Generalfunctionsandmainelementsofconclusion

ConclusionAstheend-resultofthewholepaper,conclusion(alsocalledsummary)isthefinalviewpointdrawnbytheauthorafterinvestigations,experiments,inferences,discussionsandsoon.Tohaveaneffectiveconclusionisoftentimesaschallengingashavinganeffectiveintroduction.Aneffectiveconclusionindicatesthatyouhavefinishedwhatyouhavetosay.Nonewmaterialisintroduced.Itdoesnotrehashopinionsorrecitetheobvious.Aneffectiveendingflowslogicallyandsmoothlyfromthebodyoftheessay,givingasenseofcompletenessorclosure.GeneralfunctionsandmainelementsofconclusionTypicalfunctionsoftheconclusionofaresearchpapermayinclude:1)summingup2)statementofconclusion3)statementofrecommendationsand4)gracefultermination.Foraparticularpaper,anyoneoranycombinationofthesemaybeappropriate.Somepapersdonotneedaseparateconcludingsection,particularlyiftheconclusionsorresultshavealreadybeenstatedintheintroduction.Fivewaystoconcludeanessay:1.restatingthemainpointsGenerallyspeaking,iftheessayisnotverylong,youdonotneedtoannouncetheendingbysaying“inconclusion”or“tosumitup”.Indeed,youcansummarizethemainpointsmoreeffectivelywithoutusingthoseexpressions.2.referringbacktothethesis(andtheintroduction)Somewritersliketoconcludetheiressaysbybrieflyreferringbacktothethesis.Suchanendingisparticularlysatisfyingbecauseitgivestheessayasenseofclosurebyalludingtoinsteadofrepeatingtheentirethesis.ThisiswhatAnastasiaToufexisdoesin“Love:therightchemistry?”Introduction:O.K.,let’scutoutallthisnonsenseaboutromanticlove.Let’sbringsomescientificprecisiontotheparty.Let’sputloveunderamicroscope.WhenrigorouspeoplewithPh.D.saftertheirnamesdothat,whattheyseeisnotsomesilly,senselessthing.No,theirproberevealsthatloverestsfirmlyonthefoundationsofevolution,biologyandchemistry…Conclusion:O.K.,that’sthescientificpointofview.Satisfied?Probablynot.Tomostpeople—withorwithoutPh.D.s—lovewillalwaysbemorethanthesumofitsnaturalparts.It’sacomminglingofbodyandsoul,reality,andimagination,poetryandphenylethylamine.Inourdeepesthearts,mostofusharborthehopethatlovewillneverfullyyieldupitssecrets,thatitwillalwayseludeourgrasp.3.suggestingasolution,furtherstudy,orpredictinganoutlineIn“mutualengagementbestforUSandChina”,columnpublishedin1996,theauthorarguesthatinmoderntimesChina,asapartnerinthegeopolitical“multi-partnerwaltz”,hasbeentreatedequallybytheU.S.Thiscolumnconcludeswithasuggestion:Chinahasfinallygrowntobeanequalpartnerinthis“multi-partnerwaltz”andshouldbetreatedaccordinglytoavoidcatastrophiccollisions,ifnotsteppingoneachother‘stoes.Thestick-and–carrotdiplomacy,whichhasanodorofthebygoneeraandanairofcondescensiontoalesserpartner,hasbecomeananachronism.Whichbig-stickrhetoricmaygiveabigadrenalinerushtosomepoliticians,especiallyinanelectionyear,weallrealizethatonecoldwarhasservedusmorethansufficiently.4.givingahumorouscommentorunexpectedtwist5.usingastrikingormemorablequoteUsedjudiciously,quotes—apt,striking,andmemorablequotes,ratherthanthosethathavebeenover-quotedandhavelosttheirfreshness—canconcludeessaysonastrongnote.Inanessaytitled“wayswelie”,theauthorgivesthediscussionaforcefulending(withoutmoralizingclumsily)withaquoteformacountrysong:“MaybeifIdon’ttellthebankthecheck’sinthemailI’llbelesstolerantoftheliestoldmeeveryday.AcountrysongIonceheardsaiditallforme:‘you’vegottostandforsomethingoryou’llfallforanything.’”Requirementsforwritingaconclusion1.Becarefulnottodrawconclusionsfromdatainvolvingerrorsofobservation:errorsinarithmetic,compensatingerrors,systematicandpersonalerror.2.Donotusemathematicalformulaswithoutclearlyunderstandingoftheirderivationsandaltheassumptionsinvolved3.Becautiousincomparingconclusionsbasedonexperimentsinwhichtheinfluentialconditionshavebeenimproperlycontrolled,andthereforenotduplicated.4.Avoidconfusingfactswithopinionsofinfluences,notonlyintheinvestigationitselfbutalsoinpreparingresultsforpublication.5.Donotdrawaconclusionfromtoofewdata,ortoobroadaconclusionthatisbasedoextrapolatedcurves.6.Guardagainstfailingtoqualifyaconclusion,inordertoshowthelimitswithinwhichitapplies,orthevariationwhichistobeexpected.7.Whenyouindulgeinaspeculation,besuretoremindyourreadertoknowthatitremainsaspeculation.Usefulexpressionsfrequentlyusedinwritingconclusionsare:Onthebasisof…,thefollowingconclusioncanbemade…From…,wenowconclude…Tosumup,wehaverevealed…Wehavedemonstratedinthispaper…Theresultofthisexperimentindicate…Inconclusion,theresultshow…Wehavedescribed…,wefound…Ourargumentproceedsin…Theresearchworkhasbroughtaboutadiscoveryof…Finally,asummaryisgivenof…Thesefindingsoftheresearchhaveledtheauthortotheconclusionthat…Theresearchhasresultedinasolutionof…