|
The conclusion gives you the chance to establish yourself
as a thoughtful commentator on the research you have spent so
much time exploring over the previous weeks or months. While
most of the paper is filled with parenthetical references, as
you cite experts on the subject, you have become (by this point
in the paper) an expert on the subject yourself. Therefore, you
should come to present analysis and, if possible a plan, over
what directions need to be taken to resolve some of the problems
that are endemic in the topic you have explored.
Whatever you do, your conclusion should not merely repeat what
has preceded or only be a confirmation that you have done your
research ("as you can see, I have discussed the important
issues of the subject "). While the conclusion should not
introduce new facts, statistics, techniques, programs, etc.,
you can present ideas and thoughts borne out of the research
that has been the centerpiece of your paper.
Ultimately, a good thorough conclusion can make a decent paper
good and a good paper great because now the reader gets to see
a person behind the research, a person who has integrated the
lessons of that research into something meaningful. That meaning
can come in the form of predicting future directions on the topic;
can resolve conflicting views in the discussion; can provide
greater, wider perspective on very specific ideas (for example
consider the wider societal impact of a technological advance);
can select a solution from ideas presented in the paper and subsequently
provide a convincing argument why it is the right solution; and
can even forge a new solution based on the knowledge that preceded
it.
|
