Academic Writing Webinar: Session 6
On March 1, 2021, the Women's Scientific Research Committee of the Bachelor of Arts in English program hosted the sixth session in its series of webinars on academic writing, featuring Dr. Nada Alqarni as the keynote speaker.
The primary objective of the webinar was to examine the discussion of results within a research paper. As Dr. Alqarni pointed out at the session's onset, authors enjoy greater latitude in the discussion section than they do in the introduction or literature review. "By the time readers reach the discussion, authors can assume a fair degree of shared knowledge," she explained, "including an understanding of the study's purpose, the methodology employed, and the results obtained."
Dr. Alqarni stressed that the discussion section's function is to illustrate how the results clearly lead to the conclusions drawn. This involves outlining any limitations that may challenge the claims being made, and considering possible explanations for the results.
According to Dr. Alqarni, the discussion should extend beyond merely summarizing the results. It should be more theoretical, abstract, and general. It should weave the study's findings into the broader academic field, connect with real-world implications, and delve into their potential applications.
She emphasized the importance of taking a broad view of the study's findings in the discussion section. "This section transitions from the research's specific focus to a more generalized viewpoint," she said. It should convincingly demonstrate how the results underpin the conclusions drawn, while acknowledging any limitations that may constrain the generalizability of the findings.
In terms of structure, Dr. Alqarni outlined several key elements that a discussion section should contain: a reference to the study's primary purpose; a summary of the main findings; potential explanations for these findings; a comparison with expected results and other studies; an overview of the study's limitations, and the conclusion. She cautioned researchers against merely repeating all the details, attempting to cover all information, or making unjustifiable or indefensible claims.
Dr. Alqarni also discussed the qualifications and strength of claims in the discussion section, providing examples of using modal auxiliaries to moderate claims. She additionally highlighted examples of the language typically used in this section.
The webinar, primarily aimed at MA and Ph.D. students, saw enthusiastic participation from both staff members of the Faculty of Languages and Translation and those from other faculties.
The series of academic writing webinars, organized by the Scientific Research Committee, included seven sessions held every Monday and Wednesday from February 10 to March 3, 2021, at 4:30 pm.
