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Implications vs. Recommendations in Research and Evaluation

Graphic of two people working with post-it notes on whiteboard

This article was co-authored by 2026 Summer Placement Students Meron Afewerki & Ekeminiabasi Morgan.

Context

Writing the implications and recommendations section is an important component of a research and evaluation report, as it generally helps connect the study’s findings to future action and knowledge development (American Journal Experts, 2022). Although they may seem interchangeable, their tone differs and serves distinct purposes. Implications explain the meaning of the research or evaluation findings, policy implications, and connected practice guidelines in an understandable way within the work plan. Recommendations propose next steps to take action, policy changes, changes to governance models, etc., based on research or evaluation findings.

Implications

Research implications concern the impact of the study results on the field. They focus on the broader significance and consequences of the research findings and ask the question: “What is the significance of the findings and what does it mean?” (American Journal Experts, 2022).

There are theoretical and practical implications. Theoretical implications discuss the impact of the study results on existing academic theories (i.e., whether they support or contradict current theories), while practical implications discuss the impact in practice and real-world settings (American Journal Experts, 2022). Other types of implications include social, political, and economic, but their use depends on the nature of the study (American Journal Experts, 2022).

Recommendations

Research recommendations are action-oriented suggestions and solutions for readers (e.g., practitioners, policymakers) to adopt specific changes based on the study results (Wingate, 2014). It asks, “What are the next steps that should be done?” (American Journal Experts, 2022). These can be recommendations for practice/policy and/or recommendations for future research. Recommendations can include improving policies, changing practices, implementing interventions, or conducting further research (American Journal Experts, 2022).

Similarities

  • Both are informed through direct evidence-based results (American Journal Experts, 2022).
  • Both appear near the end of a study/paper reporting sequence.
  • Both are beneficial in guiding stakeholders, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

Differences

  • Recommendations are proposed actions provided to give guidance and decide the next course of action, while implications are direct and indirect effects and insights from an assessment/finding.
  • Recommendations are often specific and targeted suggestions, while implications explain a broader impact in real-world settings.
  • Recommendations are addressed to planners to inform decision-making, while implications are usually addressed to a general audience.
  • Recommendations are often written after implications (The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 2026).

Conclusion

Research implications reflect ‘so what’ of a research or evaluation study, meaning ‘why the findings matter’, while we use the recommendation section to explain ‘what should be or can be done in future’ in this issue. Implications are written at the end of the discussion section of an article or report in the format of ‘therefore, this study reveals or identifies that….’. Recommendations are typically accommodated after the conclusion section (Evans et al., 2014) in the format of “Further longitudinal research can be done to…, the government should…” 

References