What do I write about in the Discussion without repeating myself?!
The willy wagtail pair this after-the-rains morning in Far North Queensland, have begun forging their territory. Precision strikes to the heads of those who passerby, including elderly Dad, and the dogs, and me.
Eggs are incubating.
Meanwhile~ I’ve got my own brood of psychology thesis students and undergraduates with research reports due. The steely pointy end for each of them is forging the Discussion section. So I thought I’d share with you, as part of my human science network, my ‘how-tos’ for crafting an excellent Discussion.
Keen to hear how you hone your synthesis of results and prior literature, and implications (hint hint: Comments welcome). Download as an APA7 formatted pdf copy here
Trionfo della Divina Provvidenza, Pietro da Cortona (1632-39), alfresco
Discussion
Remind reader of aim. Was the hypothesis/es supported or not? How so? (without repeating the result wording, and no numeric values).
Does this support/not support literature from the lit review, pertaining to the hypothesis? Whether your hypothesis was supported or not… is interesting: How were your findings similar or different? (e.g., correlation coefficient strength and direction; regression predictors effect sizes; group differences in units for an ANOVA). What could be some reasons for this? (e.g., prior research had similar/different sampling method, sample characteristics, materials for data collection, procedure, or analysis plan and time of study). Given these similarities and or differences, zooming out, what could this mean about the phenomenon being investigated or how it is being measured?
Rinse and repeat for each hypothesis.
Acknowledge your study had limitations (everyone’s does). Do not repeat information raised in the paragraphs above (i.e., prioritise what goes where). Identify and describe the limitation (consider sampling method, sample characteristics, materials for data collection, procedure, or analysis plan and time of study). Why is it a limitation? (use citations where relevant to justify your argument). Consider the limitation sections in the Discussions of literature you used in your study, cite when you use something relevant. Assess also, how a limitation may be a strength in a different context. For example:
Given three quarters of participants were female findings may have been affected by individual differences in motivation to participate in the stretching study (e.g., Nuzzo & Deaner, 2023). However, as most Australian university disciplines are predominantly female (e.g., Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023; Larkins, 2018), findings are representative of this population.
Rinse and repeat for each limitation.
Make future research recommendations based on your limitations first. Where relevant, and without repeating yourself from earlier, cite an outside source to justify this suggestion (e.g., design or analysis plan modification).
Direct the reader to the practical implications of your findings: Who could use your findings, specifically; do not make broad sweeping claims, provide details. For instance, sports psychologists could draw on the findings of the present study to help with co-creation of treatment plans for non-athletes.
Now orient the reader to theoretical implications, such as: While the results help to integrate biopsychosocial factors in sports and exercise choice, the model cannot account for the novel finding of built environment influence on those choices…. (suggestions to modify the model/theory/conceptual framework). Or, here the theory/framework used in the study is not the best to use to explain the findings, rather this one over here is and why.
Conclude by reminding the reader of the real-world problem, the research gap, your aims, and what you found (different wording to before). Make blatantly clear how you are contributing to the field of knowledge (incremental steps are the way of the scientific method). Remind the reader who benefits from research on this topic (can be broad here; e.g., the individual, psychologists, wider community, policy makers … undergraduates being trained on this topic at university …).
[Celebrate!]
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References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023, May). Education and work, Australia. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/education/education-and-work-australia/latest-release. Larkins, F. P. (2018). Male students remain underrepresented in Australian universities. Should Australia be concerned? [pdf ] Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education. https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/4450984/Larkins-2018-Male-Students-Remain-Underrepresented-in-Australian-Universities.pdf Nuzzo, J. L., Deaner, R. O. (2023). Men and women differ in their interest and willingness to participate in exercise and sports science research. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 33, 1850-1865. doi:10.1111/sms.14404
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