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20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting1Lecture11ConclusionSectioninAcademicWriting20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting21.Functionsofconclusion2.Articleconclusions3.Researchpaperconclusions4.Samplephrases5.Pointstocheckinthewriting6.Featuresofconclusions7.Languagefocus20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting31.Functions•topulltogetherallthemainideas•toreferbacktowhattheauthoroutlinedinhisintroductionandtohisthesis•toshowtheextenttowhichtheauthorhasbeenabletodealwiththeissuesinvolvedinhisthesis20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting42.ArticleconclusionsAgoodintroductionencouragesthereadertoreadon;itsetsthetoneforthearticlebutitmayfadeinthereader’smemory.Whatisremembered,ontheotherhand,istheconclusion.Theconclusionshouldbeananchorinthereader’smind,aplacewherethewholeoftheessayisattached;aweakendingsoonlosesitsholdandtheessayisforgotten.20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting52.ArticleconclusionsPointstoincludeinaconclusionWhatyoumayincludeinyourconclusion•asummaryofyourmainpoints,butwritteninadifferentway,sothatthereadercangetadifferentperspectiveonthem•yourevaluationofthetopic-thismaybearestatementofyourintroduction,ormodifiedinlightoftheevidence20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting62.Articleconclusions•anamplificationorextensionofyourthesisstatement,logicallyfollowingonfromyourmainpointsinthebody•yourproposedsolutiontotheproblemyouhavediscussed•areconciliationbetweentwoopposingpointsofview•suggestionsforfurtherinvestigationsintothetopicorissue20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting72.ArticleconclusionsWhatyoushouldnotincludeinyourconclusion•thepresentationofyourthesisstatement•completelynewevidenceorpointsinsupportofyourthesisstatement•thestartofanewtopic•anythingwhichrequiresadetailedexposition•anopposingargumentwhichputsintoquestionorunderminesyourown20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting82.Articleconclusions--ExampleTheUseofHempinReprocessedPaperManufactureAftertheintroduction,thebodyofthepaperpresentsargumentsfortheuseofhemp:•Therecyclingprocessandthestructureofthehempplantarebrieflyexplained.•Itissaidthatcomparativelyfewernaturalandhumanresourcesareusedtogrowhempratherthanatreetoproducethesameamountoffibre.•Otherpaperadditivesarediscussedandshowntobelessacceptableandcosteffectivethanhemp.•Hempisofferedasanalternativetowood-basedpapersaltogether.•Otherusesofhemparebrieflymentioned,pointingoutthattheplantismorethanasolutiontoasingleproblem.20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting92.Articleconclusions--ExampleSocietytendstoviewcertaintopicsthroughnarrowlensesandfromoneviewpoint,aseitherblackorwhite,goodorevil–buttheviewpointsandattitudeschange.Intherecentpast,hempwasprimarilyconsideredafibreforuseinropesandfabrics,butwiththeriseofthecounter-cultureofthemid-twentiethcenturyanditsfocusondrugs,thelowlysourceoffibre,hemp,becametheinfamousmarijuana,pot,dope.Itwasstigmatized,outlawedandvilified,forcedintohiding.Todaythatattitudebearsre-evaluation.20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting102.Articleconclusions--ExampleApartfromthemedicinalqualitiesofmarijuana,itsotherpracticalapplicationssurelywarrantasecondlookattheplantandthecontroversysurroundingit.Today,newvarietiesofhempareavailablewhichareeasilyandquicklygrownandresource-stingybutdonothaveenoughTHC(tetrahydrocannabinol)tohaveanynarcoticorintoxicatingeffects,yetsocietystillfearfullyturnsitsbackononeoftheleastexpensive,mostversatilenaturalfibresavailable.Associetiesseekwaystoprotecttheforestsandtheenvironmentasawhole,abandoningsuchausefulandenvironmentallyfriendlyrawmaterialashempseemsparticularlyshortsighted.Still,thisisnotthefirst,anddoubtlessnotthelast,timethatsocietyhasturneditsbackonthepotentialbenefitsofsomethingbecauseithasalreadyacquiredabadname.20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting112.Articleconclusions--ExamplePointstonote•Theconclusionismainlyacommentonwhatthepaperhassaid,drawingconclusions.•Afterdevotingthepapertosupportingandpromotingthequalitiesofhemp,theauthorbrieflyandeffectivelydealswiththeoppositiontotheplant.•Theauthorthenfinisheswithalastappealthatpointedlyleavesthereaderstore-evaluatetheirattitudesabouthemp.20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting123.ResearchpaperconclusionsItmustcontainfourstraightforwardelements:Didthehypothesisprovetobecorrectorincorrect?How?Why?Howmaytheproblembere-hypothesized?Whatdidtheresearchactuallyreveal?Whatwasobserved?Notonlywhatdothefindingsindicateabouttheresearchdone,butalsowhatbroaderaspectsmighttheyrevealandexplain?ConclusionsaboutthehypothesisposedintheintroductionResultsoftheresearch–andtheirtheoreticalimplications20110510ConclusionSectionsinAcademicWriting133.ResearchpaperconclusionsPossiblehypothesesraisedbytheresultsWhatquestionsdotheresultsraise?Whatpossibleanswersorexplanationscanbehypothesised?Ateachstepoftheresearchnewquestionsarose;howmighttheybeansweredorexplained?HowtheseconclusionsarepresenteddependsontheresearchdoneandthedemandsoftheStylesheetfortheparticularfield.PossiblehypothesesraisedbytheresultsSpecificlinesofadditionalresearchraisedby