In this video, we are going to explain exactly how to write up the conclusion chapter for a
dissertation, thesis, or any other kind of formal academic research project. We will
walk you through the process step by step so that you can craft your conclusion with confidence.
So, grab a cup of coffee, grab a cup of tea, whatever works for you and let us jump into it.
Hey, welcome to Grad Coach TV, where we demystify and simplify the oftentimes intimidating world of
academic research. My name is Emma, and today we are going to explore the conclusion chapter
which is typically the final major chapter in a dissertation or thesis. The conclusion
chapter follows on from the discussion chapter where you interpret your analysis findings
in relation to your research questions, and the existing literature. If you want to learn about
the discussion chapter, we have got another video specifically covering that. I will include a link
in the description below. If you are new to Grad Coach TV, be sure to hit the subscribe button for
more videos covering all things research related. Also, if you are looking for hands-on help with
your research, check out our one-on-one coaching services where we help you craft your research
project step by step. It is like having a friendly professor in your pocket whenever you need it. If
that sounds interesting to you, you can learn more and book a free consultation at www.gradcoach.com.
All right, with that out of the way, let us get into it.
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to write up the conclusion chapter, it is useful
to take a step back and ask the questions, what exactly is the conclusion chapter and what purpose
does it serve? If you understand both the what and the why you will have a much clearer direction
in terms of the how. So, what is the conclusion chapter all about? As I mentioned, the conclusion
chapter is typically the final major chapter in a standard dissertation or thesis. As such,
it serves as a concluding summary of your research findings and neatly wraps up the document. While
some publications like journal articles and research reports combine the discussion and
conclusion sections, these are generally separate chapters in a dissertation or thesis. That being
said, it is always a good idea to check in with your research supervisor or faculty to find out
what their structural preference is. Naturally, you should do this before you start writing up
these chapters. So, what is the difference between the discussion and the conclusion chapter? Well,
the two chapters are quite similar as they both discuss the key findings of the study. However,
the conclusion chapter is typically more general and high level in nature. In your discussion
chapter, you will typically discuss the intricate details of your study, but in your conclusion
chapter, you will take a broader perspective reporting on the main research outcomes and how
these addressed your research aim. A core function of the conclusion chapter is to synthesize all the
major points covered in your study and to tell the reader what they should take away from your work.
Basically, you need to tell them what you found, why it is valuable, how it can be applied and
what further research can be done. Whatever you do, not just copy and paste what you have
written in your discussion chapter over into the conclusion. The conclusion chapter should not be
a quick rehash of the discussion chapter. As I mentioned, while the two chapters are similar,
they have distinctly different functions. Okay, with that out of the way it is time to take a
look at what you need to include and exclude in your conclusion chapter. Let us do it.
Okay. So, let us take a look at what goes into the conclusion chapter
and what stays out of it. To understand what needs to go into your conclusion chapter,
it is useful to understand what the chapter needs to achieve. Generally speaking,
a good conclusion chapter should achieve the following five things. Number one, it should
summarize the key findings of the study. Number two, it should answer the research questions
and address the research aims. Number three, it should inform the reader of the study's main
contributions. Number four, it should discuss any limitations or weaknesses of the study.
And number five, it should make recommendations for future research. Again keep in mind that
these requirements may vary depending on your university's structural preferences.
For example, they may prefer that you discuss the limitations in an earlier chapter.
So, check in with your research advisor to make sure you are on the same page. Whatever the case
may be, you need to be careful not to include any new findings or data points in your conclusion
chapter. This chapter should be based purely on data and analysis findings that you have already
presented in earlier chapters. If there is a new point you want to introduce here, you will need to
go back to your results and discussion chapters to weave the foundation in. In many cases,
readers will jump from the introduction chapter directly to the conclusion chapter to get a quick
overview of the study's purpose and key findings. So, when you write up your conclusion chapter
it is useful to assume that the reader has not sunk their teeth into the inner chapters of your
dissertation or thesis. In other words, craft your conclusion chapter such that there is a
strong connection and a smooth flow between the introduction and conclusion chapters
even though they are on opposite ends of your document. Right, with those foundations laid down,
it is time to look at how you can go about writing up the conclusion chapter. Let us do it.
Now that you have a clearer view of what the conclusion chapter is all about,
let us break down the structure of this chapter so that you can get to writing. Keep in mind
that this is merely a typical structure, it is not set in stone or universal. Some
universities will prefer that you cover some of these points in the discussion chapter
or that you cover the points at different levels in different chapters.
Step one, craft a brief introduction section. As with all chapters in your dissertation or thesis,
the conclusion chapter needs to start with a brief introduction. In this introductory section,
you need to tell the reader what they can expect to find in the chapter and in what order. Here is
an example of what this might look like. This chapter will conclude the study by summarizing
the key research findings in relation to the research aims and research questions, as well as
the value and contribution thereof. It will also review the limitations of the study and propose
opportunities for further research. Importantly, the objective here is just to give the reader a
taste of what is to come, not a summary of the chapter. It is basically just a little road map
to help the reader orient themselves. So, keep it short and sweet. A paragraph or two should be
more than enough. With the introduction laid down, you can move on to the next step.
Step two, discuss the overall findings in relation to the research aims.
The next step in writing your conclusion chapter is to discuss the
overall findings of your study as they relate to the research aims and research questions.
As I mentioned earlier you would have likely covered similar ground in the discussion chapter.
So, it is important to zoom out a little bit here and focus on the broader findings,
specifically how these help address the research aims, not just the specific research questions.
In other words, you need to explain the big picture to your reader. In practical terms,
it is useful to start this section by reminding your reader of your research aims so that your
discussion is well contextualized. In this section, phrases such as this study aimed to,
and the results indicate that, will likely come in handy. For example, you could say something like
the following, this study aimed to investigate the feeding habits of the naked mole-rat.
The results indicate that naked mole rats feed on underground roots and tubers. Further findings
show that these creatures eat only a part of the plant, leaving essential parts to ensure long-term
food stability. A word of warning, be careful not to make overly bold claims here. Avoid claims
such as the study proves, or the findings disprove the existing theory. It is seldom the case that a
single study can prove or disprove something. Typically this is achieved by a body of research.
not a single study, especially not a dissertation or thesis project which will inherently have
significant constraints and limitations. We will discuss those limitations a little later.
Step three, discuss how your study contributes to the field. Next, you will need to discuss
how your research has contributed to the field both in terms of theory and practice. To do this,
you will need to talk about what you achieved in your study, highlight why this is important
and valuable, and how it can be used or applied in academia and or in practice. In this section,
you should try to cover the following ground. One, mention any research outputs created as
a result of your study. For example, articles you published, scales and measures you developed
etcetera. Two, explain how your research solves your research problem and why that matters. Three,
reflect on the gaps in the existing research and explain how your study helps plug those
gaps. Four, discuss your study in relation to relevant theories. For example, does it confirm
existing theories or constructively challenge them. Five, discuss how your research findings
can be applied in the real world. For example, what specific actions can practitioners take
based on your findings? A tip here, be careful to strike a careful balance between being firm,
but humble. It is unlikely that your single study will fundamentally change paradigms or shake up
the discipline. So, making claims to this effect will likely be frowned upon. At the same time
though, do not downplay the contribution of your work. Present your arguments with confidence,
and firmly state the contribution you have made, no matter how small that contribution may be.
Knowledge is developed one tiny step at a time, claim your step.
Step four, reflect on the limitations of your study. Now that you have explained
the value of your research, the next step is to critically reflect on the limitations
and potential shortcomings. You may have already covered this in the discussion chapter depending
on your university or advisor's structural preferences. So, be careful not to repeat yourself
unnecessarily. There are many potential limitations that a study can suffer from.
Some common ones include sampling issues that reduce the generalizability of the findings.
For example, non-probability sampling, not getting enough survey responses or limited data access,
having to use relatively low-resolution data collection or analysis techniques,
suffering from researcher bias or just a lack of research experience,
having limited access to research equipment and possibly the most common one, experiencing
time and budget constraints that limit various aspects of the study. Discussing the limitations
of your research may feel self-defeating. No one wants to highlight their weaknesses,
right? However, critically discussing limitations is in fact a hallmark of high-quality research.
The reality is that all studies have limitations, even well-funded studies undertaken by
professional researchers. So, acknowledging these limitations adds credibility to your research
by showing that you understand the limitations of your research design and methodology. Simply put,
acknowledging your weaknesses is actually a strength in the world of academic research.
That being said, keep an eye on your wording and be careful not to undermine your research. It is
important to strike a balance between recognizing the limitations but also highlighting the value
of your research despite those limitations. Show the reader that you understand the shortcomings
of your own research, that these limitations were justified given your constraints, and that
you know how they can be approved upon. Doing this will earn you marks. Right, once you have laid out
the limitations it is time to move on to the final section of your conclusion. Let us check it out.
Step five, make recommendations for future research. Lastly, you need to make recommendations
for future studies. In other words, you need to explain how other researchers can take your study
and build onto it further. This section will be largely rooted in the limitations you just
discussed. For example, if one of your studies weaknesses were related to a specific data
analysis method, you can make a recommendation that future researchers undertake similar research
using a more sophisticated method such as X, Y or Z. Another potential source of future research
recommendations is any data points or analysis findings that were interesting or surprising,
but not directly related to your studies research aims and research questions. In other words,
findings that piqued your interest but that you did not explore further as they were not relevant
to your objectives. So, if you observed anything that stood out in your analysis
but you did not explore it in your discussion, you can earmark that for further exploration.
As I mentioned this section of your conclusion chapter is an opportunity to outline how other
researchers can build on your study to take the research further and help develop the body of
knowledge in your field. So, think carefully about the new questions that your study has raised,
and clearly outline these for future researchers to pick up on.
Step six, wrap up with a closing summary. Finally, it is time to wrap up your conclusion
chapter with a brief closing summary. The closing summary should serve as a quick reference for
your readers. Very briefly recapping what you discussed in the conclusion chapter.
Remind the reader of the key ground covered and wrap it up. Brevity is key here, do not ramble
on restating all the details. Also, make sure that you do not present any new information here.
In practical terms, this section should be about a paragraph or two max, keep it short and sweet.
Now that you understand what the conclusion chapter is about,
what to include and exclude, and how to write it up, here are some quick tips to help you craft a
quality chapter. Number one do not ramble. The conclusion chapter usually constitutes five to
seven percent of the total word count although this will of course vary between universities.
So, you need to be concise. Edit this chapter thoroughly with a focus on brevity and clarity.
Two, be very careful about the claims you make in terms of your study's contribution.
Nothing will make the markers eyes roll back faster than exaggerated or unfounded claims.
Be humble, but firm in your claim-making. Three, use clear and simple language that can be easily
understood by an intelligent layman. Remember, not every reader will be an expert in your field
so you need to make your writing accessible. No one knows your research better than you do,
so it is important to spell things out clearly for readers.
Four, once you have completed your chapter, ask a friend to read your introduction
and your conclusion chapters only. Then ask them to explain what the study was about and what the
findings were. This will provide you with valuable insight as to how well you have communicated the
gist of your study and will help you identify what needs more fleshing out. If you incorporate
these tips into your writing process and follow the structure we have discussed in this video,
you can rest assured that your conclusion chapter will be headed in a good direction.
Alright, so, that wraps it up for today. If you enjoyed the video hit the like button and leave a
comment if you have any questions. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Grad Coach channel for more
research-related content. If you need a helping hand with your research, remember to check out
our private coaching service where we work with you on a one-on-one basis, chapter by chapter,
to help you craft a winning dissertation or thesis. If that sounds interesting to you,
book a free consultation with a friendly coach at gradcoach.com. As always, I will include a
link below. And that is all for this episode of Grad Coach TV. Until next time, good luck.