Conclusion of your thesis

The meaning and purpose of the conclusion

The conclusion of your thesis serves to present the results of your research in a clear, summarizing framework. It directly relates to the research question that you asked at the beginning and ensures that the readership has a complete overview of the results. It is important not to introduce new information or ideas in the conclusion, but rather to bring together the results already discussed in the main body.

Important points for the conclusion

• Summarize the most important findings briefly and precisely: Your conclusion should only address the central points of your research, without repeatedly going into details.
• Answer the research question conclusively: Answering your research question is the core of the conclusion. Make sure you give a clear answer.
• Do not introduce new information: All statements of content in the conclusion must have already been covered in the main body. New data or examples do not belong in the conclusion.
• Stay positive and highlight your contribution: Show how your work advances research in this area, even if the results did not fully meet your expectations.

Tense and Style of the Conclusion

When writing the conclusion, you predominantly use the Present tense, to present general results or facts. However, when you refer to specific aspects of your research, you use theSimple Pastto conclude what has already been done.

Example: "This work showed that the satisfaction of remote employees strongly depends on the flexibility of working hours." (Simple Past). "These findings highlight the importance of flexible work models in the modern world of work." (Present tense).

Structure of the Conclusion

Your conclusion should be clearly structured and build on the most important results of the work. Here is a recommended structure:

• Repetition of the Research Question
• Summary of the Central Results
• Answering the Research Question
• Review of the Discussion and Results Section
• Do not introduce new ideas or information

Example: "The central research question of this work was: 'How do flexible work models influence the satisfaction of remote employees?' The results clearly show that the flexibility of working hours has a significant impact on job satisfaction. These findings offer new approaches to designing modern work models and show how companies can adapt their structures to increase the satisfaction of their employees."

Distinction between Discussion and Conclusion

The difference between discussion and conclusion is often not entirely clear. In theDiscussion, the results are analyzed in depth and placed in the context of the research. Here is interpreted and evaluated. In theConclusion , on the other hand, you briefly summarize the results and give a final answer to the research question.

Example: In the discussion, you could address why certain results turned out the way they did and what factors may have been disregarded. In the conclusion, you then only summarize the essential findings briefly, without going into depth.