WordviceHow to Write a Discussion Section for a Research Paper
Wordvice如何为研究论文撰写讨论部分
Oct 12, 2022
91,120

10月 12， 2022 91,120

How to Write a Discussion Section for a Research Paper
如何为研究论文撰写讨论部分

Wordvice HJ

We’ve talked about several useful writing tips that authors should consider while drafting or editing their research papers. In particular, we’ve focused on figures and legends, as well as the Introduction, Methods, and Results. Now that we’ve addressed the more technical portions of your journal manuscript, let’s turn to the analytical segments of your research article. In this article, we’ll provide tips on how to write a strong Discussion section that best portrays the significance of your research contributions.
我们已经讨论了作者在起草或编辑研究论文时应考虑的几个有用的写作技巧。特别是，我们专注于数字和图例，以及引言、方法和结果。现在我们已经解决了您的期刊手稿中更具技术性的部分，让我们转向您的研究文章的分析部分。在这篇文章中，我们将提供一些关于如何写一个强有力的讨论部分的提示，以最好地描述你的研究贡献的重要性。

What is the Discussion section of a research paper?
研究论文的讨论部分是什么？

In a nutshell, your Discussion fulfills the promise you made to readers in your Introduction. At the beginning of your paper, you tell us why we should care about your research. You then guide us through a series of intricate images and graphs that capture all the relevant data you collected during your research. We may be dazzled and impressed at first, but none of that matters if you deliver an anti-climactic conclusion in the Discussion section!
简而言之，您的讨论履行了您在引言中对读者的承诺。在你论文的开头，你告诉我们为什么我们应该关心你的研究。然后，您将引导我们完成一系列复杂的图像和图表，这些图像和图表捕获了您在研究期间收集的所有相关数据。一开始我们可能会感到眼花缭乱和印象深刻，但如果你在讨论部分给出一个反高潮的结论，这一切都无关紧要！

Are you feeling pressured? Don’t worry. To be honest, you will edit the Discussion section of your manuscript numerous times. After all, in as little as one to two paragraphs (Nature‘s suggestion based on their 3,000-word main body text limit), you have to explain how your research moves us from point A (issues you raise in the Introduction) to point B (our new understanding of these matters). You must also recommend how we might get to point C (i.e., identify what you think is the next direction for research in this field). That’s a lot to say in two paragraphs!
你感到压力吗？不用担心。老实说，您将多次编辑稿件的讨论部分。毕竟，在短短一到两段中（《自然》杂志基于其3000字的正文限制的建议），你必须解释你的研究如何将我们从A点（你在引言中提出的问题）转移到B点（我们对这些问题的新理解）。您还必须建议我们如何到达 C 点（即，确定您认为该领域研究的下一个方向是什么）。两段话就说了很多！

So, how do you do that? Let’s take a closer look.
那么，你是怎么做到的呢？让我们仔细看看。

What should I include in the Discussion section?
我应该在“讨论”部分包括哪些内容？

As we stated above, the goal of your Discussion section is to answer the questions you raise in your Introduction by using the results you collected during your research. The content you include in the Discussions segment should include the following information:
如上所述，您的讨论部分的目标是使用您在研究期间收集的结果来回答您在引言中提出的问题。您在“讨论”部分中包含的内容应包含以下信息：

  1. Remind us why we should be interested in this research project.
    提醒我们为什么我们应该对这个研究项目感兴趣。
  2. Describe the nature of the knowledge gap you were trying to fill using the results of your study.
    描述你试图使用你的研究结果来填补的知识空白的性质。
  3. Don’t repeat your Introduction. Instead, focus on why this particular study was needed to fill the gap you noticed and why that gap needed filling in the first place.
    不要重复你的介绍。相反，请关注为什么需要这项特定的研究来填补你注意到的空白，以及为什么首先需要填补这个空白。
  4. Mainly, you want to remind us of how your research will increase our knowledge base and inspire others to conduct further research.
    主要是，您想提醒我们您的研究将如何增加我们的知识基础并激励其他人进行进一步的研究。
  5. Clearly tell us what that piece of missing knowledge was.
    清楚地告诉我们那块缺失的知识是什么。
  6. Answer each of the questions you asked in your Introduction and explain how your results support those conclusions.
    回答您在引言中提出的每个问题，并解释您的结果如何支持这些结论。
  7. Make sure to factor in all results relevant to the questions (even if those results were not statistically significant).
    确保考虑与问题相关的所有结果（即使这些结果在统计上不显著）。
  8. Focus on the significance of the most noteworthy results.
    专注于最值得注意的结果的重要性。
  9. If conflicting inferences can be drawn from your results, evaluate the merits of all of them.
    如果可以从您的结果中得出相互矛盾的推论，请评估所有这些推论的优点。
  10. Don’t rehash what you said earlier in the Results section. Rather, discuss your findings in the context of answering your hypothesis. Instead of making statements like “[The first result] was this…,” say, “[The first result] suggests [conclusion].”
    不要重复您之前在“结果”部分所说的话。相反，在回答你的假设的背景下讨论你的发现。与其说“[第一个结果]是这样的......”，不如说“[第一个结果]暗示[结论]”。
  11. Do your conclusions line up with existing literature?
    您的结论是否与现有文献一致？
  12. Discuss whether your findings agree with current knowledge and expectations.
    讨论您的发现是否与当前的知识和期望一致。
  13. Keep in mind good persuasive argument skills, such as explaining the strengths of your arguments and highlighting the weaknesses of contrary opinions.
    请记住良好的有说服力的论证技巧，例如解释论点的优势并强调相反意见的弱点。
  14. If you discovered something unexpected, offer reasons. If your conclusions aren’t aligned with current literature, explain.
    如果您发现了意想不到的事情，请说明原因。如果您的结论与当前文献不一致，请解释。
  15. Address any limitations of your study and how relevant they are to interpreting your results and validating your findings.
    解决您研究的任何局限性，以及它们与解释您的结果和验证您的发现的相关性。
  16. Make sure to acknowledge any weaknesses in your conclusions and suggest room for further research concerning that aspect of your analysis.
    确保承认你的结论中的任何弱点，并建议对你的分析的这一方面进行进一步研究的空间。
  17. Make sure your suggestions aren’t ones that should have been conducted during your research! Doing so might raise questions about your initial research design and protocols.
    确保您的建议不是在研究过程中应该进行的建议！这样做可能会对您的初始研究设计和方案提出疑问。
  18. Similarly, maintain a critical but unapologetic tone. You want to instill confidence in your readers that you have thoroughly examined your results and have objectively assessed them in a way that would benefit the scientific community’s desire to expand our knowledge base.
    同样，保持批评但毫无歉意的语气。你要向你的读者灌输信心，你已经彻底检查了你的结果，并以一种有利于科学界扩大我们知识库的愿望的方式客观地评估了它们。
  19. Recommend next steps. 建议后续步骤。
  20. Your suggestions should inspire other researchers to conduct follow-up studies to build upon the knowledge you have shared with them.
    您的建议应激励其他研究人员进行后续研究，以建立您与他们分享的知识。
  21. Keep the list short (no more than two).
    保持列表简短（不超过两个）。

How to Write the Discussion Section
如何编写讨论部分

The above list of what to include in the Discussion section gives an overall idea of what you need to focus on throughout the section. Below are some tips and general suggestions about the technical aspects of writing and organization that you might find useful as you draft or revise the contents we’ve outlined above.
上面列出的讨论部分要包含的内容，让您全面了解了整个部分需要关注的内容。以下是一些关于写作和组织技术方面的提示和一般建议，您可能会发现这些提示和建议在起草或修改我们上面概述的内容时很有用。

Technical writing elements
技术写作元素

  1. Embrace active voice because it eliminates the awkward phrasing and wordiness that accompanies passive voice.
    拥抱主动语态，因为它消除了被动语态带来的尴尬措辞和冗长。
  2. Use the present tense, which should also be employed in the Introduction.
    使用现在时，在引言中也应该使用现在时。
  3. Sprinkle with first person pronouns if needed, but generally, avoid it. We want to focus on your findings.
    如果需要，撒上第一人称代词，但一般来说，避免使用。我们希望专注于您的发现。
  4. Maintain an objective and analytical tone.
    保持客观和分析的语气。

Discussion section organization
讨论部分组织

  1. Keep the same flow across the Results, Methods, and Discussion sections.
    在“结果”、“方法”和“讨论”部分之间保持相同的流程。
  2. We develop a rhythm as we read and parallel structures facilitate our comprehension. When you organize information the same way in each of these related parts of your journal manuscript, we can quickly see how a certain result was interpreted and quickly verify the particular methods used to produce that result.
    我们在阅读时会形成一种节奏，平行结构有助于我们的理解。当您在期刊稿件的每个相关部分以相同的方式组织信息时，我们可以快速查看某个结果是如何解释的，并快速验证用于产生该结果的特定方法。
  3. Notice how using parallel structure will eliminate extra narration in the Discussion part since we can anticipate the flow of your ideas based on what we read in the Results segment. Reducing wordiness is important when you only have a few paragraphs to devote to the Discussion section!
    请注意，使用并行结构将如何消除讨论部分中的额外叙述，因为我们可以根据我们在结果部分阅读的内容来预测您的想法流。当您只有几段话可以用于讨论部分时，减少冗长很重要！
  4. Within each subpart of a Discussion, the information should flow as follows: (A) conclusion first, (B) relevant results and how they relate to that conclusion and (C) relevant literature.
    在讨论的每个子部分中，信息应如下：（A）结论优先，（B）相关结果及其与该结论的关系，以及（C）相关文献。
  5. End with a concise summary explaining the big-picture impact of your study on our understanding of the subject matter. At the beginning of your Discussion section, you stated why this particular study was needed to fill the gap you noticed and why that gap needed filling in the first place. Now, it is time to end with “how your research filled that gap.”
    最后以简明扼要的总结结束，解释您的研究对我们理解该主题的大局影响。在讨论部分的开头，您说明了为什么需要这项特定的研究来填补您注意到的空白，以及为什么首先需要填补这一空白。现在，是时候以“你的研究如何填补这一空白”结束。

Discussion Part 1: Summarizing Key Findings
讨论第 1 部分：总结主要发现

Begin the Discussion section by restating your statement of the problem and briefly summarizing the major results. Do not simply repeat your findings. Rather, try to create a concise statement of the main results that directly answer the central research question that you stated in the Introduction section. This content should not be longer than one paragraph in length.
在“讨论”部分开始，重述您对问题的陈述并简要总结主要结果。不要简单地重复你的发现。相反，尝试对主要结果进行简明扼要的陈述，直接回答您在引言部分陈述的核心研究问题。此内容的长度不应超过一个段落。

Many researchers struggle with understanding the precise differences between a Discussion section and a Results section. The most important thing to remember here is that your Discussion section should subjectively evaluate the findings presented in the Results section, and in relatively the same order. Keep these sections distinct by making sure that you do not repeat the findings without providing an interpretation.
许多研究人员都在努力理解“讨论”部分和“结果”部分之间的确切区别。这里要记住的最重要的事情是，您的讨论部分应该以相对相同的顺序主观地评估结果部分中呈现的结果。通过确保您不会在不提供解释的情况下重复调查结果来保持这些部分的区别。

Phrase examples: Summarizing the results
短语示例：总结结果

  • The findings indicate that …
    研究结果表明......
  • These results suggest a correlation between A and B …
    这些结果表明 A 和 B 之间存在相关性......
  • The data present here suggest that …
    这里提供的数据表明......
  • An interpretation of the findings reveals a connection between…
    对研究结果的解释揭示了...

Discussion Part 2: Interpreting the Findings
讨论第 2 部分：解释调查结果

What do the results mean? It may seem obvious to you, but simply looking at the figures in the Results section will not necessarily convey to readers the importance of the findings in answering your research questions.
结果意味着什么？这对你来说似乎是显而易见的，但仅仅看结果部分的数字并不一定能向读者传达研究结果在回答你的研究问题方面的重要性。

The exact structure of interpretations depends on the type of research being conducted. Here are some common approaches to interpreting data:
解释的确切结构取决于所进行的研究类型。以下是一些解释数据的常用方法：

  • Identifying correlations and relationships in the findings
    识别调查结果中的相关性和关系
  • Explaining whether the results confirm or undermine your research hypothesis
    解释结果是否证实或破坏了您的研究假设
  • Giving the findings context within the history of similar research studies
    在类似研究的历史中给出研究结果的背景
  • Discussing unexpected results and analyzing their significance to your study or general research
    讨论意想不到的结果并分析它们对您的学习或一般研究的意义
  • Offering alternative explanations and arguing for your position
    提供替代解释并为您的立场辩护

Organize the Discussion section around key arguments, themes, hypotheses, or research questions or problems. Again, make sure to follow the same order as you did in the Results section.
围绕关键论点、主题、假设或研究问题或问题组织讨论部分。同样，请确保遵循与“结果”部分相同的顺序。

Discussion Part 3: Discussing the Implications
讨论第 3 部分：讨论影响

In addition to providing your own interpretations, show how your results fit into the wider scholarly literature you surveyed in the literature review section. This section is called the implications of the study. Show where and how these results fit into existing knowledge, what additional insights they contribute, and any possible consequences that might arise from this knowledge, both in the specific research topic and in the wider scientific domain.
除了提供你自己的解释外，还要展示你的结果如何适应你在文献综述部分调查的更广泛的学术文献。本节称为研究的意义。展示这些结果在特定研究主题和更广泛的科学领域中的位置和方式与现有知识相适应，它们贡献了哪些额外的见解，以及这些知识可能产生的任何可能后果。

Questions to ask yourself when dealing with potential implications:
在处理潜在影响时要问自己的问题：

  • Do your findings fall in line with existing theories, or do they challenge these theories or findings? What new information do they contribute to the literature, if any? How exactly do these findings impact or conflict with existing theories or models?
    您的发现是否与现有理论一致，或者它们是否挑战了这些理论或发现？他们为文献贡献了哪些新信息（如果有的话）？这些发现究竟如何影响或与现有理论或模型相冲突？
  • What are the practical implications on actual subjects or demographics?
    对实际主题或人口统计学有何实际影响？
  • What are the methodological implications for similar studies conducted either in the past or future?
    过去或将来进行的类似研究在方法学上有什么意义？

Your purpose in giving the implications is to spell out exactly what your study has contributed and why researchers and other readers should be interested.
你给出这些含义的目的是准确地说明你的研究贡献了什么，以及为什么研究人员和其他读者应该感兴趣。

Phrase examples: Discussing the implications of the research
短语示例：讨论研究的意义

  • These results confirm the existing evidence in X studies…
    这些结果证实了 X 研究中的现有证据......
  • The results are not in line with the foregoing theory that…
    结果与上述理论不符，即......
  • This experiment provides new insights into the connection between…
    该实验为...
  • These findings present a more nuanced understanding of…
    这些发现对...
  • While previous studies have focused on X, these results demonstrate that Y.
    虽然以前的研究主要集中在 X，但这些结果表明 Y.

Step 4: Acknowledging the limitations
第 4 步：承认限制

All research has study limitations of one sort or another. Acknowledging limitations in methodology or approach helps strengthen your credibility as a researcher. Study limitations are not simply a list of mistakes made in the study. Rather, limitations help provide a more detailed picture of what can or cannot be concluded from your findings. In essence, they help temper and qualify the study implications you listed previously.
所有研究都有这样或那样的研究局限性。承认方法或途径的局限性有助于增强您作为研究人员的可信度。研究局限性不仅仅是研究中犯的错误清单。相反，局限性有助于更详细地了解从您的发现中可以得出或不能得出的结论。从本质上讲，它们有助于缓和和限定您之前列出的研究含义。

Study limitations can relate to research design, specific methodological or material choices, or unexpected issues that emerged while you conducted the research. Mention only those limitations directly relate to your research questions, and explain what impact these limitations had on how your study was conducted and the validity of any interpretations.
研究局限性可能与研究设计、特定方法或材料选择或进行研究时出现的意外问题有关。只提及那些与你的研究问题直接相关的限制，并解释这些限制对你的研究方式和任何解释的有效性有什么影响。

Possible types of study limitations:
可能的研究局限性类型：

  • Insufficient sample size for statistical measurements
    用于统计测量的样本量不足
  • Lack of previous research studies on the topic
    缺乏关于该主题的先前研究
  • Methods/instruments/techniques used to collect the data
    用于收集数据的方法/仪器/技术
  • Limited access to data
    对数据的访问有限
  • Time constraints in properly preparing and executing the study
    正确准备和执行研究的时间限制

After discussing the study limitations, you can also stress that your results are still valid. Give some specific reasons why the limitations do not necessarily handicap your study or narrow its scope.
在讨论了研究的局限性之后，您还可以强调您的结果仍然有效。给出一些具体的原因，说明这些限制不一定会妨碍你的研究或缩小其范围。

Phrase examples: Limitations sentence beginners
短语示例：限制句子初学者

  • “There may be some possible limitations in this study.”
    “这项研究可能存在一些可能的局限性。
  • “The findings of this study have to be seen in light of some limitations.”
    “这项研究的结果必须根据一些局限性来看待。
  •  “The first limitation is the…The second limitation concerns the…”
    “第一个限制是......第二个限制涉及......”
  •  “The empirical results reported herein should be considered in the light of some limitations.”
    “本文报告的实证结果应根据一些局限性加以考虑。
  • “This research, however, is subject to several limitations.”
    “然而，这项研究受到一些限制。
  • “The primary limitation to the generalization of these results is…”
    “这些结果的概括的主要限制是......”
  • “Nonetheless, these results must be interpreted with caution and a number of limitations should be borne in mind.”
    “尽管如此，必须谨慎解释这些结果，并应牢记一些局限性。

Discussion Part 5: Giving Recommendations for Further Research
讨论第 5 部分：为进一步研究提供建议

Based on your interpretation and discussion of the findings, your recommendations can include practical changes to the study or specific further research to be conducted to clarify the research questions. Recommendations are often listed in a separate Conclusion section, but often this is just the final paragraph of the Discussion section.
根据您对研究结果的解释和讨论，您的建议可以包括对研究的实际更改或为澄清研究问题而进行的具体进一步研究。建议通常列在单独的“结论”部分，但通常这只是“讨论”部分的最后一段。

Suggestions for further research often stem directly from the limitations outlined. Rather than simply stating that “further research should be conducted,” provide concrete specifics for how future can help answer questions that your research could not.
进一步研究的建议通常直接源于概述的局限性。与其简单地说“应该进行进一步的研究”，不如提供具体的细节，说明未来如何帮助回答你的研究无法回答的问题。

Phrase examples: Recommendation sentence beginners
短语示例：推荐句初学者

  • Further research is needed to establish …
    需要进一步的研究来建立...
  • There is abundant space for further progress in analyzing…
    在分析方面有很大的进一步进展空间......
  • A further study with more focus on X should be done to investigate…
    应该进行进一步的研究，更多地关注 X，以调查......
  • Further studies of X that account for these variables must be undertaken.
    必须对解释这些变量的X进行进一步的研究。

Consider Receiving Professional Language Editing
考虑接受专业语言编辑

As you edit or draft your research manuscript, we hope that you implement these guidelines to produce a more effective Discussion section. And after completing your draft, don’t forget to submit your work to a professional proofreading and English editing service like Wordvice, including our manuscript editing service for paper editing, cover letter editing, SOP editing, and personal statement proofreading services. Language editors not only proofread and correct errors in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and formatting but also improve terms and revise phrases so they read more naturally. Wordvice is an industry leader in providing high-quality revision for all types of academic documents.
在您编辑或起草研究稿件时，我们希望您实施这些指南，以产生更有效的讨论部分。完成草稿后，别忘了将您的作品提交给Wordvice等专业校对和英文编辑服务，包括我们的论文编辑、求职信编辑、SOP编辑和个人陈述校对服务的稿件编辑服务。语言编辑不仅校对和纠正语法、标点符号、机制和格式方面的错误，还改进术语和修改短语，使其阅读更自然。Wordvice是为所有类型的学术文件提供高质量修订的行业领导者。

For additional information about how to write a strong research paper, make sure to check out our full research writing series!
有关如何撰写强有力的研究论文的更多信息，请务必查看我们完整的研究写作系列！

Wordvice Writing Resources
Wordvice写作资源

Additional Academic Resources
其他学术资源

Our Academic Editing Services
我们的学术编辑服务
Tags 标签
,
学术写作技巧，手稿写作