Conclusions^[1]

A satisfying conclusion allows your reader to finish your paper with a clear understanding of the points you made and possibly even a new perspective on the topic.

Any one paper might have a number of conclusions, but as the writer you must consider who the reader is and the conclusion you want them to reach. For example, is your reader relatively new to your topic? If so, you may want to restate your main points for emphasis as a way of starting the conclusion. (Don’t literally use the same sentence(s) as in your introduction, but come up with a comparable way of restating your research question.) You’ll want to smoothly conclude by showing the judgment you have reached is, in fact, reasonable.

Just restating your research question isn’t enough. Ideally, you have just taken your reader through a strong, clear argument in which you have provided evidence and supporting research to explain your topic. You want to conclude by pointing out the importance or worthiness of your topic and research proposal. You could describe how the world would be different, or people’s lives changed if your research was conclusive.

You might also point out the limitations of the present understanding of your topic, suggest or recommend future action, study or research that needs to be done

TIP: Be careful not to introduce any new ideas in your conclusion; your job is to wrap up in some satisfying way, so the reader walks away with a clear understanding of what you have had to say.