RESEARCH OBJECTIVES GUIDE
How to write clear and effective research objectives
Research objectives translate the purpose of a research study into clear outcomes that can be investigated. Learn how to develop focused objectives, connect them with research questions and design a realistic research project.
RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS
What are research objectives?
Research objectives describe what a study intends to accomplish. They translate a broad research purpose into clear and focused outcomes that guide the investigation.
Well-written objectives help researchers determine what evidence needs to be collected, which methods may be appropriate and how the findings will eventually be used to answer the research questions.
In a well-designed research project, the problem, questions, objectives, methodology and analysis should work together rather than functioning as separate parts of the study.
RESEARCH ALIGNMENT
How research objectives connect with the rest of the study
Research objectives should not be written in isolation. They form part of a logical chain that connects the research problem to the methods used to investigate it.
STEP 1
Research Problem
What needs to be investigated?
STEP 2
Research Questions
What does the study need to answer?
STEP 3
Research Objectives
What does the study aim to accomplish?
STEP 4
Methodology
How will the investigation be conducted?
STEP 5
Findings
What does the evidence reveal?
TYPES OF OBJECTIVES
Common types of research objectives
The objectives used in a study depend on its research problem, questions, design and intended outcomes.
General Objective
The general objective states the overall purpose of the research. It gives the study a clear direction without describing every individual task.
Specific Objectives
Specific objectives break the overall research aim into smaller, focused outcomes that can be investigated and addressed during the study.
Exploratory Objectives
Exploratory objectives are useful when a study seeks to understand a relatively unfamiliar issue, experience, phenomenon or research area.
Descriptive Objectives
Descriptive objectives focus on documenting or describing characteristics, patterns, behaviours, conditions or relationships within a research context.
Comparative Objectives
Comparative objectives examine differences between two or more groups, situations, approaches, populations or other relevant categories.
Explanatory Objectives
Explanatory objectives focus on understanding relationships, causes or factors that may help explain why a particular phenomenon occurs.
STEP-BY-STEP
How to write research objectives
Writing effective objectives becomes easier when the research problem and questions have already been clearly defined.
Start with the research problem
Research objectives should respond directly to the problem the study is designed to investigate. A clearly defined problem provides the foundation for deciding what the research needs to accomplish.
Define the overall purpose
Identify what the study ultimately intends to investigate, understand, evaluate, compare, explain or determine. This becomes the foundation for the general objective.
Break the purpose into specific outcomes
Divide the overall purpose into several focused objectives. Each objective should address an identifiable part of the research problem.
Use clear action verbs
Use precise verbs such as examine, analyse, evaluate, identify, investigate, compare, assess, determine or explore instead of vague expressions such as understand or learn.
Check alignment
Make sure the objectives correspond with the research questions and can realistically be addressed using the proposed methodology and available resources.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
From a research problem to specific objectives
Research Problem
A study may investigate how the increasing use of remote working affects employee productivity and job satisfaction within a particular organisation.
General Objective
To examine the relationship between remote working and employee productivity and job satisfaction within the selected organisation.
Possible Specific Objectives
- • To examine the relationship between remote working arrangements and employee productivity.
- • To assess the effect of remote working on employee job satisfaction.
- • To identify factors that influence employee experiences of remote working.
- • To compare employee perceptions of remote and office-based working arrangements.
QUALITY CHECK
What makes a good research objective?
Strong objectives should be sufficiently specific to guide the research while remaining realistic within the scope of the project.
Specific
Clearly states what will be investigated.
Measurable
Can be assessed through appropriate evidence.
Achievable
Can realistically be completed.
Relevant
Directly addresses the research problem.
Time-aware
Fits within the available research period.
COMMON PROBLEMS
Common mistakes when writing research objectives
Objectives are too broad
An objective that attempts to investigate an entire industry, population or social issue may be impossible to address within the scope of one research project.
Objectives are too vague
Words such as understand, learn or study may not clearly communicate what the researcher will actually investigate or accomplish.
Too many objectives
A long list of objectives can make a study difficult to manage and may indicate that the research problem has not been sufficiently focused.
Objectives do not match the questions
Every major research question should have a clear relationship with the objectives. Misalignment can create problems when designing the methodology and analysing findings.
Objectives cannot be investigated
Objectives should be realistic given the available time, participants, data, resources, access and research methods.
CONTINUE YOUR RESEARCH JOURNEY
Explore the next stages of research design
Research objectives connect the research problem and questions with the methodology used to conduct the investigation.
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