Discussion & Limitations in your bachelor thesis

What belongs in the discussion?

The discussion section of your bachelor thesis is the section in which you analyze your results and place them in the scientific context. Unlike the conclusion, in which you only briefly summarize, this section explains in detail what the results mean and how they compare to other studies.

• Summary of key findings: A brief repetition of the central results of your investigation.
• Interpretation of results: Explain what the results mean and how they answer your research question.
• Comparison with other studies: Relate your results to the current state of research.
• Discussion of Limitations: Explain what limitations there were in your investigation and how these the results might have influenced.

Summary of Results

Begin the discussion with a brief overview of the central findings. This should not be a repetition of the results section, but a compact summary that addresses your research question. This way you offer your readers an easy introduction to the discussion.

Example: In a bachelor thesis that the investigated the impact of social media advertising on the purchasing behavior of young adults, it was found that 60% of respondents on targeted ads reacted positively. This points to the Effectiveness of personalized advertising.

Interpretation of results

In this part of the discussion you analyze why the results have turned out the way they have, and what they mean for your field of research. You should address here whether your Hypotheses were confirmed or not, and possible explanations deliver. Make sure to compare your results with the scientific Literature.

Example: The results confirm earlier Studies that examine the impact of social media on purchasing behavior investigate young consumers. It has been shown that targeted Advertising on platforms like Instagram generates significantly more engagement than on Facebook. This could be due to the visual nature of Instagram, which corresponds better with advertising.

Limitations of the research

Limitations are an inevitable part of any scientific Investigation. They can be derived from the methodology, the sample size or result from the instruments used. In the discussion you should you clearly name these limitations and explain how they affect the Interpretation of your results could influence without your To discredit work altogether.

• Limited Sample Size: A small one Sample could affect the significance of the results impair.
• Time Constraints: If your Investigation only covered a specific period of time could limit the generalizability of the results.
• Lack of Diversity of Participants: If the sample was not diverse enough, certain demographic factors remain unconsidered.

Example: A limitation of this bachelor thesis is the relatively homogeneous sample, which consists almost exclusively of Students existed. This could affect the generalizability of the Difficult results on a wider population. In addition limited the investigation to a period of three Months, which does not capture seasonal differences in consumer behavior has.

Recommendations for further research

To conclude the discussion, you can make recommendations for express further research. These should be based on the Limitations of your work and show how future Studies can close the gaps in your own research.

Example: Future studies could the Investigate the impact of social media advertising on older target groups to determine whether similar patterns to younger ones Consumers are recognizable. It would also be useful to have a larger one and use a more diverse sample to ensure the generalizability to improve the results.