a. Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major FindingsBriefly reiterate for your readers the Research Problem or problems you are investigating and the Methods you used to investigate them, then move quickly to describe the major Results of the study. You should write a direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results.b. Explain the Meaning of the Results and Why They are ImportantNo one has thought as long and hard about your study as you have. Systematically, explain the meaning of the Results and why you believe they are important. After reading the Discussion section, you want the reader to think about the Results [“why hadn’t I thought of that?”]. You do not want to force the reader to go through the paper multiple times to figure out what it all means. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most important finding first.c. Relate the Findings to Similar StudiesNo study is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to other previously published research. The Discussion section should relate your study findings to those of other studies, particularly if questions raised by previous studies served as the motivation for your study, the findings of other studies support your findings [which strengthens the importance of your study results], and/or they point out how your study differs from other similar studies.d. Consider Alternative Explanations of the FindingsIt is important to remember that the purpose of research is to discover and not to prove. When writing the Discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations for the study Results, rather than just those that fit your prior assumptions or biases.Provide the complete References list of the sources used in writing the Discussion. Use APA style (7th Ed.) to enter the references.
