A Genre-Based analysis on
the discussion section of PhD
research manuscript
An Academic presentation by
Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, Tutors India
Group: www.tutorsindia.com
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Today's Outline
The perspective of the research authors on
the findings and discussion section
Remember the following points in mind
while you organise and write the discussion
section of your paper:
Sample Analysis of Communicative Units or
Moves in a Sample of RAs
Conclusion
The most significant part of any research manuscript is the discussion section
because, in this section, writers showcase the knowledge contribution of their
research findings to the available literature.
Writing a Dissertation Discussion Chapter helps the writers elaborate on their
research discoveries and also explains the ways in which they are and what
they mean.
Most of the research students find the discussion
part as difficult to write because "it contains
complicated conditional and purposive argument; this
argument moves the reader from acceptance of
relatively uncontroversial data to acceptance of the
writer's knowledge claim."
The manuscript's discussion part is the most difficult
to write but also the most important. Your research
work/manuscript approval or rejection is mainly
determined based on the way you write this part.
Even if you have excellent data, your publication may be
rejected due to improper or inadequate interpretation.
Structuring your discussion around your argument will best
enable readers to understand the significance of your study
for their own research and the field (p:195).
The quality of the discussion section of a manuscript
determines the quality of the research itself.
Therefore, writers must write it carefully according to
the
appropriate
discourse
structure
and
style
expected by the academic discourse community in a
particular discipline.
Part custom Dissertation writing services and thesis
writing services at Tutors India are handled and
written by the style, design, and format of an ideal
dissertation required by the UK, Australia, and the
US universities.
The perspective of the
research authors on the
findings and discussion
section
The discussion section of a research article may encompass up to eight 'moves' or a
segment of text which has a strong communicative determination set by the writer
for the potential readers; these moves are [4] I also termed
as Genre-based study
Data / Outcome
method.
Move 1 (background information) is a statement about 'theoretical and technical
data' as already addressed previously in the research articles;
Move 2 (statement of results) states the direct answer to the research question;
Move 3 ((un)expected outcome) is a statement or remark on whether or not the
research findings or results are as predicted;
Move 4 (reference to previous research) is a rhetorical attempt by the writer/s to link the
current research finding/s to relevant knowledge or evidence presented for reference or
to support the current findings;
Move 5 (explanation) is the writer's rhetorical attempt to persuade readers why the
current study's unexpected or remarkable conclusions or discoveries occur;
Move 6 Exemplification is generally a diagram or a set of illustrations used to support or
strengthen anexplanation;
Move 7 Hypothesis and Deduction is the writer's claim about the extent to which the
research findings can be applied to a broader topic or area; and
Move 8 (recommendation) is the writer's suggestion on applying or implementing the
research findings in practical ways and/or suggestions for further studies on the same or
similar topic.
Only three of the eight possible moves in the discussion section of research articles are
mandatory or most commonly found moves are: Move 1 (background information),
Move 2 (statement of results), and Move 4 (a reference to previous research), while the
remaining five moves are rarely used or only found in RAs using a specific type of
research methodology.
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you do not have to worry about it.
Remember the following points
in mind while you organise and
write the discussion section of
your paper
Consider your discussion as an inverted pyramid. Link your findings to the
literature, then to theory, and finally to pratise [where appropriate] to organise the
discussion from general to specific.
Use the same key terms, narrative mode, and verb tense [present] that you did in
the introduction when presenting the study problem.
Restate the research topic you were looking into briefly, then respond to all of the
research questions that support the problem you presented in the introduction.
Describe the patterns, principles, and relationships shown by each major finding
and set them in perspective.
The order in which you provide this information is important; first, state the answer,
then the relevant results, and last, quote other people's work.
Refer the reader to a diagram or table if necessary to aid in the interpretation of
the facts.
Each main finding should be interpreted in the same order as it was reported in
your results section.
Any unexpected discoveries should be discussed in the
comments section.
This paragraph should start with a description of the
unexpected result, followed by a brief explanation of why you
think it appeared in the and, if necessary, its potential
relevance to the overall study.
If you discovered more than one unexpected result throughout
your research, list them in the order they appeared as you
gathered data.
Before closing up the argument, make a list of any potential flaws or restrictions.
Comment on their relative importance in regard to your overall interpretation of the
results, and, if applicable, how they might alter the findings' accuracy. Avoid using
sorry; otherwise, be honest and judgmental of yourself.
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selection, research proposal writing,the introduction, the literature review, research
methodology, presenting and discussing findings, research ethics, citations and
referencing, and references along with the appendices.
Sample Analysis of
Communicative Units or
Moves in a Sample of RAs
To show how identifying the communicative units in the discussion section of the
research manuscripts is usually done, a sample disscusion part is given below,
taken from the psychology article "Hubungan Konsep Diri Dengan Motivasi
Belajar Pada Siswa Kelas XI SMA PI Jakarta".
In the above example,
S1 – denotes Move 2 (the result statement)
S2- denotes Move 4 (a reference to previous research).
S3 and S4 are references to previous research.
S5, S6, S7 and S8 are classified as Move 5 (explanation).
Sentences 9 (S9), 10 (S10) and 11 (S11) can be classified as Move 1
(background information). The last sentence (S12) in this text is identified as
Move 7 (deduction and hypothesis).
Thus, the move structure in the above text looks like Move 2 – Move 4 – Move 5
– Move 1 and Move 7.
A dissertation discussion section contributes 40 % of weight. Hence, more effort
should be taken to collect exhaustive, up-to-date literature published from various
countries. If you have difficulty in writing discussion section and data collection, you
can contact Tutors India.
Conclusion
The discussion section of a research paper provides the opportunity for authors
to editorialise the importance of their research.
While the introduction explains why the research was needed, the discussion
explains why the manuscript should be published.
Authors can appropriately structure their discussion to address specific journal
aims or objectives that editors will consider as part of the submission process.
Specifically, this section should include the clinical implications and potential
impact of the findings.
Strengths and potential limitations of the research design should also be
acknowledged in the discussion section.
When possible, authors should include a brief explanation of why limitations
may not have unduly influenced their findings.
This type of discussion supports the decision to accept the manuscript for
publication, and authors should not minimise its importance.
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