Writing endings is difficult. Difficult but important. Think of a piece of writing – article, thesis, book – as a hammock, a bed raised up at either end to keep it off the ground. The start and the end of the writing form the ‘hooks’ at either end, raising the whole hammock up. So endings are as important as beginnings. As in life!
Writing, even academic writing, is a personal thing – and it is at the start and end that such writing is most personal. Pass the baton on to the next researcher. A conventional guide to writing the last section of a piece of academic writing might suggest a summary of what’s written before it (perhaps with a claim to originality), and a statement of the implication (perhaps the influence or impact), plus a future plan (what is still not done)? And although stating the limitations of the research may look weak, this may still be needed. But leave with a message, and leave with a feeling, an emotion. Not so much a ‘whimper’ as a ‘bang’ (with apologies to T S Eliot).
","author_name":"Julian Stern"}