A general Discussion section consolidates a program’s findings and works as a comprehension check

Evidence

General Discussion sections parallel discussions of single studies, except on a somewhat grander scale. They present all of the information contained in discussions of single studies, but consider the implications of all the studies presented together. A general Discussion section brings the main ideas of a research program into bold relief. It typically begins with a concise summary of a research program’s main findings, their relation to the original hypotheses, and their practical and theoretical implications. Thus, the summaries that begin general Discussion sections are counterparts of the summaries that begin Discussion sections of single study reports. Each presents a digest of the research presented in an article that can serve as both an organizing framework (when read first), and as a check on how well you have understood the main points of an article (when read last). — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4582