Conclusion is a word of Greek origin that derives from the Latin “conclusio”. The act and effect of concluding is known as such, that is, of finishing, finishing or completing some type of thing, whether it is an event, a job, a task, a process or anything else.
The idea that a person obtains as a result of the study or analysis of different circumstances or facts, taking into account different information, can also be called a conclusion. Thanks to them he manages to reach a conclusion or final thought.
In the case of a speech or a text in general, the conclusion corresponds to the final part of a work, in which the person usually makes a brief summary of it. In this it is customary to refer to the main points that have been addressed in the work. In addition, the results are presented and special emphasis is placed on those sections or discoveries that are more relevant.
It is a fundamental part of any text
However, it must be taken into account that, in order to reach a conclusion, it is necessary to go through different steps or stages, starting with the reception of the information. It is essential to have an initial message to be able to reach it. Next, it is necessary to carefully study the information received, having to have knowledge about the subject, so that said information can be understood and analyzed. Otherwise, you cannot have the means or resources to continue.
Once the information is understood, comprehended and analyzed, it is possible to give a conclusion regarding the subject matter.
For all these reasons, the conclusion is the last part that must be written in a text or document, once knowledge of all the previous information is obtained. Likewise, it must have some characteristics that differentiate it from other parts of the text. A conclusion must be concise, brief, clear and effective, and must have the objective of making the reader have an idea about the work and its progress and, based on it, can think about it or even decide if they are interested in the text or not.
The conclusion is one of the three fundamental parts in any text, along with the introduction and development. It is in this part of the text that reference is made to the results of the research carried out or the analysis on a specific matter. Therefore, the vast majority of texts end with this part. This is the case of books, essays, academic articles, scientific articles, projects, etc.
Conclusion in philosophy and logic
In the field of philosophy and logic, the proposition that is deduced from the premises of an argument is called a conclusion. In this way, if the argument used is considered valid, the premises must reach a conclusion. However, for the conclusion to be considered valid, it must be based on true premises.
Types of conclusions
The conclusions can be, according to their nature, of different types, these being the following:
- Logical or formal: They are the conclusions that emerge from some premises. These can be verified through any of the classical methods of deduction, formal reasoning, or syllogism.
- Personal: This type of conclusion is one that is specific to each person and that has a subjective nature, but it is necessary to know how to differentiate that of an opinion. For this, the conclusion must be valid and verifiable.
- Recommendations: These are the conclusions that reflect on the way in which an investigation or argument was developed. They also help offer key points to future researchers.
- Summary: These are conclusions that are responsible for summarizing everything argued in a document previously, making a final recap.
- Theoretical: They are those in which new knowledge is proposed that can lead to the initiation of new investigations in the future, also if they give rise to new reflections on a particular subject or topic.
Objectives of a conclusion
A conclusion can have very different objectives. In general, it seeks to build some thought. In addition, it tries to lead to learning, either in the person who draws the conclusion or in the people who read it.
In this way, it can be determined that a conclusion can have the following purposes:
- Transmit to other people a personal experience about who argues and how they approach the premises.
- Provide new final and relevant information about a particular topic.
- Lead to reflect on the relevance of a problem that has been dealt with in the argument.
- Demonstrate the learning that has been obtained by considering the different premises.
- Provide considerations regarding the appropriate way to think about a problem.
To get a good conclusion it is necessary that it be relevant, concise and valid. That is, they have to be related to the matter or topic that is addressed in the premises. They must also express something determined and duly defined and must be valid. They cannot come from nothing, but the reader must be able to understand the way in which that final conclusion was reached.