Pulling It All Together: How To Write a Thesis Discussion

#1 Messy is better than missing

Your thesis discussion is the climax of the work you have completed, so it’s natural to feel slightly intimidated. So many students fall into the trap of perfectionism and it blocks them from getting started. Whilst it’s not what you want to hear, the best way to overcome this is to just get started! Write some messy thoughts in a notebook, type them up into a paragraph, and repeat. You can always edit it later (and you undoubtedly will delete most of your first draft!), but you need to start somewhere. Let go of perfectionism and try to see your discussion as a working document of your thoughts and reflections, giving yourself permission to modify and improve as you go on.

#2 Plan it out (including word counts and deadlines)

Work out the key sections for your discussion. For me, this involved going back to my original hypotheses and then writing a paragraph on the results / implications of each one. You will also have a limitations section, future directions section and an overall conclusion. Start with these headings as your skeleton to then work on filling it in. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of writing your discussion as you get towards the end. Breaking it down into sections makes it tangible and manageable.

Set yourself goals for when you want to have reached each stage of discussion writing. Work backwards from the date you want to submit your thesis to create internal deadlines. This can help you get started and help your supervisors know when work is going to be coming their way to review.

#3 Zoom out and think about the real-world impact

By the time you reach the discussion stage, you have spent three to four years in a very specific research bubble. Part of the discussion should be able to show your examiners that you also understand how your research fits into the wider literature and what real-world impact it has. My research is in nutrition, so I need to show an awareness of the potential impact of my findings on product development, public health and the NHS.

At first, zooming out can feel quite unnatural but taking time to work out what your research really means is important in understanding your contribution. This is a key topic for viva discussions as well, so future you will be grateful you took the time to figure it out now!

It is also important to show an awareness of the next steps from your research. All research exists on the shoulders of past work and should contribute to future experiments; an ongoing chain of increasing knowledge. Showing an examiner what you would do with a further one, three or five years of funding demonstrates an awareness of the next steps and the questions that your research has been unable to answer.

#4 Get some fresh eyes

You’ll have spent so long looking at one document that you cannot see the woods for the trees (or the spelling mistakes for the paragraph, as it were!). Taking some time away from your work can help you get a fresh perspective and allow you to spot things you may have missed previously.

At the time of writing this, I’ve been training for the London Marathon. Spending time away from screens during my long runs is helping me reset and tackle the discussion with fresh eyes when I get back. It can feel like you are slacking or procrastinating, but you need these intentional breaks to improve your proofreading.

My other tip is to try changing how you read your work. Consider printing short sections off, reading paragraphs in reverse order or reading out loud (my dogs are practically experts in my research at this stage!). These modifications change the speed of your reading and challenge you to actually read the words on paper rather than predicting what’s next.

Writing the thesis discussion ultimately boils down to discipline: make a plan and then stick to it; write down your thoughts and then flesh them out; set yourself deadlines and hold yourself accountable. It’s also about getting out of your own head, taking a break and tackling blocks with a fresh set of eyes. At least that’s how I’m justifying my marathon training, anyway!

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