across journals and disciplines.
2. tell a story about your data and how it relates to what you discussed in the first part of your paper.
3. don't overgeneralize your discussion. Make sure it reflects the amount of data you have to support your claims. Data can be seen as evidence to support your arguments.
4. Use the conclusion to demonstrate yourself as an author. If your research is related to education, what are the pedagogical implications? Why is your research important and what contribution does it make? What doesn't your research accomplish and what can be future research>
good greeting
Nice question
The results are all that the researcher got through his follow-up to a research project. The discussion is the interpretation of these results and the reasons and sometimes includes the agreement or lack of agreement with previous studies or similar to the subject of his research. The conclusions I think are similar to the summary of the research is almost everything that emerged or any definite result in search
best wishes
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable opinions. It is really amazing to have this bulk of information and knowledge. I highly appreciate your rich answers.
Liqaa
I really interest the answers and benefit from them alot. Thank you.
You are utterly right dear Dr Khasaa. The answers are full of wonderful explanations that enrich our knowledge. Thank you this hint.
Liqaa
The findings and discussion sections are fundamentally different from each other.
In findings, you share what you obtained from analysis of data ( what has happened) whereas in discussion you explain why this has happened. In discussion section, you may also need to evaluate your findings with existing literature by comparing/contrasting your work. You may also bring in personal reflection o
Thank you so much for clarification dear Khurram Aziz. I highly appreciate it.
Liqaa
You are right dear Anirbid Sircar. Thank you so much for your answer.
Liqaa
hello
The results of the research represent either theoretical or practical values. The discussion is a description of these values and their analysis. The conclusions represent the researcher's results
regards
Already very good information provided by several authors.
I think discussion is more important in any research publication, results of the present work should discuss properly and compare with earlier data to get conclusion.
Thank you all
Results
The results section is just a presentation of the data. There should not be any discussion in the results section (that goes in the discussion section). The results need to be presented in enough detail for someone not familiar with the scientific paper to understand them. All the results should be explained in the text of the results section as well as being presented in either figures or tables. Each result should only be presented once. Do not show the same data in two forms (data should be presented as either a table or a figure not both).
The text of the results section should introduce each table or figure and provide a summary of the main points from each.
The results should:
-Be simple and clear
-Present summaries of large data sets (means with standard error or deviation)
-Detailed data should be reported in tables or figures and not as lists in the text
-Only give the data which is relevant to the paper
-Refer to every table or figure in the text
-Each figure or table should be identified by a unique number e.g. table 1, table 2, figure 1, figure 2. The numbers should be sequential, in the same order as the tables or figures are presented in the text.
Discussion
In the discussion you should explain your results, how they relate to the literature and any implications they might have for future use.
A good discussion will explain why your results and the whole paper is important. You'll show that your results can add new knowledge to your chosen area of work.
In the discussion you should refer to the literature when explaining and discussing your results. This should be related to the interpretation of your results and not restating what was said in the introduction when you reviewed the relevant literature.
The discussion should:
-Not repeat information from the results and introduction sections
-Relate the results to the aims
-Show how the results agree or disagree with previously published literature
-Indicate the significance of the results
-Suggest future work or planned follow-up research
Conclusion
Often the conclusion will be in the final paragraph of the discussion but it can sometimes be in a separate section.
This is the overall main point or points that you want your readers to remember. They should be clearly stated.
The conclusion should not repeat information form the discussion section but restate the main conclusions in a new concise way for your readers, so that they are in no doubt what you have achieved while doing the research presented in your paper.
Ref: http://www.excellent-proofreading-and-writing.com/scientific-paper-4.html#axzz4uMgLw0LG
Regards
Selvam
Thank you for this question for its importance and its relation to research work, especially for junior researchers in this field, I think the following:
Results should be raw data that are measurable rather than general observations, and it should relate directly to your research question and hypothesis.
In the discussion you should explain your results, how they relate to the literature and any implications they might have for future use.
A good discussion will explain why your results and the whole paper is important. You'll show that your results can add new knowledge to your chosen area of work.
The conclusion is simply a report about what you learned, based on whether the results agree or disagree with your hypothesis. It usually contains a summary of the actual procedure and makes note of anything unexpected that happened during the experiment.
Thank you so much dear researchers for your enlightenment. I highly appreciate your valuable comments.
Liqaa
Dear Dr Isam Issa Omran
Thank you so much for your recognized comment. Very clear and outstanding. I highly recommend it.
Liqaa
Thank you so much dear Dr Mutasem Z. Bani-Fwaz for sharing this valuable link.
Liqaa
Dear Dr. Liqaa,
Results section should set out your key experimental results, including any statistical analysis, and whether or not the results of these are significant.
Discussion section should interpret and explain your results, answer your research question, justify your approach, and critically evaluate your study.
Conclusion section is just a summary of your research paper, and your future trend regarding this type of research.
Dear Hadeel Saleh Haj Aliwi
Thank you so much for your helpful participation.
Liqaa
Results: represent a presentation for what are the out come of the study after applying the studied factors in many forms(tables,histograms ,curves....etc), after applying a statistical analysis to reveal the degree of significance differences between studied factors on the targeted population (Peoples,students,animals ,or even plants).
Discussion section interpret the causes of what result under experimental conditions and compare that with previous studies mentioned in literature review .
Conclusion section is the place for mentioned if nil hypothesis or the alternative one are achieved .In other word it is the place to mention if the study goals are achieved or not.
Thank you so much dear Dr Ali Alhayany for your addition.
Liqaa
result of you research pesented as table or as chart or wrighting it.... discussion of your results withthe reslts of other similar research
I think each of them deal with research and the Conclusions section was the main important .
best regard
One of my students brought in an engineering article his adviser had published and we discussed how much evaluation the article in the results section. They are constantly discussing how significant the results are. It went against what I had told them about making the results section objective and relates to the problem of making the research more significant, which was the problem my student was working on.
Thank you so much dear colleagues for sharing your valuable opinions.
Liqaa
Thank you for the clear answers.
In my field, Results and Discussion is normally in one section.
Conclusions is in different section
Results are the explicit findings (statistics, etc.) of study/methodology.
The discussion provides "meaning" to the findings.
Thank you so much dear colleagues for your cooperation.
Liqaa
Results- The main findings from the study based on your hypothesis or research questions
Discussion - The meanings of the findings in relation to what is from existing literature
Conclusion- Your final decision about the phenomenon that was studied to shed new light on it that contributes to knowledge
The results report your findings. Discussion reveals the comparison between your findings and those of others and it might include recommendations or call to action.
Dear Liqaa'
Greetings
When you start up your scientific research, you hypothesize something and use a particular methodology to test your hypothesis. Of course you have to have general aims& specific objectives.
Your findings and their statistical analysis-if any- represent your "results" part of your paper. In the next-coming section, you have to interpret your findings and this is the "Discussion". Your aims and objectives have to be answered by writing your conclusions. Sometimes, you have to go more far by recommending further actions and/ or further studies
Thanks
The results section of our paper announces the key findings of our own paper. The discussion section attempts to compare and contrast the findings with the available literature. And the conclusion restates the key points in the paper.
I Think that applying the scientific method to a hypothesis to verify it we obtain results that must be analyzed (the discursions can be included in the verification process). The results will confirm or refuse the hypothesis and are the object of technological transfer. From the verification of the results we obtain conclusions. The conclusions are the main ideas of our research and can be published.
Results = Statistical/instrumental facts
Discussions = Explaining these facts on basis of with reasons and evidences
Conclusion = Concise extract of your findings
Thank you so much dear colleagues for sharing your valuable opinions.
Liqaa
Those are titles and their difference is slight since each has a role for a specific type of research.
The results are the part of the scientific paper around which everything else is built.
In the discussion one should explain your results, how they relate to the literature and any implications they might have for future use.
The conclusion should not repeat information from the discussion section but restate the main conclusions in a new concise way for your readers, so that they are in no doubt what you have achieved while doing the research presented in your paper.
These three terms are related to each other. Results mean illustration of your work, Discussions mean elaboration of your results with evidence and comparison while Conclusion means precise description of whole paper in one paragraph.
Results are findings of the study or research, discussion is the relationship between results and literature review while conclusion is the relationship between the study aims/objectives and and outcomes of the study.
Results are outcome from an empirical study.
Discussions is throwing more light on the result and its associated implication/s to either research or practice.
Conclusion is the judgment reached after consideration of the result.
Hello! I distinguish findings, discussion, and conclusion as follows:
1. Findings is the section where you report on the empirical evidence derived from your research/data.
2. Discussion of findings is the section where you discuss the empirical evidence in relation to your literature, i.e. theory, preconceived hypotheses, concepts, etc. This section is where you incorporate YOUR OWN VOICE. So, you do not merely discuss, you INTERPRET.
3. Conclusion is the section where you restate the purpose and questions of your study, as well as explain how you reached this particular purpose and how you responded to your research questions stated in the beginning of your study.
Good luck with your research!
Dear Sholpan Tazabek
Very clear distinction. Thank you so much.
Liqaa
Hi, the three terms are interrelated but the difference is stated as follows
Results are the findings of data analysis for the empirical study that answer the research questions.
Discussions is interpreting the findings and shedding more light on the results and its associated implication by trying to explain the results of the study and to justify the results.
Conclusion is the author judgment reached depending on the consideration of the results and their interpretation.
The following papers may further help:
- Annesley, T. M. (2010) The discussion section: your closing argument, Clinical Chemistry, 56, 11, pp. 1671-1674.
- Assan, J. 'Writing the Conclusion Chapter: the Good, the Bad and the Missing', Development Studies Association Annual Postgraduate Workshop, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK, 1-3 June, 2009: University of Liverpool, 1-8.
- Bavdekar, S. B. (2015) Writing the discussion section: Describing the significance of the study findings, Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 63, 11, pp. 40-42.
- Bunton, D. (2005) The structure of Ph.D conclusion chapters, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 4, 3, pp. 207-224.
- Gilgun, J. F. (2005) "Grab" and good science: Writing up the results of qualitative research, Qualitative health research, 15, 2, pp. 256-262.
- Mukherjee, A. and Lodha, R. (2016) Writing the results, Indian pediatrics, 53, 5, pp. 409-415.
- Perry, C. (1998) A structured approach to presenting phd theses: notes for candidates and their supervisors, Australasian Marketing Journal, 6, 1, pp. 1-57.
this link is useful
https://www.enago.com/.../discussion-conclusion-know-difference-dr...
regards
1- The results answer the question (what) about your reserch
2- the discussion answers the question (so what) abut your research.
The research results should specify the main findings or the evidence that helps substantiate and answer the research question or main hypothesis. The Conclusion should Incoporate how the study’s research findings inform the relevant scholarship, either by extending an existing way of looking at the problem, paradigm or debate, and/or by contributing new methods or analytical schemas, which can better explain the problem or phenomena being studied.
Jalal Buhadima No, it is your result, not other. Then why do you need to cite? References are for introduction and discussion sections.
Locate your tables, figures and other data in the results section, but do not interpret them. You will interpret and explain your results in the discussion section. In the discussion seccion you should explain results in relation to your research questions. You may combine the discussion and results section, or make them separate. BTW, don't forget methodology section, where you should describe how are your going to collect data. This is what western academic culture imposes on the world currently
Results is the presentation of the findings
Discussion is the presentation around the relevance of the findings
Conclusion is the end of the paper and can include recommendations, outlook, research gaps, .....
The results section is where you report the findings of your study based upon the methodology or methodologies you applied to gather information. A section describing results is particularly necessary if your paper includes data generated from your own research. Conclusion is a summary of the discussion or the whole work. You can put there the main points and results, their factual meaning for the field and a possible further direction. Discussion provides the explanation and interpretation of results or findings by comparing with the findings in prior studies.
Thank you so much dear colleagues. I highly appreciate your valuable comments.
Check this link, it may be beneficial;
https://www.enago.com/academy/discussion-conclusion-know-difference-drafting-manuscript/
The results section is where you report the findings of your study based upon the methodology you applied to gather information. Discussion provides the explanation and interpretation of results or findings by comparing with the findings in prior studies. Conclusion is a summary of the discussion or the whole work. You can put there the main points and results, their factual meaning for the field and a possible further direction for future studies.
Thank you so much dear colleagues for sharing your valuable opinions.
Thank you so much Academics for clarity, please guide me, I am taken by that result sections I present data and tables in alignment to my respondents answers, and than I detail the results under discussion section,
Dear Colleagues and Friends from RG, When writing a research dissertation, etc., all key methodological elements and those used in accordance with accepted practice of writing a specific dissertation, scientific, research, diploma dissertation, etc. should be taken into account. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly distinguish such issues as: results obtained from scientific research, conclusions which are formulated on the basis of the results of scientific research and discussion should be included in relation to theses given in the scientific publications of other authors. In addition, with regard to the results of the research and theses given in the publications of other researchers and scientists, it should also be included in the research work described, diploma polemics, analysis of the literature describing the current state of knowledge in specific issues related to conducted research. However, in scientific articles there may be different rules and requirements for the editorial preparation of articles specified by the Editorial Office conducting the editorial and publishing process preceding publication of the article. Then, in these editorial issues, the authors adapt their texts to specific editorial requirements.
Best wishes
Dariusz Prokopowicz
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