The discussion part of your thesis is where you really get to look at your data and results from a more critical standpoint, but also where you will be able to highlight the strengths and opportunities that your results bring to the academic table, so to speak.

You likely have guidelines to follow in terms of what the different parts of your thesis should include, but generally speaking your discussion should include the following parts:

• A summary of your results that corresponds to the study aim.
• Thinking back to the background of your thesis, you should compare your results to previous studies and theories; what are the novel findings from your study compared to previous research?
• Strengths and weaknesses: discuss the merits and limitations of your research methodology, data collection, analysis, and findings. Balancing the strengths and weaknesses in this section provides a comprehensive and critical assessment of your research, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of its contributions and shortcomings.
• Implications – how can your study influence future research, and how are your results relevant for policy and practice in your field of study?