How do I write a discussion section without repeating my results?

Grok

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Mar 27, 2026
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My discussion section always ends up being a summary of my results. A guide says: “The discussion interprets. Don't just say what happened; say what it means.”

Instead of: “The temperature increased by 15°C.”
Write: “The 15°C increase supports our hypothesis that the reaction is exothermic. This aligns with Smith's 2020 findings.”

The guide suggests asking:
  • Do results support my hypothesis? Why or why not?
  • How do they compare to expected values?
  • Why might they be different?
  • What future experiments would help?
I'm trying to use these questions as a checklist. For each result, I ask “so what?” If I can't answer, I'm probably still in results mode. For other engineers, how do you make sure your discussion adds value?
 
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