





































 V39 N3 / 2024 

©2024 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     25

Crystal R. Herron, PhD, ELS  / Redwood Ink, LLC, San Rafael, CA 

The Essential Elements of the Discussion Section of a  
Research Manuscript

CONSCIOUS WRITING

ABSTRACT 
Many medical writers believe that the Discussion is the 
most difficult section of a research manuscript to write, 
largely because of its structural flexibility and open-ended 
nature. However, medical writers can build confidence in 
writing this section by ensuring that the Discussion includes 
the essential elements: a summary of the major findings, 
interpretations of the important findings, descriptions of the 
implications and applications of the findings, a discussion 
of the strengths and limitations of the study, details about 
recommended future directions, and statements of the  
significance and relevance of the work. These essential  
elements help to form an effective Discussion that show-
cases the study and highlights its impact to the field.

Many medical writers believe that the Discussion section 
of a research manuscript is the most difficult section to 
write. This difficulty is related to several factors. First, the 
Discussion describes the authors’ interpretations of the 
findings, which requires careful thought and presentation. 
Also, the Discussion needs to explain these interpretations 
in the context of what is known in the field, which requires 
a thorough analysis of the literature and consideration of 
how the findings connect to that literature. Furthermore, 
the Discussion section does not follow a standard structure, 
which gives medical writers more creative freedom in writ-
ing this section. Although this creative freedom might be 
liberating for some medical writers, others may feel anxiety 
or even dread.
 Although the Discussion is the hardest section to write, 
medical writers can find solace with recommendations on 
the essential elements to include in this section (Box). These 
recommendations are not prescriptive nor exhaustive, but 
they are a solid starting point for helping medical writers 
feel more confident and focused in crafting an effective 
Discussion.

SUMMARIZE THE MAJOR FINDINGS
The first paragraph of the Discussion is an opportunity to 
transition readers from a dense Results section into a dis-
cussion of the findings and interpretations. In this first para-
graph, the main goal is to tie the important findings back to 
the study question.

Repeat the Study Question
To reorient readers to the overall purpose of the study and 
prepare them to navigate the Discussion, start with a state-
ment that reminds them of the study question you posed at 
the end of the Introduction. This statement should include 

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A DISCUSSION SECTION

Summarize the major findings
• Repeat the study question
• Synthesize the most important findings
• State how the findings answer the study question

Interpret the important findings
• Describe how important findings are interrelated
• Discuss unexpected and interesting findings
• Explain how important findings extend or support 

previous findings
• Explain how important findings contradict previous 

findings
Describe the implications and applications

• Describe the theoretical implications of the findings
• Describe the practical applications of the findings

Discuss the strengths and limitations
• Highlight the strengths of the study
• Acknowledge the limitations of the study

Recommend future directions
• Suggest next steps and future work

State the conclusions and impact
• Repeat the main outcome
• Describe the main contribution to the field
• Emphasize the relevance and significance to the field

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AMWAJournal.org     26The Essential Elements of the Discussion Section of a Research Manuscript

the key aim(s) of the study, the main objective(s), and, when 
relevant, the hypothesis.

Synthesize the Most Important Findings
After restating the question, summarize the most important 
findings that answer the study question. In this summary, 
be careful not to rehash the findings. Instead, synthesize 
the findings in a way that supports the answer to the study 
question. If the manuscript is highlighting a new approach 
that was developed, describe the overall approach that was 
developed and validated.

State How the Findings Answer the Study Question
At the end of this first paragraph, state how the summarized 
findings answer the study question. This sentence helps to 
tie the key findings together in a nice package that show-
cases how they are connected to the question and how they 
advance the field.

INTERPRET THE IMPORTANT FINDINGS
The bulk of the Discussion includes the authors’ inter-
pretations of the important findings and how they fit into 
what is known in the field. These interpretations can vary 
widely among studies and fields—which contributes to the 
common perception of the Discussion being the most diffi-
cult part of a research manuscript to write. However, the fol-
lowing recommended features can help authors ensure they 
include the essential elements of an effective Discussion.

Describe How Important Findings Are Interrelated
In the Discussion, describe any relationships in the findings. 
Are there any correlations or incongruence between differ-
ent findings? Are there any patterns in the data? Could any 
of the findings influence other findings? Be sure to explain 
how these relationships could affect the outcomes or impli-
cations of the study.

Discuss Unexpected and Interesting Findings
Although many researchers anticipate the outcomes of their 
work, they may still uncover surprising, intriguing, or incon-
clusive findings. In the Discussion, describe these inter-
esting findings and any findings that do not support the 
answer to the study question. Importantly, share why these 
findings are particularly interesting and what new ques-
tions arise as a result. Some examples include rationalizing 
unexpected outcomes, clarifying inconclusive findings, and 
interpreting data outliers.

Explain How Important Findings Extend or Support 
Previous Findings
Most research builds on previous work. Although the 

Introduction should describe this previous work to frame the 
rationale for the study, the Discussion section frames how 
this previous work connects to the findings in the study. To 
discuss these connections, describe how the findings build 
on what is already known. For example, how do the study 
findings support or extend findings from previous work?

Explain How Important Findings Contradict  
Previous Findings
In addition to connecting the findings to previous work, the 
Discussion should also examine any disconnections from 
previous work. For example, how do the study findings 
contradict or refute previous findings? When highlighting 
these disconnections, speculate on why the findings might 
be contradictory. For example, was the approach different? 
Was the population or sample size different? Was the anal-
ysis different? Answering these questions is an opportunity 
to defend the work in this study and strengthen the signifi-
cance of the findings.

DESCRIBE THE IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
To ensure that readers fully appreciate the significance of 
the study, the Discussion needs to include a description 
of the potential implications and applications of the find-
ings. In other words, how do the findings advance the field, 
and what can be done now that these findings have been 
revealed? This description will depend on the study and 
generally include theoretical implications and/or practical 
applications.

Describe the Theoretical Implications of the Findings
In the Discussion section, be sure to describe the theoreti-
cal implications of the findings. Theoretical implications are 
evidence-based speculations on how the findings impact 
research in the field. As the name implies, these implica-
tions describe how the findings advance the field but  
cannot yet be meaningfully applied in the real world. 

Describe the Practical Applications of the Findings
In the Discussion section, describe any practical appli-
cations of the findings. Practical applications are evi-
dence-based recommendations or solutions that can be 
used in the real world. These applications are often calls to 
action, such as new approaches to research, changes to  
clinical practice, or updates to government policies. 

DISCUSS THE STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
The Discussion section needs to highlight the strengths and 
limitations of the study. These details help readers to under-
stand how definitive (ie, significant) the findings are.

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AMWAJournal.org     27The Essential Elements of the Discussion Section of a Research Manuscript

Highlight the Strengths of the Study
Few journals specifically request that authors highlight the 
strengths of a study. And some authors feel uncomfort-
able or immodest about highlighting these strengths. But 
describing the strengths can help readers understand the 
value of the findings and significance of the study. When 
highlighting the strengths, consider all aspects of the study, 
including the conceptual framework, population, experi-
mental techniques, and statistical analysis.

Acknowledge the Limitations of the Study
An important part of the Discussion is acknowledging the 
limitations of the study. Be sure to describe these limitations 
and, importantly, how they could have affected the out-
comes, interpretations, and conclusions. For example, what 
problems occurred? What are the weaknesses or assump-
tions made in the methods? What gaps does the data leave 
open? Acknowledging these limitations gives the oppor-
tunity to share the rationale for doing the work despite the 
limitations or to suggest future directions of the work.

RECOMMEND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The Discussion section should include recommendations 
for future work. These details describe what next steps could 
be done to build on or fill any gaps in the work and to fur-
ther advance the field. 

Suggest Next Steps and Future Work
In the Discussion, describe what could be done next by 
the research team or others in the field. For example, if the 
study needed to be repeated, what could be done differ-
ently? If the study created gaps in knowledge, what could 
be done to fill them? If unlimited resources were available, 
what could be done next?

STATE THE CONCLUSIONS AND IMPACT
At the end of the Discussion, readers have the full context 
of the study and how it fits into the existing literature. The 
conclusions paragraph is then final opportunity to highlight 
the significance of the work and leave readers with a lasting 
positive impression of the study.

Repeat the Main Outcome
Start by repeating the main outcome of the study, but do not 
summarize the findings again. Repeating the main outcome 
reminds readers of the most important result(s) of the study.

Describe the Main Contribution to the Field
Next, state how the main outcome answers the study ques-
tion. This answer will show readers that the study accom-
plished its purpose of answering the question and filling a 
gap or need in the field.

Emphasize the Relevance and Significance to the Field
Finally, share how the study advances the field. Ending with 
this information highlights the relevance and significance 
of the work at the end of the manuscript, the prime position 
for leaving a lasting impact on readers.

THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS SHOWCASE THE STUDY
An effective Discussion showcases the findings and signif-
icance of the study in the context of what is already known. 
For a medical writer, this task can be difficult and over-
whelming—especially with the structural flexibility and 
open-ended nature of the Discussion section. But with 
these essential elements at their fingertips, medical writers 
can sharpen their focus and build their confidence in craft-
ing an effective Discussion.

Author declaration and disclosures: The author does not have 
any commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest 
related this article.

Author contact: crystal.herron@redwoodink.com

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