Discussion
The Discussion section is where you interpret your results and the main findings of your experiment. You draw conclusions using the data analyzed, the resulting tables and figures, as well as background information, and your own understanding about the topic.
The Discussion section includes:
- A restatement of the purpose of the experiment.
- An interpretation of the main findings of the report.
- Whether or not your results supported your hypotheses (see Addressing the Null & Alternate Hypotheses).
- Whether or not your results matched your prediction(s), if applicable.
- A comparison of your results to expected values – calculated from or found in the literature (expect to do some research in the library and include citations).
- An explanation of any unexpected results.
- A discussion of sources of error (see Sources of Experimental Error) and how to improve or minimize these errors in future experiments.
- Identify questions and future experiments you might want to investigate next.
- A concluding statement that summarizes the main findings of the study.
When writing this section, it is important to consider how to present the information in a logical order. The information in this section should be written in paragraph form – with each paragraph focused on a single topic. Information should flow within and among paragraphs with clear transitions.