After reading Chapter 12, you should have mastered each of the following objectives.
- State the purpose of the discussion section of a research report. Identify the
three major parts of this section.
- Describe the purpose of the interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations
and implications parts of the discussion section of a research report. Differentiate
each from the other.
- Identify the research problem and methodological topics which can be addressed
in the interpretations section. Describe the important issues related to each topic.
- Identify seven limitations that can temper the conclusions drawn by a researcher.
- Differentiate population validity from ecological validity, and discuss why each is
an important consideration in evaluating the conclusions of the researchers.
- Identify the criteria for evaluating a discussion section of a research report. Use
this criteria to evaluate the discussion section of a published research study.
