What are the recommendations in a research study?

Typically noted as ‘Conclusion and Recommendations for the study’ in thesis reports, the section dedicated to recommendations for the study is brief and direct. In many thesis reports it is also presented as a standalone section. Recommendations for the study do not explain anything as other sections of the research would do. Instead, the focus here is on highlighting what more can be done in that field of study. It also gives direction to fellow researchers to dive into the discussion in the future.

The main themes of this section are:

1. Improvement
2. Change
3. Development

The recommendations for the study section present possible areas of improvement for future studies.

Constituents of the recommendations for the study section

Since this section of the thesis report is most often set along with the conclusion of the study, it is better presented in a brief but direct approach. It is introduced by one direct sentence that separates it from the conclusion of the study. The preceding statements should immediately note the recommendations and why these suggestions are important. It should then explain how such suggestions can be achieved in a future research. While writing the recommendations for the study section, it is important that the suggestions are:

1. Specific,
2. Measurable,
3. Attainable,
4. Realistic, and
5. Timely.

This section can also be presented in bullet points and focus to cover:

While there is no required specific number of recommendations but 4 recommendations for every 20000 words in a thesis report is a general thumb. Limit the number of words in this section up to 5% of the total word count of your thesis report. This is to set a balance as to what else can be done and the current investigation.

What not to do?

Remember that the recommendations for the study section should not be confused with the conclusion or the summary of the study. It should only focus on the suggestions for future possibilities. Do not present new findings or statistical or experimental data. Do not include theoretical concepts. Start with an introductory statement.

This section enlists the recommendations of the study. The purpose is to offer ideas on how the findings of this study can be implemented in academia to further this field of study. It also offers suggestions on how the challenges of the industry or individuals can be addressed for better outcomes.

Thereafter, split the section into three sub-sections as explained above. After writing the recommendations for each sub-section, close the thesis with ‘Scope for further research‘.

It is suggested that direct interviews with individuals who have been diagnosed with PNES be pursued in the future to allow the researchers to closely look into the situation more closely. After accomplishing the interview, a few context suggestions on how to improve the lives of the said individuals ought to be given particular attention.

The above recommendation focuses on improving the idea behind exploring the issue of how Psychological Non-Epileptic Seizures affect the functionality of a person suffering from the condition. This recommendation is for a 1000-word research paper on PNES or Psychological Non-Epileptic Seizures. There is only one specific recommendation which is explained in a few statements- which remains true to the idea behind keeping the recommendations section brief and focused.

• Results & Discussion

Detailed Question -

In research, what is the difference between implication and recommendation?

Asked on 09 Dec, 2017

4 Answers to this question

Answer:

Research implications suggest how the findings may be important for policy, practice, theory, and subsequent research. Research implications are basically the conclusions that you draw from your results and explain how the findings may be important for policy, practice, or theory. However, the implications need to be substantiated by evidence and the study's parameters need to be explained and the limitations taken into account to avoid over-generalization of results. 

Recommendations urge specific actions to be taken with regard to policy, practice, theory, or subsequent research. They are specific suggestions that you make with regard to further research on the topic. For instance, you can make recommendations on subsequent research that can be conducted, especially, if there is an interest in generalizing the findings beyond the study’s parameters. You may have identified gaps in the literature  that should be addressed, and to which your study may or may not have contributed.

You can learn from Dr. Jacob Wickham, Assistant Professor at Institute of Zoology at Chinese Academy of Sciences, the best way to write present your results and discussion sections through this course: How to write the most effective results and discussion sections

Related reading:

What is the difference between research implication and recommendation?

Answered by on 14 Dec, 2017

Resources for authors and journals

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Answer: Research implications basically refer to impact that your research might have on future research or policy decision or the relevant field of interest of your study. 'How will your research affect the targeted community or subject field' is the question that implications will answer. Recommendations are based on the results of your research and indicate the specific measures or directions that can be taken. For example, a clinical study might have implications for cancer research and might recommend against the use of a particular hazardous substance. Therefore, implications signify the impact of your research and recommendations might be concrete steps/actions that the research proposes.

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Answer: Once you have conducted your study and drawn conclusions, you can state the “Research Implications”, which means that you are expressing how your study can affect future prospects in the subject area of your research, the policies or regulations that might be influenced because of your study or you can speculate how the outcomes of your study can have an impact in either hypothesizing a particular topic under consideration or the practical aspects of the same. The research implications are always supported by a strong statistical significance and correlations of results from your research keeping in view the shortcoming of the study. When you make a “Research recommendation”, you can emphatically state what are the next steps that need to be taken to address a problem, what are the immediate actions that need to be implemented to solve a particular question, what needs to be corrected & what needs to be avoided to solve a problem, what is the feasibility of your proposed policy, statements about the nature and timing of an evaluation plan that would be used to determine the effectiveness of the proposed policy. Again, these recommendations should be strongly supported by results of your study.

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