How to write a conclusion? 8 tips on how to write it

Tips for writing the conclusion of an academic paper, scientific article, thesis or report.

Writing an academic or professional paper requires the elaboration of well-defined sections that comply with certain formal and content aspects.

In most papers there is an introduction, followed by the method, results, discussions and, finally, the conclusions, one of the sections in which university students have the most problems.

These sections comply with the maxim "last but not least". It is in the conclusions that we try to put the icing on the cake, making the work end in a way that implies some kind of response from the reader. That is why in this article we are going to address more clearly how to write a good conclusionThe last section of most university papers, highlighting what the last section of most university papers consists of and explaining what should be in them.

What is a conclusion?

Before going into more detail about the steps to follow to draw up a conclusion, we need to know exactly what it consists of. If we go back to the etymological origin of the word, conclusion comes from the Latin "conclusio" and means "closure, end". Thus, it is the last part of an essay, article, presentation or dissertation..

What is expected in a good conclusion is that the premises and the development of what has been exposed in the previous sections lead to the clarification of an idea that has been dealt with throughout the work. What is concluded in this section should be related to what has been explained and researched while the study or presentation was being prepared.

Normally, the conclusions of scientific articles the findings that have been found during the course of the research are emphasized, and it is indicated which new avenues future studies could focus on.and indicate what new paths future studies could focus on.

It should be pointed out that a conclusion, although it defends what the researchers believe the data obtained indicate, are not sections in which their opinion is stated. Neither should they become extensive and literal summaries of the entire work..

How to make a good conclusion?

Just as starting to write the introduction is something that can be a real headache for many, conclusions are equally difficult.

For this reason, when writing them, it is necessary to take into account a series of aspects, as well as to follow an order in their elaboration. In this way, it will be possible to The information in this section should be presented as clearly as possible, but still be concise.and to reflect and invite new points of view.

Let's see, then, some tips that can help us to elaborate a suitable conclusion to all the effort we have put in the development of the work. to all the effort we have put into the development of the work.

1. Reviewing what has been done

A good conclusion summarizes the main ideas of the work, since it is the final part. The information presented in this section should definitively resolve any doubts that the reader may have raised that the reader may have had while reading the document.

We will have to reread the whole paper, selecting what we consider essential to be present in the final section of the paper. It is highly recommended to have a sheet of paper at hand and write down all the ideas, results and findings that we consider relevant.

2. Write down the key elements

Once we have reread all the work, we must write down the key points that are present in it. In the conclusion It should be clear what was the reason for which the work was initiated, with what purpose the subject matter presented in it was approached, in addition to recalling the methodology used. the subject matter presented in it, in addition to recalling the methodology used.

In addition, it should be specified what was new about what we have done, what problem we encountered in real life that we wanted to solve, as well as indicating what could be done in the future.

In essence, there are two key points that cannot be missing in any conclusion: the purpose and the problem.

2.1. Purpose

This is a point that must necessarily be at the beginning of the conclusion, since it will remind the reader of the purpose of the report.as it will remind the reader what the work was about.

The purpose should be clearly stated. The purpose of this point is to solve the reader's doubts, in case he/she still has any, about the reason why the author of the work initiated the research presented in the document.

2.2. Problem

It should state What was the problem to be solved or the question the author asked himself before starting the research?.

The hypotheses that were proposed at the beginning of the work should be explained and related to the data obtained. These data should not be presented in the form of numerical figures, since they have already been shown in the results section.

It should be clear in what way what has been found during the research has contributed to expand scientific knowledge, either confirming or refuting our hypotheses.

3. New possibilities

Science moves forward and never stops, which is why a study will never end the study. a study will never put an end to the subject in which it has delved.. On the contrary, new possibilities for the future must be considered.

In all research, even if a theory has been proved or an original problem has been solved, there will always be something that invites new questions, something will always come up that invites new questions to be asked.. This will give rise to new research, to new ideas to be studied in subsequent studies.

The conclusion is the ideal section for us to indicate some ideas that have come to us while investigating the subject we have presented.

Also The reader can also be invited to do his or her own research on the subject of on the topic we have discussed. If it so happens that two related investigations have been carried out and one of them has not yet been completed, in the conclusions section it is possible to suggest to the reader to wait for the study that will be published in the not too distant future.

4. Avoid redundant information

This is one of the most useful tips on how to make a conclusion so that it does not take too long. All relevant information shown at length should already be explained in the introduction section, while the conclusion includes only the main ideas shown concisely. the conclusion includes only the main ideas shown in a concise form, in addition to what has been said in the other sections.in addition to the other sections.

When you have finished writing the conclusion, if you notice that there are some ideas that seem to be repeated, shorten them or directly remove them.

In this section should be a deep reflection on the work, not an extensive summary of it, because what is the point of summarizing in a few words?Why summarize the same work in the same paper?

5. Do not show new information

In the same way that in the previous point we have indicated that we should not be redundant, neither should we bring out information that has not been previously explained.. In other words, in the final section of our work we should not introduce relevant information on the research topic that has not been addressed in our work.

The most frequently repeated advice given by many university professors to their students who are writing theses is that everything that is explained in the conclusion should be justified in the introduction..

Let us give an example to make this idea clearer: if we have talked about the differences between social psychology and clinical psychology, it would not make sense to talk in the conclusion section about how they differ with respect to forensic psychology. Talking about other topics at the end of our paper may make the reader feel confused. In essence, the same line should be followed throughout the paper.

6. Do not overextend

Depending on the criteria that are stipulated at the time of elaborating a certain work, such as final degree works, doctoral theses or power point presentations, it is very contraindicated to add too much information, it is strongly contraindicated to add too much information.

As already mentioned, it is in the introduction section that all the relevant information about the work is explained in more depth, while the introduction section information about the work in greater depth, while the conclusions should be more concise.

7. Be honest

When collecting data, it is possible that they do not confirm our hypotheses or even indicate just the opposite of what we wanted to demonstrate.. This should be clearly stated, reflecting on why it was originally thought that the data would behave differently.

8. Avoid contradictions and watch your spelling.

This is an obvious point, but it never hurts to remember it. It is necessary to be careful how we present the ideas, since sometimes they can be formulated in such a way that it seems that in one paragraph we indicate one thing and in the following one we come to say the opposite.

It is also necessary to reread the paper to make sure that there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes. An interesting paper can become cumbersome if the writer has not ensured that the text is presented clearly and without errors in the wording.

Bibliographical references:

• Culler, J. (1997) Literary Theory: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Dawson, C. (2007). Prescriptions and proscriptions. The three Ps of scientific writing - past, passive and personal. Teaching Science: the Journal of the Australian Science Teachers Association. 53(2): 36 - 38.