Title page

    Abstract

    Introduction

    Materials and Methods

    Results

    Discussion

    Literature Cited

    Common errors

    Selected writing rules

    Link

Main
Discussion

 

Journal guidelines vary. Space is so valuable in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, that authors are asked to restrict discussions to four pages or less, double spaced, typed. That works out to one printed page. While you are learning to write effectively, the limit will be extended to five typed pages. If you practice economy of words, that should be plenty of space within which to say all that you need to say. 

General intent

The objective here is to provide an interpretation of your results and support for all of your conclusions, using evidence from your experiment and generally accepted knowledge, if appropriate. 

Writing a discussion

Interpret your data in the discussion in appropriate depth. This means that when you explain a phenomenon you must explain mechanisms. If your results differ from your expectations, explain why that may have happened. If your results agree, then describe the theory that the evidence supported. It is never appropriate to simply state that the data agreed with expectations, and let it drop at that.
  • Decide if each hypothesis is supported, rejected, or if you cannot make a decision with confidence. Do not simply dismiss a study or part of a study as "inconclusive." 
    l Make what conclusions you can, then suggest how the experiment might be modified, if necessary, in order to properly test the hypothesis(es) or accomplish the objective(s).
  • Explain all of your observations as much as possible, focusing on mechanisms. 
    l Decide if the experimental design adequately addressed the hypothesis, and whether or not it was properly controlled.
  • Try to offer alternative explanations if reasonable alternatives exist.
  • One experiment will not answer an overall question, so keeping the big picture in mind, where do you go next? The best studies open up new avenues of research. What questions remain?
  • Be creative, and don't be afraid to speculate. Individual report guidelines will provide suggestions.

Style:

  • When you refer to information, distinguish data generated by your own studies from published information or from information obtained from other students (verb tense is an important tool for doing that).
  • Refer to work done by specific individuals (including yourself) in past tense.
  • Refer to generally accepted facts and principles in present tense. For example, "Doofus, in a 1989 survey, found that anemia in basset hounds was correlated with advanced age. Anemia is a condition in which there is insufficient hemoglobin in the blood."

The biggest mistake that students make in discussions is to present a superficial interpretation that more or less re-states the results. It is necessary to suggest why results came out as they did, focusing on the mechanisms behind the observations.

links:

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