You may decide to present these moves in the same sequence they are numbered here, but general writing practice in the discussion section varies considerably from one discipline to another, and even from one text to another, so you have the freedom to be creative. You can present the moves in a different sequence if this suits your purposes. You may even find that you initiate Move 3 and go through the various steps several times with different individual results. Also, the model described above gives no indication about length. By way of example, the following opening of a discussion section from a research paper on memantine treatment deals with Move 1 in one sentence and Move 2 in three.
One final question that you need to ask is whether your research report requires a separate conclusion section. The answer will probably depend on the scientific discipline in which you are working, your personal preferences and the complexity of your study. Ask your supervisor for advice.
However, if you have followed all the moves and steps outlined above, a separate conclusion section will probably not be necessary. Essentially, the conclusion of a research report has to restate the research question or problem and summarize the answer; explain the practical or theoretical implications of the answer; and identify the limitations of the study and give ideas for future research. All of this information has already been given in the discussion, so your research has a conclusion whether you write a separate section or not; and if you include a conclusions section, you may run the risk of simply repeating yourself. If you feel (or are told) that a separate conclusion is necessary, consider finishing your discussion after Move 3, Step 3, and using this information, together with the information from Move 4, in a conclusion section.
 | The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the possible role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in the development of temporary paralysis caused by ZIKV using memantine, an inhibitor of this receptor. In two independent experiments, memantine reduced the incidence of paralysis, which suggests that activation of this receptor is associated with paralysis. A distinguishing pathological event in this mouse model is that pre-synaptic terminals becomes detached or retracted from alpha-motor neurons in paralyzed mice. The synapses are then re-associated upon recovery of paralysis. A hypothesis for future studies, therefore, is that glutamate excitotoxicity mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors signals synaptic retraction and paralysis, and that resolution of glutamate excitotoxicity might reverse the paralysis of ZIKV-induced Guillain–Barré syndrome. (Siddharthan et al., 2020 ) |
One final question that you need to ask is whether your research report requires a separate conclusion section. The answer will probably depend on the scientific discipline in which you are working, your personal preferences and the complexity of your study. Ask your supervisor for advice.
However, if you have followed all the moves and steps outlined above, a separate conclusion section will probably not be necessary. Essentially, the conclusion of a research report has to restate the research question or problem and summarize the answer; explain the practical or theoretical implications of the answer; and identify the limitations of the study and give ideas for future research. All of this information has already been given in the discussion, so your research has a conclusion whether you write a separate section or not; and if you include a conclusions section, you may run the risk of simply repeating yourself. If you feel (or are told) that a separate conclusion is necessary, consider finishing your discussion after Move 3, Step 3, and using this information, together with the information from Move 4, in a conclusion section.
Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics
Darrera actualització: 18-7-2022
Recommended citation:
«Reordering moves» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=3478> [consulta: 24 novembre 2024].
