Chapter 4 · Practice 3 of 4
Draw only the conclusions your results support
Why it matters
The FAST handbook warns that authors are often tempted to speculate on outcomes the findings cannot support, and says: "Do not draw any conclusions or make any recommendations that your work cannot clearly support."
Watch for overreach:
| Overreach | Supported |
|---|---|
| Our system will eliminate medicine waste in Pakistan | In a four-week trial at three pharmacies, expired stock fell compared with the previous four weeks |
| The model works for all languages | The model was evaluated on Urdu and English text only |
Each conclusion should point back to a result in the previous chapter. Broader impact belongs in future work, written as a possibility, not a finding.
Do
- Link each conclusion to a specific result
- Put broader claims in future work as possibilities
Avoid
- National or global claims from a small trial