Writing the Discussion Section

Autor: Marin S. Robinson, Fredricka L Stoller, Molly S. Costanza-Robinson
Rok vydání: 2023
Zdroj: Write Like a Chemist ISBN: 0190098945
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190098940.003.0005
Popis: This chapter focuses on the Discussion section, the last part of the standard IMRD structure for a journal article. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the Discussion section can stand alone or can be part of a combined Results & Discussion (R&D) section. In either case, it serves the same major purpose: to interpret the results of the study. Ideally, the Discussion section explains the story revealed by the data, postulates reasons for the observed behaviors, and furthers the fundamental understanding of the underlying science. However, authors must be careful not to overinterpret their data, misinterpret their results, overstate their assumptions, or stray too far from scientific evidence. The excerpts selected for this chapter illustrate that the language of the Discussion section is typified by restraint and understatement. By using hedging words, writers acknowledge the limitations of their knowledge, the tentativeness of their claims, and the recognition that their knowledge will be subjected to scientific scrutiny over time.
Databáze: OpenAIRE