Deliver a Strong Conclusion
There is an old joke about writing a paper. It goes like this:
Quote
In the introduction, tell them what you are going to tell them.
In the body of your paper, tell them.
In the conclusion, tell them what you told them.
While exaggerated for humorous effect, this joke can serve as a useful reminder of the role of the introduction and the conclusion; they serve to bookend the paper. The introduction establishes the reader’s expectations, and the conclusion reminds them of the overall value and importance of the paper they just read.
You may have noticed that the conclusion was not listed in the BEAM / BEAT chart anywhere. That is because the conclusion is not the place to introduce any new information.
Instead, a conclusion is a succinct synthesis of the background, exhibits, and arguments that you have presented, as well as any methods or theories with which you have framed your paper. You must illustrate to your reader that all the points of your paper support a singular conclusion (your thesis).
Key Point!
Pretend that the reader will finish your paper and then ask “so what?” The conclusion is your answer to that question, justifying the value of the paper you just wrote by summarizing what it all means.
Finally, the conclusion is the place where you can also outline further research and exploration that can be done in the future on this topic.