It is important not to run out of steam just before getting close to the finish line of your academic work. Your final dissertation chapter summarizes your work, as well as shows that your work has made a significant contribution to the available literature on your topic. As such, you should write your final chapter in a succinct and convincing manner.
You cannot expect your manuscript to be read like a book of fiction — from start until the end. Committee members frequently first look at the abstract, introduction and conclusion before proceeding to any other chapters of your thesis. With that in mind, it might be particularly relevant to make a good impression with your final chapter. To do this, devote enough time and energy to writing it, and showcase your final thoughts in the best light possible.
Your final chapter needs to answer the following question: Why was your research important to do? It should contain a brief description of your results (or findings) and their relevance for further work or extendibility to other academic or real-world settings and practices. It should also include a brief discussion of your study’s limitations and provide direction for further research in the area. Make sure to highlight your original contributions and their relevance, but remain brief and concise; the reviewers don’t want to read your whole program as a verbose reiteration of what you have already outlined in previous chapters.
In a nut shell, the final chapter could be considered your key chapter. It might not be as long as other parts of your text, but it does require your full attention and expertise.
When writing your summary and conclusion, think about the reader. What would you like them to remember if this was the only part of your work they were going to read?
Here are some points to consider when writing your conclusion (for both quantitative and qualitative studies):
- It should have a clear structure: a beginning (introduction), a middle part (synthesis of your findings), implications for theory and practice, and an end (future directions). Conclusions should be able to stand on their own; they are an entity by themselves.
- Some students find it useful to make notes/summaries of every chapter as they proofread the thesis. These summaries can then be used to help draft the final section of the paper.
- The final chapter should contain the answer(s) to your research question(s). Research questions can be a part of the introduction section of the conclusion.
- Don’t just copy and paste or repeat sentences from your other chapters. Instead, pull together important points that were made throughout and build a convincing case for your overall argument. Your conclusion should present the core of your work and show your main ideas.
- Present the possible contributions of your work while maintaining a modest stance. Juxtapose your findings against what is already out there: the differences and
- Include your plans for potential future research; this will show you are thinking ahead.
- Conclude with a short paragraph. Use your own words for this final statement, it might be best to avoid direct quotes (from other authors) in the final pages.
Here is a list of some common mistakes to avoid when writing the final chapter:
- Do not make your conclusion too lengthy; it should only be a few pages long depending on your subject. Conclusions tend to be longer in humanities and social sciences; and are shorter in science and technology disciplines.
- Refrain from embellishing. It’s not very likely that a small research project will be able to transform practice or overturn government policies. You need to acknowledge your contribution, but be realistic and always link back to the existing literature.
- Don’t introduce new material right at the end of your work. This can be very confusing for the reader. Any new ideas or arguments need to be presented before concluding.
Don’t forget to discuss the limitations of your study. This shows you are being critical and honest of your work and your capabilities, and able to reflect on research boundaries.