Recommendations in Research

The Recommendations section is where research meets real-world action. It transforms your findings into meaningful suggestions for improvement, change, or future investigation.

This guide discusses what the Recommendations section is, what it includes, why it matters in research, and how to avoid common mistakes. It also explains how recommendations connect to other chapters and what makes them clear, relevant, and effective.

What Are Recommendations in Research?

Recommendations are clear, evidence-based suggestions that stem directly from your study’s findings. They offer practical or theoretical next steps, whether for future researchers, policymakers, institutions, or practitioners.

What It Answers:

• What should be done with the results?
• How can the findings be applied in the real world?
• What improvements or changes are needed?
• What research should be done next?

Purpose of Recommendations in Research

The purpose of the recommendations section is to translate your findings into action. It shows how your results can be used, improved upon, or further explored, making your research more meaningful beyond the paper itself.

Why It Matters:

• Bridges theory and practice: Helps apply your findings in real-world settings (education, healthcare, business, etc.).
• Guides future research: Points out gaps or limitations that future studies can address.
• Supports decision-making: Offers direction for institutions, policymakers, or stakeholders.
• Adds value to your study: Shows that your research has practical or academic relevance.

What to Include in the Recommendations

The Recommendations section should be focused, practical, and backed by your research findings. Each suggestion should serve a clear purpose and be tailored to your study’s audience and context.

Here’s what to include:

1. Clear and Specific Recommendations

Each recommendation should be direct, actionable, and stated as a full idea. Avoid vague language or general calls for action.

Example:

“School administrators should implement weekly online check-ins to improve feedback and student engagement.”

2. Intended Audience

State who each recommendation is for whether policymakers, school leaders, program developers, or future researchers. This helps ensure relevance and impact.

Example:

“For teacher education institutions: Integrate digital classroom management modules into pre-service training programs.”

3. Connection to Your Findings

Each recommendation must be grounded in your actual results. Do not include ideas that your data didn’t support.

Example:

If your study found that students struggled due to unclear learning materials, you might recommend revising the content for clarity and accessibility.

4. Feasibility and Practicality

The recommendation should be realistic and achievable within the target audience’s resources, timeframe, and context.

Tip:
Avoid overly ambitious or vague proposals. Think in terms of what could reasonably be implemented based on the evidence.

5. Short Explanation or Justification

Briefly state why each recommendation matters. Explain how it addresses an issue found in your research without repeating full findings.

Example:

“This recommendation addresses the lack of student participation identified in the results, which was linked to limited feedback mechanisms.”

6. Suggestions for Future Research (if applicable)

If there are gaps, limitations, or new questions that have emerged from your study, propose directions for further study.

Example:

“Future research should explore the same variables in rural settings to test for regional differences and broaden generalizability.”

Qualities of Strong Recommendations

This section explains what makes your recommendations not just present but credible, actionable, and impactful. Let’s get into it.

Here’s a clean, direct breakdown:

1. Clarity

Your recommendations must be easy to understand. Avoid jargon or overly complex wording. The reader should immediately grasp what action is being suggested.

Why it matters:
If the recommendation is confusing, it won’t be used even if it’s based on solid research.

2. Specificity

General advice isn’t useful. Strong recommendations focus on who should do what, how, and why.

Why it matters:
Specific suggestions are more actionable and easier to implement.

3. Relevance

Each recommendation should align directly with your research findings. Don’t go off-topic or make assumptions beyond your data.

Why it matters:
Irrelevant recommendations undermine credibility and may confuse readers.

4. Feasibility

Recommend what can realistically be done given the context, budget, resources, timeframe, and stakeholders.

Why it matters:
Unrealistic suggestions won’t be taken seriously, even if well-intentioned.

5. Evidence-Based

Strong recommendations are backed by your results. If the data doesn’t support it, don’t include it.

Why it matters:
Evidence-based recommendations build trust and show academic integrity.

6. Prioritized (if multiple)

If you have several recommendations, order them by importance or urgency. Use labels like “Immediate,” “Mid-Term,” or “Long-Term” when appropriate.

Why it matters:
It helps readers understand where to start and how to plan next steps.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in the Recommendations Section

Even strong research can lose impact if the recommendations are unclear, irrelevant, or disconnected from the findings.

Below is a quick table outlining key pitfalls, why they matter, and how to avoid them:

Pitfall	Why It Matters	How to Avoid It
Recommending without evidence	Weakens the credibility of your research	Ensure each recommendation is directly linked to your data and findings
Being too vague or general	Makes implementation difficult	Be specific about what action should be taken, by whom, and how
Overloading with too many recommendations	Overwhelms the reader and dilutes focus	Prioritize key recommendations and group or phase them logically
Ignoring feasibility	Suggests actions that are unrealistic or not applicable	Consider budget, time, context, and audience capacity before proposing actions
Repeating findings instead of offering actions	Misses the purpose of this section	Focus on what should be done, not just what was discovered
Writing for the wrong audience	Reduces relevance and impact	Tailor each recommendation to a specific audience (e.g., policymakers, educators, researchers)
Using informal or casual tone	Affects the professionalism of your report	Keep a formal, academic tone in all recommendations

How Recommendations Connect to Other Chapters

The Recommendations section doesn’t stand alone it builds directly on earlier chapters and helps transition toward the study’s practical and future impact.

Here’s how it connects:

• Chapter 1: Introduction: Recommendations should align with the research objectives and problems stated early on. They are part of fulfilling the study’s purpose.
• Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature: Recommendations can address gaps or limitations mentioned in existing studies, making your contribution clearer.
• Chapter 3: Methodology: The strength of your methods adds credibility to your recommendations. A solid methodology = trustworthy recommendations.
• Chapter 4: Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data: This is the foundation. Your findings provide the evidence for each recommendation, don’t suggest anything your results didn’t support.
• Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations: The recommendations must logically follow from your conclusions. If something wasn’t in the conclusions, it likely doesn’t belong here.
• Future Research: Some recommendations might point to areas that need further investigation. These serve as a bridge to future work.

Related Guides

Chapter 5 Writing Support

• How to Write Strong Conclusions →
• Summary vs. Conclusion: What’s the Difference? →

Recommendation-Specific Help

• How to Turn Findings into Actionable Recommendations →
• Writing Recommendations for Different Audiences →
• Prioritizing Recommendations Based on Impact →
• Aligning Recommendations with Research Objectives →

Research Alignment & Validity

• Ensuring Recommendations Reflect the Findings →
• How to Avoid Overgeneralizing in Recommendations →
• From Data to Decisions: Bridging Research and Practice →

Tools & Templates

• ✅ Recommendation Checklist – Make sure your suggestions are clear, relevant, and feasible
• 📄 Sample Recommendations Section – Approved write-ups you can review
• 🧠 Audience Mapping Tool – Tailor recommendations for stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, educators, etc.)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Recommendations

Final Thoughts

The Recommendations section is where your research turns into real-world value. It’s not just about wrapping things up; it’s your chance to influence decisions, solve problems, and shape future studies. Each recommendation should be focused, realistic, and rooted in your findings. Avoid generic advice and think critically about who will use your research and how.

Strong recommendations don’t just echo your conclusions; they push your study forward and show its relevance beyond the paper.

Note: We’re not your school’s official research coordinator, but our guides are designed to support and guide your writing process. Always follow your institution’s specific guidelines and formatting requirements.. Read full disclaimer below.

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