The discussion section of Masters dissertation falls in the fourth chapter of the thesis. It evaluates the study’s findings, aims, limitations, and approaches. The last one is the conclusion that concludes the main points of the entire dissertation. The discussion section of masters dissertation is critical as it establishes a link between your study research questions, results, and past studies.
Without critical discussion related to the topic, the dissertation remains incomplete. Therefore, a checklist for the discussion section of masters dissertation is key to checking and proofreading the chapter. At the same time, it is also important to write the discussion section by keeping the aims and approaches of the study in mind. If you're struggling with your dissertation’s discussion chapter, read this article until the end. In this article, I will provide a checklist for the discussion section of masters dissertation. I will also list down some important points that are a part of a good discussion chapter of a masters dissertation.
Importance of Discussion Section of Masters Dissertation
The discussion section in a masters dissertation is the main chapter that connects the findings with the study questions. It critically evaluates the results and supports them with other studies. Without a critical approach in the discussion section of masters dissertation, it is impossible to complete research. Basically, the data you used in your results chapter should be analysed, explored, and the significance of the data should be determined in your discussion chapter. By reviewing and interpreting your results in the discussion chapter, you'll give them some meaning.This will assist you in answering your research questions, accomplishing your research objectives, and supporting your conclusion. As a result, the findings section of your discussion chapter should focus on findings closely related to your study objectives and concerns. You mustn't report any new findings in this chapter because it reflects your results. Adding anything new will confuse your supervisor.
Checklist Points for Discussion Section of Masters Dissertation
Due to the importance and role of the discussion chapter in a masters dissertation, there is a need for a checklist to ensure the completion of all steps and points in the section. Following are some major points that are a part of discussion section of masters dissertation checklist.Restate the Aims and Objectives
The first important point in the discussion section is to restate the study aims and objectives. It allows the researcher to link results and research questions. This restatement is crucial since the reader may have forgotten or been swayed away from the original point of your research after reading dozens of pages.Write Important Findings
The next step is to summarise the most important findings from your results chapter. Qualitative and quantitative research may present this in different ways, with qualitative research reporting on themes and linkages and quantitative research focusing on statistical relationships. Regardless of methodology, you must highlight the main overarching findings of your research questions in this part.Interpret Results
Interpretation of the results is important to arrange them in a meaningful explanation. It reduces the complexities of statistics and provides in-depth information related to each and every result of the dissertation.After you have reiterated your research problems and listed your study's major findings, you can now start discussing the results with the support of previous studies. Remember only to repeat what you said in the previous section and not add anything new.
From a structural standpoint, following a similar structure in this chapter as you did in your results chapter can be a sound strategy. This will improve readability and allow the reader to follow along with your thoughts more easily. It might make sense to organise your finding’s discussion by qualitative themes. This chapter could also be organised around an overarching theoretical framework based on your research.
Limitations
Accepting the study shortcomings is one of the most critical aspects in writing the discussion section of your Masters dissertation. These shortcomings can apply to any part of your study, from the scope to the theoretical foundation to the analysis method and data collection type. For example, you might realise that you only used primary sources and used a tiny sample size, which prevents you from extrapolating your findings to a larger population. Tell the reader about any shortcomings and possible improvements and emphasise your study's importance despite its flaws.Providing Recommendations and Concluding Remarks
The opportunity for further research is the next topic of debate. To put it another way, how might other research expand on what you've discovered while also improving the findings by overcoming some of your study's limitations? The recommendations will be based on the limitations of your research, e.g., if you have used only the mono method in your research, you can recommend using the mixed-method approach.In the concluding paragraph, you restate your main findings and how your findings have added value to the previous literature. The conclusion allows the reader to get an overview of the complete study and what value does he get from your study
Checklist for Discussion Section of Masters Dissertation
- I have restated the dissertation objectives and aims.
- The section has described all the important findings.
- I have interpreted all the results.
- The explanation is enough for the readers to understand the results.
- The discussion section has answered all the key questions.
- There is relevant literature of findings in the discussion section.
- I have mentioned the scope and significance of the results.
- The discussion section is full of implications of the findings.
- The chapter has well-written study limitations.
- There are appropriate recommendations of findings and implications in the section.
Conclusion
Discussion section of masters dissertation is an important chapter in the student’s research. It provides the explanation and interpretation of the results with scope and implications. It is important to write this section carefully and ensure the checklist after completing the section.