Discussion Writing:

After having introduced the reader to the research question and the fundamental premises for being able to answer it, you deliberate your way to a conclusion regarding what will be the most reasonable answer to the research question. In doing so, you assess the aspects that corroborate your answer as well as those that undermine it – for and against. In other words, you use the discussion section to provide the line of argumentation for your assignment, but making a clear assertion in the text is not necessarily the same as being dogmatic. It is fully acceptable to state that there is no unambiguous answer to the research question; for example, you can argue for the assertion that we do not fully know why men earn more than women. It is important to have a clear structure in the discussion to permit the reader to follow the line of argumentation.

For example, if you set out to assess two theories about a social phenomenon, you can first discuss the strengths and weaknesses of one theory, followed by the strengths and weaknesses of the other. An alternative solution is to address various elements or stages of the social phenomenon and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both theories with regard to each element. A discussion can be structured in numerous ways, and often one will be as good as the other. The way in which you structure your discussion will partly depend on the matters to be discussed, although this may often be a matter of style.

The discussion should be dominated by clear points, each of which supports your assertion in a different way. Each such point should have its own section/indent/paragraph, and vice versa: each section should include only one point. This applies to the background as well as the discussion sections and makes the text orderly and easy to read. The point presented in a section should thus have obvious relevance for the assertion that you argue for in the text. For example: If you compare and contrast two theories, you can, for example, argue that one of the theories has the advantage of explaining variations over time more adequately than the other. If so, you should include a section that has the sole purpose of corroborating the claim that one theory explains variation over time better than the other.

This point is thus part of the general line of argumentation for the assignment’s assertion (the answer to the research question). Another example: If you set out to discuss the assertion that ‘men earn more than women, you can include a section making the main point that ‘the gender difference in wage levels is not only a result of differences in education and another about how ‘the gender difference in wage levels is not only a result of differences in rates of sickness absence’. Each of these sections should focus exclusively on the point that you wish to elucidate in that section. A simple way to make the text easily readable is to state the main point in the first sentence of each section. For example, a section that sets out to show that ‘gender differences in wage levels are not only a result of differences in education could start with the phrase ‘even when researchers take into account differences in educational choices between men and women, but they also find that the gender differences in wage levels persist’. In the remainder of the section, you provide evidence for this assertion by referring to specific studies, avoiding reference to other points. To provide a convincing argument, all relevant objections must be treated seriously.

Your argument will not be more convincing if you just ignore or minimize relevant objections. To identify possible objections, you may often need to be creative and imagine how a critical reader might perceive your argument. If you can provide clear answers showing that such objections are irrelevant, you will have strengthened your assertion. If you have no clear answer, it might be important to address such objections towards the end of your discussion as possible weaknesses of your argument. Often, the major objections should be addressed close to the end of the discussion, so as not to let the assignment start with too many reservations before you have the opportunity to present good arguments in support of your assertion. If you identify any relevant objections that you cannot respond to, this is a sign that your discussion is insufficiently thorough. You may need to restructure your discussion and/or find another and more moderate answer to the research question.

Writing the Conclusion:

In the conclusion, you can emphasize your findings. Nothing new should be added at this point. You may nevertheless formulate your assertion with more certainty, now that the discussion has shown the reader why this is the most reasonable answer to the research question. If you wish to indicate something about further research and so on, you should keep it brief.