How to write conclusion for research paper

Many students and lecturers remain confused about what should be included in the Findings and Discussion section (Chapter 4) compared to what must be written in the Conclusions section (Chapter 5). A simple way to avoid this confusion is to think of your conclusion as a summary of all the chapters you have written. In the conclusion, you remind readers of what they have read from Chapters 1 to 4.

In general, thesis chapters are structured like this:

Chapter 1: Introduction

A detailed explanation of your research question/problem statement and research objectives, including why they are worthy of study. Keep it simple, clear, and remember that the introduction should comprise about 10% of your entire thesis.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

In this chapter, you synthesize other people's ideas and theories relevant to your research. You should compare and contrast at least 10 sources and several theories/models. This chapter typically constitutes around 20% of your dissertation.

Chapter 3: Methodology

Here, you outline and explain why you chose your research design. You also describe how you collected empirical data—did you use interviews, questionnaires, etc.? What were the main challenges?

Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion

This is a critical chapter in your dissertation and typically the longest, constituting about 30-40% of your thesis. Here you present findings derived from in-depth analysis of your empirical data. Be careful not to incorrectly interpret results or prematurely draw conclusions. You should link evidence from your research to aspects of the literature review and discuss your key findings thoroughly.

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations

Clearly state the conclusions you've drawn from your work. Suggest what further research can be done to strengthen your conclusions, and provide recommendations if needed.

Again, this can vary depending on your university. Some universities may even dedicate a specific chapter to discussing an overview or historical background of the research setting.

To summarize clearly:

Your conclusions should:

• Restate your hypothesis or research questions.

• Restate your main findings.

• Clearly communicate to readers the contributions your research makes to existing literature.

• Outline the limitations of your study.

• Provide recommendations or suggestions for future research or to relevant stakeholders.

MAKE SURE you:

• Do not introduce new arguments.

• Do not present new data.

• Do not forget to include your research questions.

• Do not forget to clearly restate your main research findings.