How to Write the Conclusion Section of a Scientific Article
The Conclusion section presents the central message of a study in a clear, concise, and direct form. It summarizes the most important conclusion, identifies the contribution of the research, and may briefly address implications or directions for future research where appropriate.
A strong Conclusion does not simply repeat the Results or Discussion sections. Instead, it tells readers what they should ultimately take away from the study.
What Is the Purpose of the Conclusion Section?
By the end of the Conclusion, readers should understand:
- What is the main conclusion of the study?
- How does this conclusion address the research objective?
- What is the scientific or practical contribution of the study?
- What conclusions are justified by the evidence?
- What implications may be relevant for future research or practice?
How Should a Conclusion Begin?
The Conclusion may begin by stating the principal finding or overall conclusion directly.
There is usually no need to restate the research problem at length or reproduce the background information presented in the Introduction.
Example: This study demonstrates that X is significantly associated with Y and that this relationship varies according to Z.
1. Briefly Summarize the Main Finding
Focus only on the findings that are central to the research question.
There is no need to repeat every statistical value, table, subgroup analysis, or secondary finding. Detailed results belong in the Results section.
2. Answer the Research Question Directly
The Conclusion should provide a clear response to the main question or objective established at the beginning of the study.
Readers should be able to answer the question, “What did this study teach us?” after reading the Conclusion.
3. State the Contribution of the Study
The scientific, theoretical, methodological, clinical, technical, social, or practical contribution of the research may be stated briefly and specifically.
Avoid vague claims such as “this study contributes to the literature.” Explain exactly what new knowledge, evidence, perspective, or application the study provides.
Example: These findings provide new evidence regarding the relationship between X and Y in a population that has previously received limited research attention.
4. Explain the Practical Implications
Where the findings have practical relevance, this may be highlighted briefly.
Implications may relate to healthcare, social work, education, engineering, management, technology, policy, clinical practice, or another relevant field.
Recommendations should remain proportionate to the evidence generated by the study.
5. Provide Specific Directions for Future Research
If the study raises new questions, brief and specific directions for future research may be included.
Instead of simply stating that “more research is needed,” identify which population, variable, method, context, or design should be examined further.
How Long Should a Conclusion Be?
There is no fixed word or paragraph limit that is appropriate for every scientific article.
In general, the Conclusion should remain concise and focused. Depending on the scope of the study, a few paragraphs may be sufficient for many manuscripts.
Avoid allowing the Conclusion to develop into a second Discussion section.
Can New Information Be Introduced in the Conclusion?
New analyses, data, or scientific claims that have not previously appeared in the Results or Discussion should not be introduced for the first time in the Conclusion.
The Conclusion should be based on evidence and arguments already presented in the manuscript.
What Is the Difference Between Discussion and Conclusion?
The Discussion interprets the findings in detail, compares them with previous literature, and considers possible explanations and implications.
The Conclusion presents the central message of the study in a shorter and more direct form.
In simple terms, the Discussion explains the meaning of the findings, while the Conclusion summarizes the main message that readers should take away from the article.
Conclusion in Quantitative Research
In quantitative research, the principal relationship, difference, effect, or model finding should be summarized and connected to the study's research questions or hypotheses.
Rather than repeating all statistical values, emphasize the scientific meaning of the main findings.
Conclusion in Qualitative Research
In qualitative studies, the Conclusion should communicate the overall meaning that emerges from the principal themes or patterns identified in the analysis.
Rather than simply listing themes again, explain what those themes collectively reveal about the research problem.
Conclusion in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses should briefly state the overall direction of the evidence, its strength, and the principal answer to the review question.
Where the evidence is limited, heterogeneous, or uncertain, the Conclusion should reflect that uncertainty rather than making stronger claims than the evidence allows.
Common Mistakes in the Conclusion Section
- Repeating all findings from the Results section
- Rewriting the Discussion section
- Introducing new data or analyses
- Making broad claims that are not supported by the study
- Making causal claims from research designs that do not establish causality
- Using vague claims such as “the study contributes to the literature”
- Failing to state the main message of the research clearly
- Making policy or practical recommendations beyond the scope of the evidence
- Making the Conclusion unnecessarily long
A Practical Formula for Writing a Conclusion
A useful structure is:
Main finding → Answer to the research question → Scientific / practical contribution → Specific implication, where appropriate
For example:
Sentence 1: State the principal finding.
Sentence 2: Explain what this finding means for the research question.
Sentence 3: State the main contribution of the study.
Sentence 4: Where appropriate, provide one specific implication for practice or future research.
Check Before Submission
- Does the Conclusion clearly state the main finding?
- Does it directly address the research objective or question?
- Is the contribution of the study stated specifically?
- Has any new data or analysis been introduced?
- Are conclusions consistent with the limits of the study design?
- Are recommendations supported by the findings?
- Have unnecessary repetitions been removed?
- Can readers understand the central message of the article in a few sentences?
