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- Jared L
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How to Identify and Write a Conclusion in Academic and Critical Writing
Have you ever found yourself reading an article and wondering what it’s really about? You’re not alone. Many students experience this, especially when reading complex academic texts.
Evaluating someone’s reasoning may sound simple, but it requires the reader to identify both the issue and the conclusion. Although this may appear straightforward, critical thinking is necessary.
The reader must recognize the controversy or issue, as well as the thesis or conclusion the author is presenting. The conclusion is the message the author intends to convey to the reader. Its purpose is to influence your beliefs and/or behaviors. Without identifying the conclusion, you are merely reacting to a distorted version of the intended communication.
This article provides guidance on how to identify the issue and the conclusion in academic writing.
What are the issues? What are the conclusions?
Kind of Issues
There are two kinds of issues students encounter in academic writing: Descriptive and prescriptive.
Let’s cover each.
a. Descriptive Issues
Consider the following questions:
Does taekwondo training improve a person’s ability to dance?
What is the most common cause of gender-based violence?
Is Amoxil an effective way to treat fever?
These three questions require answers that describe the way the world was, is, or is going to be. For example, answers to the first two questions might be: “In general, children who are trained in taekwondo dance better than those who are not trained,” and “Chronic alcohol abuse is the most common cause of gender-based violence.”
These issues are descriptive in nature. You can find them discussed in magazines, books, on the internet, and on television. They reflect people’s curiosity about order or patterns in the world.
Descriptive issues raise questions about the accuracy of descriptions of the past, present, or future.
b. Prescriptive Issues
Now, consider this second kind of questioning:
What should be done about illegal immigrants?
Should critical race theory be taught in American schools?
Must we ban coal production to reduce carbon emissions?
These three questions require answers that suggest the way the world ought to be. For instance, answers to the first two questions might be: “We ought to teach critical race theory in American schools,” and “Illegal immigrants should be deported to their countries.”
These issues are moral or ethical in nature. They seek to determine what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable. The questions demand prescriptive answers. That is why we call them prescriptive issues.
This is a simplified classification of issues. At times, it can be difficult to determine the type of issue under discussion. However, keeping these distinctions in mind can be helpful.
Prescriptive issues raise questions about what we should do, or about what is right or wrong, good or bad.
Searching For the Issue in a Passage
Sometimes, the writer will clearly state the issue. Alternatively, it may be up to you to identify the issue within the body of the text—often at the beginning—and sometimes even in the title. An explicitly stated issue may appear as follows:
The question this study is raising is: Why must we update the cybersecurity laws?
Lowering the legal drinking age: Is it the right measure to take?
Should critical race theory be taught in schools?
In most cases, however, authors do not explicitly state the question. Instead, the reader must infer the issue from other clues in the communication. Asking yourself, “What is the author reacting to?” can help reveal the central issue.
Avoid assuming there is only one correct way to state an issue. You have identified the issue when you recognize the question that the entire paper, essay, or speech addresses. Make sure that what you refer to as an issue meets the definitional criteria of an “issue.”
The most effective way to detect an unstated issue is to locate the conclusion. In many cases, you will need to identify the conclusion before determining the issue. Therefore, the first step in such situations is to find the conclusion.
Remember, a conclusion is the message the writer or speaker wants you to accept.
We can only critically evaluate an argument after identifying the conclusion.
Therefore, it is essential for us to understand the speaker’s or writer’s conclusion before evaluating any argument.
Searching for the conclusion
To identify the conclusion, a critical reader must ask, “What is the writer or speaker trying to prove?” or “What is the communicator’s main point?” The conclusion provides the answer to these questions. In other words, any answer that the writer or speaker provides to these questions is the conclusion.
Searching for a conclusion involves looking for a statement—or set of statements—that the speaker or writer wants you to believe. The author wants readers to accept the conclusion based on other supporting statements.
In short, the basic structure of persuasive communication is: This is attributable to that. This refers to the conclusion; that refers to the support for the conclusion. This structure represents the process of influence.
Conclusions are inferred. This means they are derived from reasoning and require supporting ideas. Whenever someone claims that a statement is true or that something ought to be done, he or she must provide supporting statements. Without support, a claim cannot be considered a conclusion because there is no basis offered to believe it. In contrast, unsupported claims are merely opinions.
Understanding the Nature of a conclusion
In critical reading and listening, it is essential to understand the nature of a conclusion. Let us look closely at an example of a brief paragraph to learn how to identify the conclusion and the statement that supports it:
Students should not be required to wear uniforms. When students choose their own clothes, they can express their individuality and feel more comfortable at school.
“Students should not be required to wear uniforms” is the author’s answer to the question: Should students be required to wear uniforms? It is the author’s conclusion. The author supports this conclusion with a reason: “When students choose their own clothes, they can express their individuality and feel more comfortable at school.”
You can see why the supporting statement is not the conclusion—it is used to support or prove something else.
To believe the conclusion, you rely on the supporting statement to make an inference. When people engage in this process, they are said to be reasoning. The conclusion results from this reasoning.
At times, conclusions are not explicitly stated. You must infer the conclusion based on what you believe the author is trying to prove through the ideas they present.
Clues to discovery: How to find the Conclusion
Clue Number 1: Ask what the issue is
A conclusion always responds to an issue. If you know the issue, this can help find the conclusion. First, look at the title. Then, look at the opening paragraphs. If still unclear, skim several pages to identify the issue.
Clue Number 2: Look for indicator words
Various indicator words frequently precede a conclusion to signal its presence. If you see these indicator words, a conclusion may follow. Some common indicator words include:
Consequently, …
Therefore, …
… shows that …
… suggests that …
Thus, …
… indicates that …
… proves that …
The point I am trying to make is …
The truth of the matter is …
It follows that …
However, many speakers and writers do not use indicator words to introduce their conclusions. Still, when your goal is to make your conclusion clear to your reader or audience, consider using indicator words to highlight your thesis. These words help draw attention to the main point you want the listener or reader to accept.
Clue Number 3: Look in likely locations
Conclusions often appear in specific locations. Look at the beginning and the end of a passage. Some writers begin with a statement of purpose, indicating what they are trying to prove. Others summarize their conclusion at the end. In a long or complex passage, if you are struggling to understand where it is going, skip ahead to the end to look for the conclusion.
Clue Number 4: Remember what a conclusion is not
Remember, conclusions are not any of these:
- Examples
- Definitions
- Statistics
- Evidence
- Background information
Clue Number 5: Check the context of the author’s background and the communication
It is common to see speakers and writers take predictable positions on issues. If the conclusion is not explicit, knowing the probable biases of the writer or speaker can offer valuable clues. Always remain alert to information about the organizations that speakers or writers are associated with.
Final Thoughts
In academic writing, authors aim to leave their readers with no doubt about the argument they are trying to make. Therefore, your conclusion and the reasons supporting it should be clearly identifiable. If you are writing or speaking to communicate a particular conclusion, clarity is key, as your readers or listeners will be looking for it. The conclusion is the main message you want to deliver. Leave no doubt about what your conclusion actually is. A clearly identifiable conclusion makes the reader’s task easier and may improve the overall logic of your writing.
Stuck on your writing task?
Jared L.
Jared is a writer at ScholarlyWritings.com and has helped thousands of students learn how to craft original essays. He is an expert in different essay formats. He spends most of his time writing essays and research papers.
Sources
Browne, M. N., & Keeley, S. M. (2020). Asking the right questions: A guide to critical thinking (12th ed.). Pearson.
The Critical Thinker Academy. (n.d.). The structure of arguments: Conclusions and reasons [Online lecture]. Teachable. https://criticalthinkeracademy.teachable.com/courses/76303/lectures/1105047