Conclusions, Resolutions, & Solutions

Research requires you to draw conclusions, make resolutions about a topic, and provide possible solutions.  To understand what each of these terms means, see the definitions below.

Conclusion: A judgement we make about something that happened based on multiple inferences

Resolution: An understanding about an issue that fundamentally changes things leading to solutions

Solution: Suggested action based on evidence found through careful research

We are used to drawing conclusions when we read because it is one of the main skills that allows us to comprehend ideas and concepts we read about.  For example, when reading fiction, we make a series of inferences about a character and put together these inferences to draw a larger conclusion about who they really are.  Drawing conclusions through research is similar, but instead of focusing on a single text, researches must draw conclusions based on patterns and themes found in multiple texts about a topic.

Researchers arrive at resolutions as a result of learning about a topic and drawing conclusions through their research.  You can think of a resolution as a general position statement about a topic.  This position is formed through the learning that occurs as you conduct your research.  It is the answer to your inquiry and is reflected in your thesis statement.

Once you have a clear resolution, you will be able to suggest possible solutions to the problem you identified in your inquiry.  Your solutions may be a combination of solutions you discovered in your research, or they may be new solutions based on the many conclusions you drew when conducting your research.  

Solution Resolution Conclusion. (2018, June 8). Surzyn Teaches. Retrieved July 11, 2023, from https://surzynteaches.org/2018/06/08/solution-resolution-conclusion/