Does the conclusion to my academic paper matter? Similar to a race, the success of your paper counts on every little step toward the finish line.
Your conclusion serves to revisit your objectives and highlight the completeness of your research. As such, you should retain your focus till the end of your work to leave a strong final impression and recommend the applications of various insights within your dissertation.
A well-written conclusion can help you revisit your paper’s aims, highlight the implications and suggest recommendations for subsequent studies. Read on to establish types of conclusions and various tips for writing an outstanding conclusion.
How long is a conclusion?
A conclusion should be succinct in highlighting the key points your paper has tackled. Ideally, the conclusion should carry between 10% to 15 % of the total word count.
Types of conclusions
Conclusions may vary from one paper to another depending on the purpose of your work. Some paper’s usually target to unveil new information regarding a process while others aim at highlighting the connection between events and processes.
Some of the conclusions you may consider for a paper include:
- Recommendation
These are conclusions usually aimed at suggesting how subsequent studies may further investigate an idea. The conclusion admits the limitations of the research and suggests how these limitations can be investigated in further studies.
- Prediction
Prediction conclusions usually suggest what may happen after your recommended changes have been applied. This projection helps you to demonstrate the significance of your findings, leaving a strong final impression on your readers.
- Comparison
If you were writing a compare and contrast essay, you may opt to end by indicating how various ideas influence each other. The point chosen for this should be your strongest, driving your intended point for analysis home.
- Causation
A causation essay may close by highlighting how various events are related. Depending on the impact caused, you may either suggest ways to mitigate the negatives or guide the reader on how the events may be altered for optimal effects.
How to start a conclusion in a research paper
Some tips for starting an essay conclusion include:
- Restate the research problem at the start of your conclusion to zoom out on specific arguments and draw parallels on the general topic.
- Pose rhetorical questions that lead towards your conclusion and introduce your closing arguments to highlight how your paper has improved upon existing research.
- Echo a research gap, and its negative impact on your field, and then highlight how your findings help alleviate various impacts associated with the findings.
How to close a research paper
When closing your research paper:
- Suggest the applications of your findings and highlight the difference these recommendations may bring within your field.
- Justify the relevance of your research by highlighting how it has bridged a research gap and how the problem that has been solved will redefine the operation within your field.
Report conclusion example
Henry’s research into the impact of technology on education strongly links academic performance to the integration of ICT in teaching-learning. His methods, however, do not offer a precise image of the correlation of these variables as he fails to put various learning styles into consideration. Additional research is required to highlight how various approaches might be taken to satisfy varying learning styles in a classroom.
Example of conclusion in science
This research was geared to highlight the role of games in promoting better retention among students. based on our analysis, games work well in improving the recall and comprehension of scientific concepts. Further research in gamification might help determine the approaches to integrating gamification into theoretical subjects. The improved pace of comprehension associated with gamification is worth investigating for the overall good of learners.
Conclusion for thesis
By analysing the statistics of home-schooling and public schooling over the cause of the past five years, this thesis has shown how a learner-centred approach with approaches geared toward a learner’s capabilities influences a learner’s performance. Further research may help weigh essential changes that could be applied to reform public schooling, ensuring its efficiency in teaching-learning.
Conclusion of a case study
Through my study of the teaching methods in Finland, it is clear that quality teacher training has propelled education within the country. Besides employing fruitful educative methods, the teachers also have quality exam methods that objectively gauge a learner’s competence in a subject. Additionally, classroom management is better with learners being allowed more freedom over their education as opposed to the popular teacher-centred approach.
Improvements in teacher training also evoke changes in teaching methodologies, keeping teachers at par with various methods to ensure optimal learning. However, further comparisons need to be made to test the effectiveness of these educational approaches and to suggest changes for optimal education practices across the globe.
College essay conclusion
Claiming that I’m the complete article would be a lie. Just as my first challenge in the field of education changed my approach to teaching, the constant exposure to life lessons improves my perspective toward life, informing my techniques for teaching learners from various backgrounds and with different capabilities. However, my readiness to learn remains constant as I’m aware that constant development is essential for the improvement of my teaching capacity.
