Dr. Gerard Sharpling

Academic discussions in research projects

What do you think is meant by the word ‘discuss’, in academic writing?

What do you think a ‘discussion’ in a dissertation might contain?

Awareness activity

….is more than just having fun talking about something interesting and ‘passing the time of day’.

A discussion must have an academic feel to it, and be backed up with references. Otherwise it will sound ‘naïve’ and simplistic.

When discussing, you must do so with a purpose in mind. A discussion is teleological (goal-oriented).

Remember that a discussion...

It is possible to give your own opinions, but

these should be backed up by appropriate

academic references.

Make sure your discussion is not just a ‘rant’

against the world – e.g. ‘I think everyone

should be doing this or that’. Add references!

Also…

Do you have to write a separate discussion chapter in your dissertation, or will you be discussing as you go along? If you don’t know, how will you find out?

A key area to establish: do you need to keep results and discussion separate?

Your own requirements?

The structure of a discussion section is not very predictable, and may depend on:

Type of dissertation written Tradition in particular fields Position within the dissertation What has been stated previously Research questions

Some factors that affect the structure of a discussion

Some writers organise their discussion according to their research questions.

Consider whether this might be the best option. What are the disadvantages of this approach?

There are no right or wrong answers, butyou will need to think about the impact onthe reader.

Avoid being mechanistic

RESULTS DISCUSSIONSLess theoretical More theoreticalLess abstract More abstractLess general More generalLess integrated into field More integratedLess connected to the real world

More connected

Less concerned with implications

More concerned with implications

Less likely to discuss limitations

More likely to discuss limitations

Comparing results and discussions

MOVE 1: Background information MOVE 2: Summarizing and reporting key

results MOVE 3: Commenting on key results MOVE 4: Stating the limitations of the

study MOVE 5: Making recommendations for

future implementation or research

Move structure of discussions (Swales and Feak, 2012).

In essence, it is good aim for something betweenthe specific and general, for example:

Overall, In general, On the whole, In the main, With…exception(s).. The overall results indicate…

Some language you might include…

In the main [Generalization], we may see from this research that there is little certainty when predicting the fluctuation in oil prices. This confirms what Smith (2013) claims [Reinforcement] in his recent study, namely that such calculations are impossible to arrive at reliably.

General > Particular structure

Overall, the results indicate a strong level of satisfaction with distributed leadership within secondary schools in the UK. This finding bears out the views of x (2012), who has supported this type of managements structure within educational institutions.

Further general > particular structure

Why do we include limitations in our discussion?

Limitations

In conclusion, I am extremely sorry for my very poor dissertation because I ran out of time and could not consider the concept of power distance more fully in the time allowed. I hope it will not affect my mark?

Is it a good idea to say this?

The present dissertation has certain limitations. In particular, the nature of this research as small-scale and time bound meant that a fuller consideration of power distance lay beyond the scope of the dissertation. Nonetheless, it is felt that the data outlined reveals noteworthy information about workers’ attitudes to their managers.

It will be better to rephrase it:

[MOVE 2]While some researchers such as Jones (2013) contend that UK society has deteriorated and is effectively ‘broken’, [MOVE 2]this research suggests the opposite, namely that UK society is embracing positive change. [MOVE 4]Nonetheless, it should be remembered that this study is only small-scale, and the results are not completely generalizable. [MOVE 3]Yet the results still appear to indicate a useful and noteworthy trend.

Another example of limitations in the discussion

It should be noted that this study has been primarily concerned with….

The findings of this study are restricted to.. The limitations of this study are clear… We would like to point out that we have

not… We are unable to determine from this

data….

Some more language of limitations…

• Avoid chronological description • Pick out the key features of the data• Do not cut and paste material from other chapters. The discussion must sound different.

• Repackage the results• Add some evaluative comments

Key points in discussion