Making Recommendations

A Recommendation is generally included at the end of a General Discussion. It may propose:

• action, or
• further research.

More specifically, Recommendations may:

• Recommend follow-up or future work that remains to be done, such as :
  • carrying out research which seeks to replicate or extend your study
  • carrying out new research which you were unable to attempt, but feel is necessary
  • applying or considering the implications of your research
    
• Reflexively caution or advise on problems, weaknesses or omissions of your own study. For example:
  • variables that still need to be examined more fully
  • weaknesses in your methodology, such as an unrepresentative or small sample
  • The purpose here is so that other researchers can avoid the same pitfalls.

Both the forward-looking and the cautioning types of recommendation are social gestures. They acknowledge:

• your place in the cycle of inductive inquiry, and
• how your work can help other researchers to extend or challenge the theories you have been examining

Regarding location in your General Discussion, recommendations can either be:

• included in that Discussion, or
• occupy a separate section with its own heading

In some reports, the recommendation will be included in a Conclusion section.