3 sentences you must include in your PhD discussion chapter - and why they matter

How do you actually write your PhD discussion chapter?

You’ve finished your analysis. You’ve pulled out your themes. You’ve written up your findings.

Now comes the bit that makes so many PhD students freeze: the discussion chapter!

How do you sound critical?

How do you show originality?

How do you make it clear that you get what your findings mean — without repeating yourself or rambling?

If this is you, don’t worry. You’re not doing anything wrong - discussion chapters are genuinely tricky, especially for qualitative researchers. But there are ways to make the process feel more manageable, less messy, and way more focused.

In this post, I’m going to share three essential sentence templates that can help you bring clarity, criticality, and confidence to your discussion chapter. These are plug-and-play phrases that not only sound academic. They also serve a real purpose in helping you make sense of your findings and communicate their importance.

For each one, I’ll break down:

• Why it matters

• What common PhD problem it helps with

• How to use it

• And examples from sociology, marketing, and business

Let’s dive in.

1. “This finding aligns with…”

This is your go-to phrase for showing how your work fits into existing research. It’s where you say: Yes, my findings connect to what other scholars have found — and here’s how.

It proves you’ve done your homework, that you understand the field, and that your findings are part of a bigger academic conversation.

A lot of students either:

• Completely ignore the literature in their discussion chapter, or

• Start repeating everything from their literature review word for word.

This sentence strikes the perfect balance. You’re not summarising again — you’re positioning your findings in relation to existing work.

Here are some more template ideas:

• “This finding aligns with [Author, Year], who also found that…”

• “This theme supports previous work by…”

• “Similar patterns were observed in [Study], suggesting…”

Check out these examples:

“This finding aligns with Goffman’s (1963) work on stigma, which highlighted how individuals manage a discredited identity in public spaces.”

“This theme supports the findings of Keller and Lehmann (2006), who also identified trust as a key component in consumer-brand relationships.”

“Similar patterns were observed in Jackson’s (2012) study on remote leadership, suggesting a continued reliance on informal communication to sustain team cohesion.”

2. “However, this differs from…”

This is where the critical edge comes in. Your discussion chapter shouldn’t just confirm what others have found - it should also show how your work challenges, complicates, or adds nuance to it.

This is often where your original contribution lives.

Many students worry about contradicting established scholars or saying something that goes against the grain. But remember — challenging assumptions is not disrespectful. It’s how research moves forward.

Using this sentence shows you’re not just repeating the field… you’re contributing to it.

Here are some variations on the template:

• “However, this differs from [Author, Year], who argued that…”

• “This finding challenges the assumption that…”

• “Unlike previous studies, which found X, this study highlights Y.”

And here are some examples to see what they might look like:

“However, this differs from Elias’s (2000) depiction of social cohesion, which assumed a stable group identity. In this study, cohesion was found to be fluid and context-dependent.”

“This finding challenges the assumption that influencer credibility directly drives purchase intent. In contrast, participants emphasised authenticity over expertise.”

“Unlike previous studies, which found a positive link between flexible working and job satisfaction, this study highlights emerging tensions related to work-life boundaries.”

3. “What this means is…”

This is the moment where you show your insight as a researcher. You’re not just presenting data, you’re interpreting it. You’re showing your reader why it matters.

If your examiner ever says “this is too descriptive,” this is the sentence you need more of.

A common issue in qualitative discussion chapters is that students quote their participants… and then just move on. No analysis. No reflection. Just “Here’s what they said, next!”

But your discussion chapter is where you get analytical. It’s where you step in and explain the meaning behind those quotes.

Let’s take a look at some more templates:

• “What this means is that…”

• “This suggests that…”

• “This could be interpreted as…”

• “One possible explanation is…”

And here are some examples:

“What this means is that participants saw resistance not as a political act, but as a way of reclaiming personal dignity in everyday life.”

“This could be interpreted as a shift in how consumers construct value — placing greater emphasis on emotional experiences than product utility.”

“One possible explanation is that hybrid teams require more than structural support — they need clear rituals to build shared identity.”

Final thoughts

If your discussion chapter is making you feel overwhelmed, start with these three sentence types. They’re small, simple building blocks - but when used well, they can completely change the feel of your writing.

To recap:

• “This finding aligns with…” → Situates your work in the field

• “However, this differs from…” → Adds critical edge and originality

• “What this means is…” → Shows interpretation and insight

Discussion chapters are about meaning. They’re where you show that you’ve thought deeply, read widely, and interpreted your data carefully.

And here’s the secret:

You don’t have to write it all in one go.

You don’t have to have all the answers up front.

You just need to start with a few solid sentences — and build from there.