How-to-write-Discussion

HowtowritediscussionsectionThingstobeincluded►Whatbiologicalprincipleshavebeenestablishedorconfirmed?►Howdoyourresultscomparetothefindingsofothers?►Arethereanytheoreticalorpracticalimplicationsofyourwork?►Howdotheresultsrelatetothehypothesesorpreviousresultsuponwhichthestudywasbased.Discussion►Whatdoyourfindingsmean?►Describetheprinciples,relationships,andgeneralizationsimpliedbytheresults►Keepasshortaspossible,soreadersgrasptake-homemessage►Shouldbeorganizedwithabeginning,amiddle,andanendDiscussion:Beginning►Sentence1:Clearlystatetheanswertotheresearchquestion►Next,yourconclusionsbasedontheresults—strongestevidencefirst►Neverbeginwithasurveyofbackgroundinformation►NeverrepeatbackgroundinformationfromIntroductionDiscussion:Middle►Interprettheresults:howtheysupporttheanswertotheresearchquestion►Discusstopicsrelatingtotheanswerindescendingorderofimportance►Discussyourownorothers'studies,placingyourfindingsintheircontextDiscussion:Middle(cont’d)►Presentyourleastimpressiveresults►Explainanystudylimitations►Explainanyunexpectedfindings►Anticipatevalidcriticisms►HelpyourreadersgaugeWhatcanbeconfidentlylearnedWhatismorespeculativeDiscussion:End►Endstrong:what’sthetake-homemessage?►Restatetheanswertotheresearchquestion►Mentionpossibleapplications,implications,orspeculations►Considerwhatnext?Suggestfutureworktips►DonotrepeatyourfulldescriptionoftheresultsintheDiscussion,butyoumaybrieflysummarizetheresultsagaininthefirstparagraph.►Avoidunqualifiedstatementsandconclusionsthatarenotcompletelysupportedbyyourdata.►Avoidprioritystatementslike“Forthefirsttime”.►Bewareofextrapolatingconclusionsfromonespeciestoanother.Tenses►Usepresenttenseforknownorprovedfacts;►Usepasttensetodescribetheresultsofthecurrentstudy.►P99Thediscussioniswrittenpartlyinthepasttenseandpartlyinthepresenttense.Yourcurrentresultsarepresentedinthepasttense.Theresultsofpreviousstudiesthatarewellknownandconfirmed,aregiveninthepresenttense.Resultsfromotherstudiesthatarepreliminaryorcastintodoubtbyyourstudiesmaybereferredtointhepasttense.Theinterpretationofyourresultsisinthepresenttense.TensesExamplesInthisstudy,riluzoletreatmentofALShadapositiveanddose-dependenteffectontracheostomy-freesurvival“Thepresentfindingsindicatethatthetherapiesareeffectiveintheshort-termmanagementoflate-lifeinsomnia.Follow-upresultsshowedthatbehaviortherapyyieldedthemostdurableimprovementinsleeppatterns.Considerthefollowingexamplediscussion:Theneuroprotectivemechanismofriluzoleisnotfullyunderstood.Riluzoleinhibitsglutamatereleasefrompresynapticnerveterminals(Martineetal.,1993).Inthepresentstudy,riluzoleinhibitedsodiumchannels;sodiumchannelsmediateanumberoffunctionswithintheCNS,includingapoptosis.ThismaybeconsistentwiththerecentfindingthatriluzoleinhibitedapoptosisintheCNSofatransgenicmousemodelofALS(Garneyetal.,1999)Letuslookateachpart:Riluzoleinhibitsglutamatereleasefrompresynapticnerveterminals(Martineetal.,1993).Theseeffectsarewellknownorwereclearlyproven,andarethereforeinthepresenttense.Inthepresentstudy,riluzoleinhibitedsodiumchannels.”Astheseresultsarestillunsure(notpublished),thepasttenseisused.Thismaybeconsistentwiththerecentfindingthatriluzoleinhibitedapoptosis..Byputtingthisinthepasttense,itsuggeststhattheserecentfindingsarenotyetwellestablished.Know-how►Butthereafteryoumustrefertotheresults,notrepeatthem.►Westernscientificstylerequiresyoutoclearlypresentyourconclusions,andthentoarguetheirvalidity.►Immediatelyexpandthebriefconclusionsgivenattheendoftheresults;statethemclearlyandthenexplainwhytheyarevalidconclusions.Thingstobeavoided►ChineseauthorswilloftenapproachtheDiscussionandConclusionsinaverydifferentway;firstbyprovidingalloftheevidenceandinterpretations,buildingtheircasetofinallyfinishwiththemajorconclusions.►ThisapproachisnotappropriateforWesternscientificjournals.Criticizeyourdata,andthenpresentyourresultswithinthecontextofthefield.Ensurethatalltheconclusionsaredirectlysupportedbytheresults.Howeverbeyondyourmajorconclusionssomethoughtfulspeculationmightbeappropriate,butshouldonlybeasmallpartoftheDiscussion.Itshowsthereaderthatyouarethinkingaboutthebroaderdirectionofyourworkandmaymakesomepointsorconnectionsthatothershadnotthoughtabout,perhapsconfirmingyourmajorconclusionsortoshowwhichwayyourworkisgoing.ThoughtfulSpeculationOccasionallyitisappropriatetointroducenewdataintheDiscussionsection.Givethisonlyasadescriptionofunpublishedresults,andmakeitveryclearthatitisonlypreliminaryevidence.Thisshouldnotbeusedasameanstopublishyournewmaterial,andshouldonlybeincludedtomakeapoint,perhapsconfirmingyourmajorconclusionsortoshowthedirectionyourworkisgoing.