Get No Separate Discussion

The discussion is the section in a report of an investigation where the researcher interprets the results of the study; makes criticism of the methodology used; considers the implications of the results for future research, and suggests real-world applications.

The Discussion section follows the Results and precedes the Conclusions and Recommendations section. It is here that the authors indicate the significance of their results. They answer the question, “Why did we get the results we did?” This section provides logical explanations for the results from the study.

Some journals may require the results and discussion as one combined section whereas others may require them as separate sections. Both formats have their own advantages as well as disadvantages.

It's a matter of preference, but in most scientific and academic writing it is typical to have separate sections for results and discussion. Having separate sections allows the reader to more easily understand the key findings of the research and the interpretations and implications of those findings.

Snippets of Effective Discussions: Summarize the key findings in clear and concise language. ... Acknowledge when a hypothesis may be incorrect. ... Place your study within the context of previous studies. ... Discuss potential future research. ... Provide the reader with a “take-away” statement to end the manuscript.

While both sections interpret research findings, they have distinct focuses. The conclusion summarizes the main points, and the discussion goes into more detail about the findings. Both are crucial components, each fulfilling its unique role in presenting and concluding a research study.

If you choose to combine the results section and the discussion section into a single narrative, you must be clear in how you report the information discovered and your own interpretation of each finding. This approach is not recommended if you lack experience writing college-level research papers.