Writing a strong conclusion for a research paper is extremely important because your conclusion is what leaves the final impression on your readers. Your conclusion wraps up your entire paper and summarizes the most significant details and findings from your research. An effective conclusion brings closure to your discussion and leaves the reader with a sense of completion. While conclusions require a brief review of your main topics and thesis, you should avoid simply restating what you have already written and instead reflect on the significance of your findings. Here are some tips for writing an excellent conclusion for your research paper:
Restate Your Thesis: Your conclusion should begin with a restatement of your thesis statement. The restatement does not need to be word-for-word, but it should cover the same basic ideas. The restatement of your thesis reminds readers of your central argument and purpose. For example, if your thesis stated “This paper examines how increased oil prices affect consumer spending habits,” your concluding thesis restatement could say “As outlined in this research, rising costs of oil have discernible impacts on consumer discretionary spending.”
Summarize Main Points: Provide a high-level summary of two or three of your main discussion points or findings that support your thesis. Choose the most important elements that truly influence or prove your thesis. Do not just list everything or copy paragraphs from earlier in the paper. Concisely summarize the key takeaways in 2-3 sentences each. For example, “Higher fuel costs were shown to decrease expenditures on dining out and entertainment. Additionally, data indicated consumers diverted more of their budgets toward energy efficient home improvements when oil prices increased.”
Draw Conclusions: Go beyond merely summarizing your discussion to draw conclusions based on your research and findings. What are one or two larger conclusions or implications that can be drawn from the entirety of your study? Discuss how your analysis and results add value to the topic. Say something like “This research concludes people are likely to make trade-offs in their spending when faced with fluctuations in energy expenses. The findings suggest oil price surges could impact broader economic indicators if consumers collectively curb their discretionary consumption.”
Discuss Broader Context: Discuss the broader context or implications of your research. Explain how your findings contribute to the body of knowledge on the topic. You might discuss how your results compare to prior studies, or speculate on areas for potential future research based on your study. For example, “While most previous studies examined long term impacts, this analysis offers unique insight into how short term oil price changes affect behavior. Further investigation could explore gender differences in discretionary spending adjustments or regional variations in consumer responses across the United States.”
Call to Action (Optional): Depending on your topic, you may choose to include a brief call to action. Suggest how decision makers, stakeholders, or the intended audience could apply your conclusions. For example, “Policymakers should consider implementing tax incentives or consumer awareness programs to encourage energy efficiency renovations, which could help offset declines in discretionary spending during oil price volatility.”
Restate Importance: Restate why your research topic/question is important. Re-emphasize how your study adds to knowledge and understanding of the field. Make the case for how your conclusions are meaningful and relevant to your intended audience. For instance, “Given oil’s ongoing role in energy supply and ongoing geopolitical factors influencing prices globally, understanding consumer behaviors during oil shocks remains an important area of social science research. The findings of this study provide new empirical insights with implications for a variety of stakeholders.”
Proofread: Be sure to proofread your conclusion thoroughly as this leaves the lasting impression. Check that your points are clear and logically flow from your introduction to your final thoughts. Have someone else review it as well to get an outside perspective. Revise any areas that are unclear or weak. A strong, well-written conclusion is vital for completing your research paper in a convincing, professional manner.
An effective conclusion utilizes a framework of restating your thesis statement, highlighting key discussion points and results, drawing conclusions, discussing broader context, and re-emphasizing the significance of your work. Taking care with conclusion can help leave your readers with a definitive understanding and lasting impression of the value of your research. With practice and adherence to format guidelines, you’ll be able to craft compelling, high quality conclusions for all of your research papers.