Module: The assignment

Understanding the assignment

Task words: the verbs in the assignment text

Task word: explain

Task word: discuss

Formulate a research question

Discussion is a common feature of academic texts. In any academic text, you will be asked to discuss something to some degree, regardless of whether the task word “discuss” is used in the task description or not. Usually, you will have written an explanation or theory section first, which then forms the foundation for your discussion.

What does it mean to discuss something?

To discuss means to argue something. Unlike with an explanation, you are expected to develop your own point of view in a discussion. You should argue your topic or research question from several angles and points of view, and you usually base your discussion on the sources and theories you have chosen to use in our explanation.

A good idea can be to look for tensions and disagreements in the theories within your field of study; looking for similarities is rarely as interesting. You should, however, avoid asking lots of questions in your discussion without answering them. This is not the same as discussing something. You need to finish up with one argument before you move on to the next, and you need to make it very clear who is saying what in your text. It is also important to include opinions from people who disagree with you in your text.

First explain and then discuss?

The way in which a text is structured varies from subject to subject and for different kinds of tasks. In some fields, it is common to first explain a topic or a research question and then discuss it. These texts have a clear division into two parts. In other fields, you will be expected to discuss while giving your explanation. Both of these approaches can yield good texts. The most important thing is that you follow the instructions given to you in the task, and that you make it clear to the reader when you are explaining something and when you are discussing.

Why discuss?

The discussion is aimed at the reader, and its purpose is to influence or convince them of something. You do this by presenting a new or more nuanced insight into the topic you are writing about, and showing that you have the ability to be independent and make justified choices in your writing. You should compare different points of view and argue convincingly why some of these are more justifiable than others. In this way, you actively engage in an academic discussion and provide your point of view based on the evidence you have presented and evaluated.

What are some of the challenges when discussing?

One of the most challenging things about writing a discussion is how you should use your sources. It is not enough to just quote or paraphrase a given source; you also need to use it actively in your discussion. You need to relate the information within a source to your topic or research question, and make it clear how and why it is relevant to your text. This is where you have the opportunity to show your reader that you have the ability to make justifiable choices within your topic and be independent when writing an academic text.

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