The conclusion is the very last part of your
thesis or dissertation.
It should be concise and engaging.
Wanna know how to write a good one?
Then keep watching!
I'm Jessica from Scribbr, here to help you
achieve your academic goals.
The line between discussion and conclusion
is sometimes quite blurry, to clear things
up, conclusion is shorter and more general.
You don’t discuss specific results but make
broad statements that sum up the most important
insights of the research.
That being said, you should not introduce
new data or interpretations in the conclusion.
So, how long should your conclusion be?
Depending on the type of thesis, the conclusion
should typically be around 5-7% of the overall
word count.
An empirical research will often have a short
conclusion that concisely states the main
findings and recommendations, while a humanities
thesis might require more space to conclude
its analysis and tie all the chapters together
in an overall argument.
Now let’s take a look at the 4 elements
that make a good conclusion!
First, answer the research question
Begin with the main question that your thesis
aimed to address.
Let's take a look at the example here.
Since the conclusion is your final chance
to show that you’ve done what you set out
to do, make sure to formulate a clear, concise
answer, like the example does in the next
sentence.
The results are synthesized into one final
takeaway.
Second, summarize and reflect on the research
The conclusion is an opportunity to remind
the reader why you took the approach you did,
what you expected to find, and how well the
results matched your expectations.
You should write more reflectively here, for
example, consider how effective your methodology
was in answering your research questions,
and whether any new questions or unexpected
insights arose in the process.
You can write something like:
This research clearly illustrates X, but it
also raises the question of Y.
Third, make recommendations
The conclusion is a good place to elaborate
and look ahead.
If you’re making recommendations for policy,
business or other practical implementation,
it’s generally best to frame them as suggestions
rather than imperatives.
So something like:
Based on these conclusions, practitioners
should consider…
If you’re making recommendations for further
research, be sure not to undermine your own
work.
Future studies might confirm, build on or
enrich your conclusions, but they shouldn’t
be required to complete them.
For example:
To better understand the implications of these
results, future studies could address…
Fourth, emphasize your contributions
Make sure your reader is left with a strong
impression of what your research has contributed
to knowledge in your field.
Some strategies to achieve this include:
Returning to your problem statement to explain
how your research helps solve the problem.
Referring back to the literature review and
showing how you have addressed a gap in knowledge.
Discussing how your findings confirm or challenge
an existing theory or assumption.
Pick out the most important points and sum
them up into an overview that puts your findings
in context.
Finally, finish your thesis
Once you’ve finished writing your conclusion,
it’s time to wrap up your thesis.
It’s a good idea to write the abstract next,
while the research is still fresh in your
mind.
If you’re not sure where to begin, watch
this video on how to write an abstract.
Then you need to make sure your reference
list is complete and correctly formatted.
To speed up the process, you can use Scribbr's
free citation generators.
Lastly, read through the whole document again
to make sure your thesis is clearly written
and free from language errors.
You can proofread it yourself, ask a friend
of yours, or take a look at Scribbr’s proofreading
and editing service.
The finish line is in sight, you can do it!
Make sure to drop a like and let us know in
the comment below if you find this video helpful,
I’ll see you in the next one!
