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Open access
Published: 25 August 2024

Modelling efficiency in primary healthcare using the DEA methodology: an empirical analysis in a healthcare district

Silvia González-de-Julián ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0274-6060 1 ,
David Vivas-Consuelo ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2945-7525 1 &
Isabel Barrachina-Martínez ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3710-1190 1

BMC Health Services Research volume 24 , Article number: 982 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

Primary healthcare management efficiency conditions the functioning of specialized care and has a direct impact on the outcomes of the health system and its sustainability. The objective of this research is to develop models to evaluate the efficiency, including health outcomes, of the primary healthcare centres (PHC) of the Clínico – La Malvarrosa Health District in Valencia.

To evaluate efficiency, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used with output orientation and variable returns to scale, with panel data from the years 2015 to 2019. In rates per 10,000 inhabitants, the inputs are: medical and nursing staff and pharmacy cost. The outputs are: number of consultations, hospital emergencies, referrals, avoidable hospitalisations, avoidable mortality and pharmaceutical prescription efficiency. As exogenous variables: the percentage of population over 65 years old, over 80 and case-mix. Three models were developed, all of them with the same inputs and different combinations of outputs related to: healthcare activity, outcomes, and both, in order to study the influence of the different approaches on efficiency. Each model is analysed both without exogenous variables and with each of them.

The efficiency results vary depending on the model used, although certain PHCs are always on, or very close to, the efficient frontier, while others are always inefficient. When healthcare activity outputs are considered, efficiency scores improve and the number of efficient PHCs increases. However, in general, the PHC score decreases throughout the evaluated period. This decrease is more pronounced when only activity outputs are included.

Conclusions

DEA allows the inefficiencies of PHCs to be analysed and the efficient ones are clearly distinguished from the inefficient, although different efficiency scores are obtained depending on the model used. Evaluation can be according to healthcare activity, health outcomes or both, making it necessary to identify the expected objectives of the PHCs, as the perspective of the analysis influences the results.

Peer Review reports

In 2000, an upward trend in health spending began, driven by the progressive ageing of the population, a growing demand for services by patients and the incorporation of highly advanced and increasingly expensive technologies. While the economy in general grew by 2.8% between 2000 and 2015, health spending increased by 4% [ 1 ], with no foreseeable changes in this trend for the coming years.

In 2020, health spending in developed countries approached 9.7% of GDP [ 2 ]. In Spain, at 122,800 million euros, it represented 10.7% of the GDP [ 3 ], below the European Union, at 10.9%. Health spending per capita in Spain, at 2,588 euros, remains very far from the European Union average, which stands at 3,159 euros [ 4 ].

The problem becomes greater when this growth in health spending is not accompanied by an improvement in health outcomes for the population [ 5 ]. In fact, one of the main threats facing the healthcare sector, especially in developing countries, is inefficient management in terms of optimizing resources [ 6 ].

Among the main objectives of the Spanish National Health System is the promotion of health in this environment of high healthcare expenditure and progressive increase [ 7 ], which makes it necessary to adopt containment measures to avoid a reduction in the quality of healthcare services [ 8 ].

Since the mid-1980s, a relatively powerful primary healthcare structure has been developed in Spain, which has always ranked well in international comparisons. However, in a process that has been going on for years, and caused by various factors, primary healthcare has presented problems, some of an acute nature, that have given rise to social concern [ 9 ]. In this sense, the recent pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has revealed many of the weaknesses of both European and global healthcare systems, as well as the need to introduce changes in organizations and give primary healthcare the importance it deserves and that it has been losing [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. In some European countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal, the primary healthcare network constitutes a fundamental pillar that has supported the main virus containment measures [ 14 ].

Therefore, the evaluation of the efficiency of primary healthcare services is essential to detect the set of varied problems that affect the ability to offer high-quality services to the population, within the limitations of health spending. Furthermore, evaluation and analysis allows for better distribution and use of healthcare resources.

In this sense, frontier estimation methods that measure the inefficiency of an organization as the distance between a frontier generated by best practices and the actual performance of the units evaluated have been widely used in economic studies on productivity and technical efficiency in many areas: hospital costs, electrical energy, fishing and agriculture, manufacturing industry, public provision of transport or education services [ 15 ]. Their development has significantly advanced the practice of efficiency measurement in healthcare [ 16 ], although most studies focus on measuring the efficiency of healthcare and do not consider the results for care quality and the impact on the health of the population.

Within the frontier estimation methods for measuring the efficiency of service organizations, there are two groups: parametric models and non-parametric models. Both methodologies aim to evaluate production units using productivity indicators, which provide measurements that characterize the operations of the analysed units [ 17 ]. Every estimate using parametric functions has a defined mathematical form that is not always easy to identify [ 18 ]. The stochastic frontier is the most used parametric approach, as it assumes that it is not possible to completely specify the function, allowing the existence of error or random noise which is caused by exogenous factors outside the control of the managers [ 19 ].

Within the non-parametric models, one of the most used is data envelopment analysis (DEA), since it allows evaluation of the relative efficiency of decision making units (DMUs) by creating a production frontier using the best practice within the observed data.

One of the limitations of DEA methodology is that the number of efficiency-determining variables that can be introduced into the models depends on the number of DMUs considered in the analysis [ 20 ]. In order to avoid this dimensionality problem, when the ratio between the number of observations and the number of variables (inputs + outputs) is very small, as in our case, a panel data that includes data from several years is used. This approach groups together all cross sections, forming a single intertemporal data set that uses and treats separately all observations or DMUs from all the periods included in the analysis. In this way, each DMU is treated as if it were a different unit in each of the reference periods, which allows a unit in a specific period to compare its own performance for multiple years or periods, as well as with the performance of the other units, as well as to discriminate between efficient units, to provide greater robustness to the data, and to reduce the problem of studies with small samples [ 21 , 22 ].

When using this approach, it is implicitly assumed that there are no substantial technological changes throughout the entire time period analysed, given all units within the panel are compared with each other. This may be questionable when long periods are to be analysed, but for our study, which is only 5 years, it is a perfectly acceptable hypothesis [ 21 , 23 ].

In the review of the methodology of efficiency analyses with DEA, no standard approach is observed in the selection of input and output variables. In a systematic review from 2020, the main inputs were identified as: personnel costs, gross expenditure, referrals and days of hospitalization, as well as prescriptions and research; while the outputs included consultations or visits, registered patients, procedures, treatments and services, prescriptions and research [ 24 ]. Other authors distinguish between desirable and undesirable output variables, such as avoidable hospitalizations, which are variables to minimize [ 25 , 26 ]. Furthermore, it is important to consider the existence of exogenous variables in the analysis [ 27 , 28 ].

The development of information systems has allowed the use of real-world data from the PHCs of a health district of the Valencian Community, a region in the east of Spain, from which are drawn the output, input and exogenous variables that allow the development and comparison of useful models to measure the efficiency of the PHC.

The objective of this study is to develop models to measure the efficiency of the PHCs and to evaluate how the variables introduced in the models influence the efficiency scores, in order to design models that incorporate healthcare quality variables and healthcare outcomes as outputs, as well as developing a methodology that allows their evolution to be monitored.

The study period was from 2015 to 2019. The efficiency analysis includes the 18 PHCs of the Clínico – La Malvarrosa Health District in the Valencian Community, with an approximate covered population of 320,000 inhabitants.

The data are obtained from each of the patients with an assigned medical code as of January 1 for each year included in the study period, previously anonymized. This data is linked to a unique key per centre, used to generate a database in which records are grouped by PHC. The data used to draw up the variables was collected at an individual level and, subsequently, grouped by PHC, given the efficiency analysis is carried out at the PHC level. For grouping by PHC, the administrative grouping is followed. Each patient is assigned a Health Center by the health authority. This is included in the official health card.

The information sources used were: the Population Information System (SIP), the Hospital Minimum Data Set (MDS), the Patient Classification System (SCP-CV), mortality data (Mortality Registry of the General Directorate of Public Health), the centralized data of emergencies and referrals from Alumbra, the electronic outpatient clinical records (ABUCASIS) that encompasses the Ambulatory Information System (SIA), and the Pharmacy Prescriptions Manager (GAIA).

For efficiency analysis, traditional Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used with panel data, output orientation and variable returns to scale (VRS), using the following expression:

Given the characteristics of the Spanish health system, most of the inputs used by health organizations (personnel, equipment, etc.) are not easily controllable from primary health care centres. The use of output-oriented models is justified because the health sector must focus on obtaining the best health results, which is associated with greater technical efficiency [ 29 ].

One of the requirements of DEA methodology is that the DMUs analysed (in this study, the PHCs) must have a similar size to obtain more robust results [ 30 ]. Previous analyses have revealed the heterogeneity of the different PHCs in terms of covered population and, therefore, in terms of the level of healthcare activity and resources used. To remedy this drawback, the original data are transformed into rates per 10,000 inhabitants assigned to each PHC. These rates constitute the variables that were used in the models.

Among the variables available, we selected those that were identified in a previous study as producing the greatest power of discrimination or explanation of the variability. Other studies carried out in this field by other researchers were also considered [ 31 , 32 , 33 ].

The following are considered as variables indicating resources or inputs for each PHC: rate of doctors and nurses, and pharmacy costs. The medical and nursing staff is considered a non-discretionary variable, as the number of professionals in the centres are determined by the Regional Ministry of Health, and the directors of the PHCs have little room for manoeuvre.

As health outcome indicator variables for the outputs, which quantify the activity and quality of health care, the following healthcare activity indicators are included: rate of medical and nursing consultations, rate of referrals and rate of hospital emergencies; and for health outcomes: rate of avoidable hospitalisations, avoidable mortality and an efficiency indicator in pharmaceutical prescription.

Avoidable hospitalisations are obtained from the number of hospital admissions caused by pathologies that should be controlled from the PHCs and that represent a high percentage of the interactions of chronic patients with the healthcare system [ 34 , 35 ]. The indicator of pharmaceutical prescription efficiency is measured through the prior development of other indicators, which consider whether, for a group of pathologies which represent a high percentage of total pharmaceutical expenditure, the most economical and effective drug has been correctly prescribed. This last indicator needs to be prepared in each centre.

Emergencies, avoidable hospitalisations and avoidable mortality are considered undesirable outputs. To introduce them into the program, it is necessary to identify them and carry out a prior transformation so that they are properly imputed in the analysis, especially when using output orientation, which tries to maximize the results for a given level of inputs. Therefore, the original values are replaced with modified values by subtracting a sufficiently high fixed amount (multiplying the result by -1 so that it has a positive value) [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. By doing this, the traditional DEA model can be used, although it must be applied with VRS.

Finally, as exogenous variables, the ageing of the population attended by the PHCs is considered at two levels: the percentage of people aged 65 years or older and the percentage of people aged 80 years or older; and the morbidity of the population using case-mix. These are variables that are fixed exogenously and which PHCs cannot control, such as the characteristics of the population assigned to each centre in terms of age and burden of disease, and which determine the greater or lesser activity of the PHCs and the results they obtain, given that attending a younger and healthier population is not the same as serving one that is older and/or with greater morbidity.

The case-mix is obtained from the Clinical Risk Group (CRG) classification of the covered population of each PHC. Based on the CRG, a weight is assigned to each health status according to the clinical complexity of its treatment in economic terms [ 40 ]. In this way, the case-mix is a figure that indicates the burden of disease for patients in the different PHCs.

To treat these exogenous or non-controllable variables, we chose the approach proposed by Banker and Morey (1986) [ 41 , 42 ], an alternative offered by practically all DEA specific software.

Previously, a correlation analysis was carried out between the variables to identify possible multicollinearity.

The DEA models were made with the interactive web application deaR, programmed in R [ 43 ].

Three models were developed which include the 18 PHCs in a panel of 90 observations, each model with four different specifications regarding the exogenous variables introduced (Table 1 ). All models took as inputs: pharmacy cost and the number of doctors and nurses. The variables related to personnel are considered non-discretionary inputs, given the rigidity of the Spanish public health system and the limited capacity that PHCs have to manage the number of doctors or nurses available to them.

Regarding the outputs, the first model was designed to evaluate the healthcare activity of the centres, with the rate of consultations, emergencies and referrals as variables. The rate of emergencies is treated as an undesirable output.

The second model evaluates the health outcomes of the population and uses the following as output variables: avoidable hospitalisations, avoidable mortality, and prescription efficiency. Avoidable hospitalisations and avoidable mortality are treated as undesirable outputs.

In the third and final model, all the output variables are included, so that both the healthcare activity of the centres and the health outcomes are evaluated.

Furthermore, each of these models is carried out both with and without each of the exogenous variables of percentage of people older than 65 years, percentage of people older than 80 years, or case-mix as non-controllable inputs. Thus, a total of 12 different models are evaluated.

Several models were evaluated with the objective of comparing them and selecting the one that most clearly differentiates the efficiency of the PHCs and that considers the outcomes for the health of the population, rather than the healthcare activity.

Our choice of the variables to include was based on previous analysis and on the review of the variables used in other studies, but also considered the limitations of the existing data collection process in the District, with the ultimate goal of obtaining a model that is useful for the best management of healthcare resources.

The correlation analysis between the variables shows high coefficients between the percentage of the population over 65 years of age and over 80 years of age, which are not simultaneously introduced into the models. There is also a high correlation between the case-mix and the pharmacy cost and the consultations rate. A greater morbidity or disease burden (case-mix) implies a greater consumption of medications and usually leads to a greater number of consultations. We included these variables in the analyses, as excluding them may lead to an incomplete representation of the activity carried out by the DMUs.

The descriptive statistical results of the entire sample, that is, 18 PHCs over a period of 5 years (2015–2019), making a total of 90 observations, reveal the existence of significant heterogeneity between PHCs, with very diverse sizes and large variations both in their resource allotment and in their outcomes (Table 2 ).

Figure 1 illustrates the evolution of all these variables throughout the 5-year period analysed. The graph shows a growing trend in personnel, as hiring took place in 2018 (more evident in the case of doctors), and in pharmacy costs, due to the increase in the prescription of medications and, in particular, the incorporation of increasingly expensive drugs.

Regarding the exogenous variables (or non-controllable inputs), no major variations are observed throughout these five years. These are the characteristics of the covered population in terms of population ageing and burden of disease, and it is usual that significant changes do not occur in such short periods of time.

Evolution of the average values over the period studied

Regarding the outputs, an upwards trend is observed in the rate of emergencies and referrals (represented by the scale on the right axis of the graph), while the rate of consultations (left axis) shows a clear drop, especially since 2018. This trend reflects a change in the way of recording some of the tasks that nursing staff usually perform, such as extractions, injectables, dressings, etc., and which are not strictly considered consultations and, in some centres, were not recorded. Since the end of 2018, none of these tasks have been recorded within this indicator, in order to reflect only and homogeneously nursing consultations. The drop in activity caused by this must be taken into account when analysing the results of the DEA models.

The evolution of the variables that measure health outcomes shows that large variations are not produced and the rates of avoidable hospitalisations and mortality are maintained at similar values over five years. Regarding pharmaceutical prescription efficiency, this presents a clear upward trend, indicating that an effort is being made by the centres to prescribe the most appropriate drugs at all times, for example, antibiotics or anti-inflammatories only when they are strictly necessary, or those active ingredients that are recommended in clinical guides for certain pathologies.

Table 3 summarizes the main descriptive statistics (average, standard deviation, maximum and minimum) of all the units evaluated in a dynamic context (90 observations), and for the different models analysed: activity, health outcomes and activity and health outcomes together, with output orientation, and both with and without including any non-controllable variable.

The average values of the estimated efficiency scores with the 3 models (activity, health outcomes and activity + health outcomes) differ considerably, being significantly lower in model 2, where the average value (0.8302) and the lowest minimum value (0.4147) are obtained when no exogenous variable is included. Furthermore, it is in model 2 where the greatest differences between the evaluated units are also observed, as can be verified when analysing the standard deviation.

When the variables that measure the activity of the centres (number of consultations, referrals and emergencies) are taken into account, the scores obtained are higher, and there is less dispersion between the units. This occurs in models 1 and 3, being much more evident in the latter. It is in model 3 where the average score is highest with case-mix (0.9934), and the highest minimum value is obtained (0.9168) when the percentage of population older than 65 is used.

This indicates that some of the PHCs analysed obtain better results when evaluating activity (model 1), while others obtain better results when health outcomes are included (model 2). When all the variables (model 3) are used together, some indicators are compensated by others and improve the global scores of the PHC.

One of the main objectives of this study is to analyse the efficiency of the PHCs in a dynamic context. Therefore, once the global results are analysed, Fig. 2 gives the temporal evolution of the average estimated efficiency scores for each of the 3 models and their different specifications throughout the 2015–2019 period.

Evolution of estimated efficiency scores by year

It can be seen that scores follow a clearly downward trend over time, especially when activity indicators are used (models 1 and 3). It is in 2015 when the evaluated units obtain the highest scores and then descend, especially in 2016 and 2019. This trend lessens slightly when the non-controllable variables are incorporated into the models. In model 2 the trend is not so clear, but a slight descent is still observed from 2016. It must be taken into account that the variables used in this model imply few cases per year in each PHC (around 20 avoidable hospitalisations and 15 cases of avoidable mortality per 10,000 inhabitants) and therefore small variations in these indicators in each of the years can significantly affect the results. On the other hand, the downward evolution of the scores is influenced by an increase in the inputs or resources used (more personnel and higher pharmacy costs) and a decrease in outputs or results, especially in the number of consultations. Thus, the increase in the level of inputs and the reduction in the level of outputs jointly explain the decrease in the efficiency scores for these years.

Below, the scores of the different models are presented individually for each PHC. Table 4 shows the average score for the 5 years analysed for each PHC. A score of 1 (maximum value) is because the PHC obtained the maximum score in the 5 years and it is therefore considered to be totally efficient.

Significant differences can be seen between the results obtained from each of the models, and when some of the exogenous variables are incorporated, the scores improve in general.

In the first model, which evaluates activity, no PHC is efficient in all cases when exogenous variables are not taken into account. PHC14 and PHC18 are efficient when considering the age of the covered population, while PHC13 and PHC16 are totally efficient in the 5 years when case-mix is used. In model 2, where health outcomes are evaluated, it is observed that the scores obtained are lower in general, although PHC17, which was already among the most efficient units in model 1, is fully efficient in all years, both with and without exogenous variables, having a very low rate of avoidable hospitalisations and mortality, the best in the District, and an above average prescription efficiency indicator. All this means it achieves the best scores.

A notable case is PHC18, which has the highest rate of avoidable hospitalisations and avoidable mortality of the District, being considerably above the rest of PHCs. It can be seen it has one of the worst scores in the model without the exogenous variable, but once the burden of disease or age is considered, it becomes efficient.

Finally, in model 3, which evaluates activity and health outcomes together, the scores of all the PHCs improve. In this model, virtually all PHCs obtain very high scores close to 1, in all cases being greater than 0.9, and few differences between units can be observed. This indicates that the PHCs have a quite homogeneous performance when a more global analysis of their activity and outcomes is made. PHCs that obtained higher scores in model 1 compensate to some extent their poorer results in health outcome indicators, while the PHCs that are more efficient in health outcome indicators compensate for not scoring so highly in activity.

To sum up, there are PHCs that are more efficient when evaluating their activity, while others are more efficient when evaluating their health outcomes, and analysing the centres more globally, some aspects compensate for others and the PHCs present a more homogeneous behaviour and obtain good scores in all cases.

Finally, we examined the evolution of the PHCs individually. Table 5 shows the estimated efficiency scores for each PHC for each of the years 2015 to 2019. The average value of the 5 years is also included, which has already been commented on. Only the results of model 2 (outcomes) with output orientation and case-mix are presented, since this is considered the most relevant model, capable of detecting most differences between the PHCs, and which aims to maximize the outcomes in population health - the ultimate goal of the health system - and also takes into account the morbidity of the population served. In the event of the morbidity indicator not being available, it is be possible to replace it with the percentage of population older than 80, given the high correlation that exists between both variables. The results of the rest of the models are presented in the appendix.

In this model (see Table 5 ) significantly lower scores and more differences between the units are observed, although when using case-mix as a non-controllable variable, these differences are mitigated. When examining the evolution of some of the PHCs throughout the period studied, certain interesting aspects can be observed. Many of the PHCs obtain the highest score in 2015 and start to decline later.

In this case, 3 PHCs are efficient in all 5 years: PHC13, PHC17 and PHC18. Other PHCs such as PHC7, PHC9, PHC12, PHC14 and PHC16 are efficient in all years apart from one, which coincided with the years 2018 or 2019, when personnel were hired and, therefore, the level of inputs increased. In this model a downward trend of the efficiency score is not clearly appreciated, although units such as PHC5, PHC11 and PHC15 show a progressive worsening. The case of PHC6 is noteworthy, as it obtained the worst score in 2015, improved considerably in 2016 and 2017 and gave the lowest scores in 2018 and 2019. In addition, it is the PHC with the worst average score of the 5 years.

DEA methodology identifies the efficient PHCs as a whole. After carrying out the analysis, it can be observed that there is no clear combination of inputs and outputs that allows the units to obtain higher results. It is, however, evident that the results of each PHC are largely affected by the characteristics of their covered population. Nevertheless, it can be seen that certain PHCs are always efficient or remain close to the efficient frontier, while others are always inefficient.

The use of outputs that measure activity produces changes in the scores and increases the number of efficient PHCs. In addition, it can be seen that the PHCs underwent, in general, a clear decrease in their efficiency levels throughout the period evaluated. This decrease is more pronounced when only activity variables are included.

This study analyses the efficiency of the 18 PHCs of the Valencia Clínico – La Malvarrosa Health District for a period of 5 years (2015–2019). This is the first efficiency evaluation of primary healthcare conducted in the Valencian Community. We used the technique of data envelopment analysis, a methodology widely used in previous studies in the healthcare sector [ 24 , 31 , 32 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], to estimate the efficiency scores of the PHCs with panel data [ 21 , 23 ] and to compare the efficiency results obtained from three models with different specifications.

Data envelopment analysis, despite its limitations, is shown to be a useful methodology for the evaluation of the efficiency of PHCs and provides very valuable information for managers. It is of interest to compare the PHCs with best practices and determine possible improvements for those that are below that frontier, that is, the resources that should be reduced or the outcomes that must be improved.

Three models have been developed with different specifications to allow evaluation of PHC performing from different perspectives. Although the variables included in the models have a strong influence on the results, we observed that some PHCs are always efficient, or are very close to the efficient frontier, regardless of the model or the year analysed, while other PHCs are always inefficient or systematically obtain the lowest scores.

Those models that include variables for activity (models 1 and 3) and therefore carry out the analysis from a healthcare point of view, show a greater number of efficient units and the estimated efficiency scores achieved by the PHCs are higher, which implies that healthcare activity is taking place homogeneously in most units.

By incorporating variables for quality or healthcare outcomes (avoidable hospitalisations, avoidable mortality and prescription efficiency), more differences between centres are detected (especially in model 2). The introduction of only health outcomes as outputs assigns a lot of weight to these indicators and they discriminate more strongly in the evaluation of efficiency. Therefore, it is important to observe the evolution of the analysis over time to give greater consistency to the observed measurements. This demonstrates the importance of a suitable selection of the variables to be used, as evidenced in other studies carried out [ 24 ].

The inclusion of variables for characteristics of the covered population in terms of ageing and morbidity affects the efficiency results, making their incorporation in the analysis essential, as also demonstrated by other authors [ 25 , 27 ]. It is also observed that the use of one or another of the exogenous or non-controllable variables (age or case-mix) does not substantially modify the results, which makes it easier to replace one variable with the other if one of them is not available.

The treatment of undesirable outputs is a complex issue and different alternative approaches can be found in the literature [ 25 ]. In this study, the simplest approach has been chosen, in which the original values are modified by subtracting a sufficiently high fixed amount (multiplying the result by -1 so that it has a positive value) [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. This allows the use of the traditional DEA model, necessarily applying variable returns to scale.

The treatment of exogenous or uncontrollable variables is also complex as there are multiple methodological options, each with advantages and disadvantages. The simplest is that proposed by Banker and Morey (1986) [ 41 ], which is the one used in this work. It does, however, present important limitations, such as the influence on the results of the choice of constant or variable returns to scale, or requiring some restrictive assumptions such as the free availability and convexity of the achievable set, or the estimated efficiency scores may be systematically biased, increasing the potential production targets of inefficient DMUs [ 47 ]. The methodological option that is considered most appropriate by other authors is the non-parametric conditional model proposed by Daraio and Simar [ 48 , 49 ]. This conditional efficiency model was used by Cordero et al. (2016), although its use is still scarce in the healthcare context [ 33 ]. Its main advantage is that it is not necessary to assume the assumption of separability and it allows the effect of exogenous variables to be incorporated directly into the calculation of efficiency scores, conditioning the production process to certain values of these variables. This option, although not used in this work due to its complexity, will be included in future research.

The number of variables that can be used in the models is limited, since to obtain reliable results it is recommended that the total inputs and outputs do not exceed one third of the PHCs analysed (in our case 18 PHCs) [ 50 ]. Once more, this implies a suitable selection of the variables and, in some cases, the prior use of other methodologies. To avoid this problem of dimensionality, as the complete information for the variables was available for the 5 years, panel data methodology was used, which also allowed us to analyse the evolution of efficiency in these units throughout the period. In this way, the results show that there has been a decrease in the efficiency levels of the PHCs over the period studied, especially when including variables for activity. When using variables that measure health outcomes, the worsening is not so evident, and it is possible to identify more differences between the PHCs.

Despite the limitations in the number of variables that can be included in the models, the introduction of correlated variables in the analysis is justified by the need to capture complete information on the performance of the DMUs [ 42 ]. By considering all the relevant dimensions, it is ensured that the DEA model reflects the complexity of the production process more precisely, and by reflecting the operational reality of the DMUs, they show that, in many practical situations, the input and output variables are naturally correlated due to the structure of the production process of the health care sector [ 41 , 51 ]. Excluding correlated variables could lead to an incomplete or distorted representation of the performance of DMUs. Furthermore, the introduction of correlated variables can improve the fit and accuracy of the DEA model by allowing better discrimination between DMUs. Although it increases the dimensionality of the model, it can also provide a more detailed and accurate assessment of performance [ 52 ]. Lastly, in many applied studies, the inclusion of correlated variables is not only common but necessary to capture all relevant dimensions of performance. Case studies in health, education and other sectors show how these variables contribute to a more complete evaluation [ 53 ].

There are still relatively few studies that evaluate efficiency in primary healthcare, especially in Spain. In most of them, the analysis is carried out from the point of view of the activity, given the impossibility on many occasions of accessing indicators that allow the evaluation of the quality of the care provided by the centres. However, not taking these quality indicators into account can end up rewarding, in some way, those centres that have greater activity than others, simply because they are operating with lower quality standards [ 54 ].

Likewise, incorporating other quality variables that are not usually available, such as user satisfaction surveys, or including as exogenous variables the deprivation index of the population assigned to each PHC [ 55 ], or other types of variables such as per capita income or education level [ 56 ], would allow different results to be obtained that more adequately reflect the real activity of the centres and the characteristics of their population. This would contribute to proposing more useful recommendations for the management of the PHC, which in turn would help to achieve a more efficient and higher quality health care. For this, it is also necessary to involve healthcare managers in the analysis, so that their preferences (and the goals they pursue) can be taken into account through the selection of the most appropriate input and output variables [ 57 ].

The efficiency scores found using this methodology only allows comparison within the set of PHCs considered. In this case, no major differences were observed in the scores obtained between the components of the group, especially with models 1 and 3, something that implies that healthcare activity is occurring homogeneously in the majority of units.

In order to establish a unified production frontier and thus achieve holistic comparability between regions within the field of efficiency evaluation, standardization and normalization of the variables used, including the exogenous, would be required, and a single DEA model would be applied for the evaluation. In this way, a meta-frontier of the set of DMUs could be obtained. These strategies would ensure that efficiency assessments are fair, accurate and sufficiently reflect the operating conditions for each region, enabling a valid and useful comparison between different regional contexts.

In this study, the traditional or radial DEA model has been used, which is the most common, although there are other methodological options with different perspectives, such as non-radial efficiency measures that include the Russell index, the additive models or the slack-based efficiency indicators [ 58 ], and which will be explored in future studies.

Data envelopment analysis is shown to be a valuable methodology to evaluate the efficiency of PHCs and is useful as a management tool in terms of resource allocation. It allows the inefficiencies of the PHC to be analysed, although it is necessary to identify the objectives of the centres, since the variables included in the models and the perspective of the analyses influence the results.

It is important that management focus its objectives on improving the health of the population (fewer emergencies, fewer avoidable hospitalisations, lower avoidable mortality) and incorporate variables for healthcare quality and health outcomes, and focus less on the activity (the number of consultations is not so important, but rather that they are necessary), as well as keeping in mind the characteristics of the covered population when performing the analysis.

It is essential to carry out this type of evaluation, since the identification of anomalies in efficiency behaviour can help in the management of primary healthcare centres and provide a better allocation of healthcare resources.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

Clinical Risk Groups

Data Envelopment Analysis

Decision making units

Primary Healthcare Center

Variable returns to scale

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Inma Saurí and José Luis Trillo for his helpful assistance in the collection and elaboration of the variables and to Javier Díaz Carnicero for his help in the mathematical models. We would like to thank John Wright for help with English editing.

This research was funded by “Conselleria de Hacienda y Modelo Económico de la Comunitat Valenciana (Spain)”, file number HIECPU/2019/1, in the context of the Project “Desarrollo de un Modelo para el análisis de la eficiencia en las Unidades Básicas de Salud de atención primaria en un departamento de Salud perteneciente al mapa sanitario de la Comunidad Valenciana”.

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Conceptualization, D.V.-C. and I.B.-M.; methodology, D.V.-C. and I.B.-M.; software, S.G.-d.-J.; validation, D.V.-C. and I.B.-M.; formal analysis, S.G.-d.-J.; investigation, S.G.-d.-J.; resources, S.G.-d.-J.; data curation, I.B.-M.; writing—original draft preparation, S.G.-d.-J. and I.B.-M.; writing—review and editing, S.G.-d.-J. and I.B.-M.; supervision, D.V.-C.; project administration, I.B.-M. and D.V.-C.; funding acquisition, I.B.-M. and D.V.-C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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González-de-Julián, S., Vivas-Consuelo, D. & Barrachina-Martínez, I. Modelling efficiency in primary healthcare using the DEA methodology: an empirical analysis in a healthcare district. BMC Health Serv Res 24 , 982 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11420-2

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Long-term variation patterns of precipitations driven by climate change in china from 1901 to 2022.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 2.1. study area, 2.2. data source and preprocessing, 2.3. research methods, 2.3.1. technical flowchart, 2.3.2. mann–kendall trend test, 2.3.3. mann–kendall mutation test, 2.3.4. center of gravity model, 2.3.5. validation of worldclim data, 3.1. spatial distribution of precipitation during 1901–2022, 3.2. temporal variations in precipitation during 1901–2022, 3.3. distribution characteristics of the centers of gravity in different basins, 4. discussion, 5. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Click here to enlarge figure

Standard Deviation Ellipse Parameter	Corner Angle (°)	Standard Deviation along the x-Axis (km)	Standard Deviation along the y-Axis (km)	Area (km )
Yangtze River basin	86.536	14.003	4.993	219.653
Southeast rivers	159.135	1.936	5.076	30.868
Haihe River basin	28.621	2.626	6.989	57.649
Huaihe River basin	27.766	1.997	8.562	53.712
Yellow River basin	73.629	14.555	2.072	94.766
Liaohe River basin	108.775	6.725	2.533	53.520
Songhua River basin	136.282	3.586	8.622	97.122
Northwest rivers	77.143	28.818	15.139	1370.655
Southwest rivers	126.563	11.551	3.268	118.604
Pearl River basin	101.161	9.823	3.962	122.268

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Share and Cite

Han, J.; Zhang, R.; Guo, B.; Han, B.; Xu, T.; Guo, Q. Long-Term Variation Patterns of Precipitations Driven by Climate Change in China from 1901 to 2022. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 7283. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177283

Han J, Zhang R, Guo B, Han B, Xu T, Guo Q. Long-Term Variation Patterns of Precipitations Driven by Climate Change in China from 1901 to 2022. Sustainability . 2024; 16(17):7283. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177283

Han, Jing, Rui Zhang, Bing Guo, Baomin Han, Tianhe Xu, and Qiang Guo. 2024. "Long-Term Variation Patterns of Precipitations Driven by Climate Change in China from 1901 to 2022" Sustainability 16, no. 17: 7283. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177283

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Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago

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Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and Donald Trump

This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .

Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention.

And it was front and center on Night 1.

WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC

“This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point.

“Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona.

Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups.

Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president.

Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign.

PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions.

Are Trump and Project 2025 connected?

To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.)

The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023.

Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document.

WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors

However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document.

Project 2025 wouldn’t ban abortion outright, but would curtail access

The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.”

The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access.

What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list.

Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”

It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023.

If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.

WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.

The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.

The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.

Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.

Project 2025 doesn’t call for cutting Social Security, but proposes some changes to Medicare

“When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program.

Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views.

In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False.

Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements.

The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees.

Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare.

Project 2025 would eliminate the Education Department, which Trump supports

The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies.

Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures.

Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet.

In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress.

What Project 2025, Trump would do on overtime pay

In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.”

The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us.

The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said.

The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said.

It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages.

Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime.

Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year.

But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama.

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What Are Research Objectives and How to Write Them (with Examples)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Research is at the center of everything researchers do, and setting clear, well-defined research objectives plays a pivotal role in guiding scholars toward their desired outcomes. Research papers are essential instruments for researchers to effectively communicate their work. Among the many sections that constitute a research paper, the introduction plays a key role in providing a background and setting the context. 1 Research objectives, which define the aims of the study, are usually stated in the introduction. Every study has a research question that the authors are trying to answer, and the objective is an active statement about how the study will answer this research question. These objectives help guide the development and design of the study and steer the research in the appropriate direction; if this is not clearly defined, a project can fail!

Research studies have a research question, research hypothesis, and one or more research objectives. A research question is what a study aims to answer, and a research hypothesis is a predictive statement about the relationship between two or more variables, which the study sets out to prove or disprove. Objectives are specific, measurable goals that the study aims to achieve. The difference between these three is illustrated by the following example:

Research question : How does low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) compare with a placebo device in managing the symptoms of skeletally mature patients with patellar tendinopathy?
Research hypothesis : Pain levels are reduced in patients who receive daily active-LIPUS (treatment) for 12 weeks compared with individuals who receive inactive-LIPUS (placebo).
Research objective : To investigate the clinical efficacy of LIPUS in the management of patellar tendinopathy symptoms.

This article discusses the importance of clear, well-thought out objectives and suggests methods to write them clearly.

What is the introduction in research papers?

Research objectives are usually included in the introduction section. This section is the first that the readers will read so it is essential that it conveys the subject matter appropriately and is well written to create a good first impression. A good introduction sets the tone of the paper and clearly outlines the contents so that the readers get a quick snapshot of what to expect.

A good introduction should aim to: 2,3

Indicate the main subject area, its importance, and cite previous literature on the subject
Define the gap(s) in existing research, ask a research question, and state the objectives
Announce the present research and outline its novelty and significance
Avoid repeating the Abstract, providing unnecessary information, and claiming novelty without accurate supporting information.

Why are research objectives important?

Objectives can help you stay focused and steer your research in the required direction. They help define and limit the scope of your research, which is important to efficiently manage your resources and time. The objectives help to create and maintain the overall structure, and specify two main things—the variables and the methods of quantifying the variables.

A good research objective:

defines the scope of the study
gives direction to the research
helps maintain focus and avoid diversions from the topic
minimizes wastage of resources like time, money, and energy

Types of research objectives

Research objectives can be broadly classified into general and specific objectives . 4 General objectives state what the research expects to achieve overall while specific objectives break this down into smaller, logically connected parts, each of which addresses various parts of the research problem. General objectives are the main goals of the study and are usually fewer in number while specific objectives are more in number because they address several aspects of the research problem.

Example (general objective): To investigate the factors influencing the financial performance of firms listed in the New York Stock Exchange market.

Example (specific objective): To assess the influence of firm size on the financial performance of firms listed in the New York Stock Exchange market.

In addition to this broad classification, research objectives can be grouped into several categories depending on the research problem, as given in Table 1.

Table 1: Types of research objectives


Exploratory	Explores a previously unstudied topic, issue, or phenomenon; aims to generate ideas or hypotheses
Descriptive	Describes the characteristics and features of a particular population or group
Explanatory	Explains the relationships between variables; seeks to identify cause-and-effect relationships
Predictive	Predicts future outcomes or events based on existing data samples or trends
Diagnostic	Identifies factors contributing to a particular problem
Comparative	Compares two or more groups or phenomena to identify similarities and differences
Historical	Examines past events and trends to understand their significance and impact
Methodological	Develops and improves research methods and techniques
Theoretical	Tests and refines existing theories or helps develop new theoretical perspectives

Characteristics of research objectives

Research objectives must start with the word “To” because this helps readers identify the objective in the absence of headings and appropriate sectioning in research papers. 5,6

A good objective is SMART (mostly applicable to specific objectives):
Specific—clear about the what, why, when, and how
Measurable—identifies the main variables of the study and quantifies the targets
Achievable—attainable using the available time and resources
Realistic—accurately addresses the scope of the problem
Time-bound—identifies the time in which each step will be completed
Research objectives clarify the purpose of research.
They help understand the relationship and dissimilarities between variables.
They provide a direction that helps the research to reach a definite conclusion.

How to write research objectives?

Research objectives can be written using the following steps: 7

State your main research question clearly and concisely.
Describe the ultimate goal of your study, which is similar to the research question but states the intended outcomes more definitively.
Divide this main goal into subcategories to develop your objectives.
Limit the number of objectives (1-2 general; 3-4 specific)
Assess each objective using the SMART
Start each objective with an action verb like assess, compare, determine, evaluate, etc., which makes the research appear more actionable.
Use specific language without making the sentence data heavy.
The most common section to add the objectives is the introduction and after the problem statement.
Add the objectives to the abstract (if there is one).
State the general objective first, followed by the specific objectives.

Formulating research objectives

Formulating research objectives has the following five steps, which could help researchers develop a clear objective: 8

Identify the research problem.
Review past studies on subjects similar to your problem statement, that is, studies that use similar methods, variables, etc.
Identify the research gaps the current study should cover based on your literature review. These gaps could be theoretical, methodological, or conceptual.
Define the research question(s) based on the gaps identified.
Revise/relate the research problem based on the defined research question and the gaps identified. This is to confirm that there is an actual need for a study on the subject based on the gaps in literature.
Identify and write the general and specific objectives.
Incorporate the objectives into the study.

Advantages of research objectives

Adding clear research objectives has the following advantages: 4,8

Maintains the focus and direction of the research
Optimizes allocation of resources with minimal wastage
Acts as a foundation for defining appropriate research questions and hypotheses
Provides measurable outcomes that can help evaluate the success of the research
Determines the feasibility of the research by helping to assess the availability of required resources
Ensures relevance of the study to the subject and its contribution to existing literature

Disadvantages of research objectives

Research objectives also have few disadvantages, as listed below: 8

Absence of clearly defined objectives can lead to ambiguity in the research process
Unintentional bias could affect the validity and accuracy of the research findings

Key takeaways

Research objectives are concise statements that describe what the research is aiming to achieve.
They define the scope and direction of the research and maintain focus.
The objectives should be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
Clear research objectives help avoid collection of data or resources not required for the study.
Well-formulated specific objectives help develop the overall research methodology, including data collection, analysis, interpretation, and utilization.
Research objectives should cover all aspects of the problem statement in a coherent way.
They should be clearly stated using action verbs.

Frequently asked questions on research objectives

Q: what’s the difference between research objectives and aims 9.

A: Research aims are statements that reflect the broad goal(s) of the study and outline the general direction of the research. They are not specific but clearly define the focus of the study.

Example: This research aims to explore employee experiences of digital transformation in retail HR.

Research objectives focus on the action to be taken to achieve the aims. They make the aims more practical and should be specific and actionable.

Example: To observe the retail HR employees throughout the digital transformation.

Q: What are the examples of research objectives, both general and specific?

A: Here are a few examples of research objectives:

To identify the antiviral chemical constituents in Mumbukura gitoniensis (general)
To carry out solvent extraction of dried flowers of Mumbukura gitoniensis and isolate the constituents. (specific)
To determine the antiviral activity of each of the isolated compounds. (specific)
To examine the extent, range, and method of coral reef rehabilitation projects in five shallow reef areas adjacent to popular tourist destinations in the Philippines.
To investigate species richness of mammal communities in five protected areas over the past 20 years.
To evaluate the potential application of AI techniques for estimating best-corrected visual acuity from fundus photographs with and without ancillary information.
To investigate whether sport influences psychological parameters in the personality of asthmatic children.

Q: How do I develop research objectives?

A: Developing research objectives begins with defining the problem statement clearly, as illustrated by Figure 1. Objectives specify how the research question will be answered and they determine what is to be measured to test the hypothesis.

Q: Are research objectives measurable?

A: The word “measurable” implies that something is quantifiable. In terms of research objectives, this means that the source and method of collecting data are identified and that all these aspects are feasible for the research. Some metrics can be created to measure your progress toward achieving your objectives.

Q: Can research objectives change during the study?

A: Revising research objectives during the study is acceptable in situations when the selected methodology is not progressing toward achieving the objective, or if there are challenges pertaining to resources, etc. One thing to keep in mind is the time and resources you would have to complete your research after revising the objectives. Thus, as long as your problem statement and hypotheses are unchanged, minor revisions to the research objectives are acceptable.

Q: What is the difference between research questions and research objectives? 10


Broad statement; guide the overall direction of the research	Specific, measurable goals that the research aims to achieve
Identify the main problem	Define the specific outcomes the study aims to achieve
Used to generate hypotheses or identify gaps in existing knowledge	Used to establish clear and achievable targets for the research
Not mutually exclusive with research objectives	Should be directly related to the research question
Example:	Example:

Q: Are research objectives the same as hypotheses?

A: No, hypotheses are predictive theories that are expressed in general terms. Research objectives, which are more specific, are developed from hypotheses and aim to test them. A hypothesis can be tested using several methods and each method will have different objectives because the methodology to be used could be different. A hypothesis is developed based on observation and reasoning; it is a calculated prediction about why a particular phenomenon is occurring. To test this prediction, different research objectives are formulated. Here’s a simple example of both a research hypothesis and research objective.

Research hypothesis : Employees who arrive at work earlier are more productive.

Research objective : To assess whether employees who arrive at work earlier are more productive.

To summarize, research objectives are an important part of research studies and should be written clearly to effectively communicate your research. We hope this article has given you a brief insight into the importance of using clearly defined research objectives and how to formulate them.

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Writing a scientific paper: Introduction. UCI libraries website. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://guides.lib.uci.edu/c.php?g=334338&p=2249903
Research objectives—Types, examples and writing guide. Researchmethod.net website. Accessed June 17, 2023. https://researchmethod.net/research-objectives/#:~:text=They%20provide%20a%20clear%20direction,track%20and%20achieve%20their%20goals .
Bartle P. SMART Characteristics of good objectives. Community empowerment collective website. Accessed June 16, 2023. https://cec.vcn.bc.ca/cmp/modules/pd-smar.htm
Research objectives. Studyprobe website. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://www.studyprobe.in/2022/08/research-objectives.html
Corredor F. How to write objectives in a research paper. wikiHow website. Accessed June 18, 2023. https://www.wikihow.com/Write-Objectives-in-a-Research-Proposal
Research objectives: Definition, types, characteristics, advantages. AccountingNest website. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://www.accountingnest.com/articles/research/research-objectives
Phair D., Shaeffer A. Research aims, objectives & questions. GradCoach website. Accessed June 20, 2023. https://gradcoach.com/research-aims-objectives-questions/
Understanding the difference between research questions and objectives. Accessed June 21, 2023. https://board.researchersjob.com/blog/research-questions-and-objectives

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Research Objectives – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Research Objectives

Research objectives refer to the specific goals or aims of a research study. They provide a clear and concise description of what the researcher hopes to achieve by conducting the research . The objectives are typically based on the research questions and hypotheses formulated at the beginning of the study and are used to guide the research process.

Types of Research Objectives

Here are the different types of research objectives in research:

Exploratory Objectives: These objectives are used to explore a topic, issue, or phenomenon that has not been studied in-depth before. The aim of exploratory research is to gain a better understanding of the subject matter and generate new ideas and hypotheses .
Descriptive Objectives: These objectives aim to describe the characteristics, features, or attributes of a particular population, group, or phenomenon. Descriptive research answers the “what” questions and provides a snapshot of the subject matter.
Explanatory Objectives : These objectives aim to explain the relationships between variables or factors. Explanatory research seeks to identify the cause-and-effect relationships between different phenomena.
Predictive Objectives: These objectives aim to predict future events or outcomes based on existing data or trends. Predictive research uses statistical models to forecast future trends or outcomes.
Evaluative Objectives : These objectives aim to evaluate the effectiveness or impact of a program, intervention, or policy. Evaluative research seeks to assess the outcomes or results of a particular intervention or program.
Prescriptive Objectives: These objectives aim to provide recommendations or solutions to a particular problem or issue. Prescriptive research identifies the best course of action based on the results of the study.
Diagnostic Objectives : These objectives aim to identify the causes or factors contributing to a particular problem or issue. Diagnostic research seeks to uncover the underlying reasons for a particular phenomenon.
Comparative Objectives: These objectives aim to compare two or more groups, populations, or phenomena to identify similarities and differences. Comparative research is used to determine which group or approach is more effective or has better outcomes.
Historical Objectives: These objectives aim to examine past events, trends, or phenomena to gain a better understanding of their significance and impact. Historical research uses archival data, documents, and records to study past events.
Ethnographic Objectives : These objectives aim to understand the culture, beliefs, and practices of a particular group or community. Ethnographic research involves immersive fieldwork and observation to gain an insider’s perspective of the group being studied.
Action-oriented Objectives: These objectives aim to bring about social or organizational change. Action-oriented research seeks to identify practical solutions to social problems and to promote positive change in society.
Conceptual Objectives: These objectives aim to develop new theories, models, or frameworks to explain a particular phenomenon or set of phenomena. Conceptual research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the subject matter by developing new theoretical perspectives.
Methodological Objectives: These objectives aim to develop and improve research methods and techniques. Methodological research seeks to advance the field of research by improving the validity, reliability, and accuracy of research methods and tools.
Theoretical Objectives : These objectives aim to test and refine existing theories or to develop new theoretical perspectives. Theoretical research seeks to advance the field of knowledge by testing and refining existing theories or by developing new theoretical frameworks.
Measurement Objectives : These objectives aim to develop and validate measurement instruments, such as surveys, questionnaires, and tests. Measurement research seeks to improve the quality and reliability of data collection and analysis by developing and testing new measurement tools.
Design Objectives : These objectives aim to develop and refine research designs, such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational designs. Design research seeks to improve the quality and validity of research by developing and testing new research designs.
Sampling Objectives: These objectives aim to develop and refine sampling techniques, such as probability and non-probability sampling methods. Sampling research seeks to improve the representativeness and generalizability of research findings by developing and testing new sampling techniques.

How to Write Research Objectives

Writing clear and concise research objectives is an important part of any research project, as it helps to guide the study and ensure that it is focused and relevant. Here are some steps to follow when writing research objectives:

Identify the research problem : Before you can write research objectives, you need to identify the research problem you are trying to address. This should be a clear and specific problem that can be addressed through research.
Define the research questions : Based on the research problem, define the research questions you want to answer. These questions should be specific and should guide the research process.
Identify the variables : Identify the key variables that you will be studying in your research. These are the factors that you will be measuring, manipulating, or analyzing to answer your research questions.
Write specific objectives: Write specific, measurable objectives that will help you answer your research questions. These objectives should be clear and concise and should indicate what you hope to achieve through your research.
Use the SMART criteria: To ensure that your research objectives are well-defined and achievable, use the SMART criteria. This means that your objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Revise and refine: Once you have written your research objectives, revise and refine them to ensure that they are clear, concise, and achievable. Make sure that they align with your research questions and variables, and that they will help you answer your research problem.

Example of Research Objectives

Examples of research objectives Could be:

Research Objectives for the topic of “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment”:

To investigate the effects of the adoption of AI on employment trends across various industries and occupations.
To explore the potential for AI to create new job opportunities and transform existing roles in the workforce.
To examine the social and economic implications of the widespread use of AI for employment, including issues such as income inequality and access to education and training.
To identify the skills and competencies that will be required for individuals to thrive in an AI-driven workplace, and to explore the role of education and training in developing these skills.
To evaluate the ethical and legal considerations surrounding the use of AI for employment, including issues such as bias, privacy, and the responsibility of employers and policymakers to protect workers’ rights.

When to Write Research Objectives

At the beginning of a research project : Research objectives should be identified and written down before starting a research project. This helps to ensure that the project is focused and that data collection and analysis efforts are aligned with the intended purpose of the research.
When refining research questions: Writing research objectives can help to clarify and refine research questions. Objectives provide a more concrete and specific framework for addressing research questions, which can improve the overall quality and direction of a research project.
After conducting a literature review : Conducting a literature review can help to identify gaps in knowledge and areas that require further research. Writing research objectives can help to define and focus the research effort in these areas.
When developing a research proposal: Research objectives are an important component of a research proposal. They help to articulate the purpose and scope of the research, and provide a clear and concise summary of the expected outcomes and contributions of the research.
When seeking funding for research: Funding agencies often require a detailed description of research objectives as part of a funding proposal. Writing clear and specific research objectives can help to demonstrate the significance and potential impact of a research project, and increase the chances of securing funding.
When designing a research study : Research objectives guide the design and implementation of a research study. They help to identify the appropriate research methods, sampling strategies, data collection and analysis techniques, and other relevant aspects of the study design.
When communicating research findings: Research objectives provide a clear and concise summary of the main research questions and outcomes. They are often included in research reports and publications, and can help to ensure that the research findings are communicated effectively and accurately to a wide range of audiences.
When evaluating research outcomes : Research objectives provide a basis for evaluating the success of a research project. They help to measure the degree to which research questions have been answered and the extent to which research outcomes have been achieved.
When conducting research in a team : Writing research objectives can facilitate communication and collaboration within a research team. Objectives provide a shared understanding of the research purpose and goals, and can help to ensure that team members are working towards a common objective.

Purpose of Research Objectives

Some of the main purposes of research objectives include:

To clarify the research question or problem : Research objectives help to define the specific aspects of the research question or problem that the study aims to address. This makes it easier to design a study that is focused and relevant.
To guide the research design: Research objectives help to determine the research design, including the research methods, data collection techniques, and sampling strategy. This ensures that the study is structured and efficient.
To measure progress : Research objectives provide a way to measure progress throughout the research process. They help the researcher to evaluate whether they are on track and meeting their goals.
To communicate the research goals : Research objectives provide a clear and concise description of the research goals. This helps to communicate the purpose of the study to other researchers, stakeholders, and the general public.

Advantages of Research Objectives

Here are some advantages of having well-defined research objectives:

Focus : Research objectives help to focus the research effort on specific areas of inquiry. By identifying clear research questions, the researcher can narrow down the scope of the study and avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant information.
Clarity : Clearly stated research objectives provide a roadmap for the research study. They provide a clear direction for the research, making it easier for the researcher to stay on track and achieve their goals.
Measurability : Well-defined research objectives provide measurable outcomes that can be used to evaluate the success of the research project. This helps to ensure that the research is effective and that the research goals are achieved.
Feasibility : Research objectives help to ensure that the research project is feasible. By clearly defining the research goals, the researcher can identify the resources required to achieve those goals and determine whether those resources are available.
Relevance : Research objectives help to ensure that the research study is relevant and meaningful. By identifying specific research questions, the researcher can ensure that the study addresses important issues and contributes to the existing body of knowledge.

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Frequently asked questions

How do i write a research objective.

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

Frequently asked questions: Writing a research paper

A research project is an academic, scientific, or professional undertaking to answer a research question . Research projects can take many forms, such as qualitative or quantitative , descriptive , longitudinal , experimental , or correlational . What kind of research approach you choose will depend on your topic.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

Researchability
Feasibility and specificity
Relevance and originality

Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them.

In general, they should be:

Focused and researchable
Answerable using credible sources
Complex and arguable
Feasible and specific
Relevant and original

All research questions should be:

Focused on a single problem or issue
Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
Specific enough to answer thoroughly
Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

Your research objectives indicate how you’ll try to address your research problem and should be specific:

Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in Chicago style are to:

Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman
Use 1 inch margins or larger
Apply double line spacing
Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
Include a title page
Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center
Cite your sources with author-date citations or Chicago footnotes
Include a bibliography or reference list

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
Set 1 inch page margins
Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
Center the paper’s title
Use title case capitalization for headings
Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

To format a paper in APA Style , follow these guidelines:

Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial
If submitting for publication, insert a running head on every page
Apply APA heading styles
Cite your sources with APA in-text citations
List all sources cited on a reference page at the end

No, it’s not appropriate to present new arguments or evidence in the conclusion . While you might be tempted to save a striking argument for last, research papers follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the results and discussion sections if you are following a scientific structure). The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:

A restatement of the research problem
A summary of your key arguments and/or findings
A short discussion of the implications of your research

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .

The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .

A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.

The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:

A hook to catch the reader’s interest
Relevant background on the topic
Details of your research problem

and your problem statement

A thesis statement or research question
Sometimes an overview of the paper

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21 Research Objectives Examples (Copy and Paste)

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Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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research aim and research objectives, explained below

Research objectives refer to the definitive statements made by researchers at the beginning of a research project detailing exactly what a research project aims to achieve.

These objectives are explicit goals clearly and concisely projected by the researcher to present a clear intention or course of action for his or her qualitative or quantitative study.

Research objectives are typically nested under one overarching research aim. The objectives are the steps you’ll need to take in order to achieve the aim (see the examples below, for example, which demonstrate an aim followed by 3 objectives, which is what I recommend to my research students).

Research Objectives vs Research Aims

Research aim and research objectives are fundamental constituents of any study, fitting together like two pieces of the same puzzle.

The ‘research aim’ describes the overarching goal or purpose of the study (Kumar, 2019). This is usually a broad, high-level purpose statement, summing up the central question that the research intends to answer.

Example of an Overarching Research Aim:

“The aim of this study is to explore the impact of climate change on crop productivity.”

Comparatively, ‘research objectives’ are concrete goals that underpin the research aim, providing stepwise actions to achieve the aim.

Objectives break the primary aim into manageable, focused pieces, and are usually characterized as being more specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Examples of Specific Research Objectives:

1. “To examine the effects of rising temperatures on the yield of rice crops during the upcoming growth season.” 2. “To assess changes in rainfall patterns in major agricultural regions over the first decade of the twenty-first century (2000-2010).” 3. “To analyze the impact of changing weather patterns on crop diseases within the same timeframe.”

The distinction between these two terms, though subtle, is significant for successfully conducting a study. The research aim provides the study with direction, while the research objectives set the path to achieving this aim, thereby ensuring the study’s efficiency and effectiveness.

How to Write Research Objectives

I usually recommend to my students that they use the SMART framework to create their research objectives.

SMART is an acronym standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It provides a clear method of defining solid research objectives and helps students know where to start in writing their objectives (Locke & Latham, 2013).

Each element of this acronym adds a distinct dimension to the framework, aiding in the creation of comprehensive, well-delineated objectives.

Here is each step:

Specific : We need to avoid ambiguity in our objectives. They need to be clear and precise (Doran, 1981). For instance, rather than stating the objective as “to study the effects of social media,” a more focused detail would be “to examine the effects of social media use (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) on the academic performance of college students.”
Measurable: The measurable attribute provides a clear criterion to determine if the objective has been met (Locke & Latham, 2013). A quantifiable element, such as a percentage or a number, adds a measurable quality. For example, “to increase response rate to the annual customer survey by 10%,” makes it easier to ascertain achievement.
Achievable: The achievable aspect encourages researchers to craft realistic objectives, resembling a self-check mechanism to ensure the objectives align with the scope and resources at disposal (Doran, 1981). For example, “to interview 25 participants selected randomly from a population of 100” is an attainable objective as long as the researcher has access to these participants.
Relevance : Relevance, the fourth element, compels the researcher to tailor the objectives in alignment with overarching goals of the study (Locke & Latham, 2013). This is extremely important – each objective must help you meet your overall one-sentence ‘aim’ in your study.
Time-Bound: Lastly, the time-bound element fosters a sense of urgency and prioritization, preventing procrastination and enhancing productivity (Doran, 1981). “To analyze the effect of laptop use in lectures on student engagement over the course of two semesters this year” expresses a clear deadline, thus serving as a motivator for timely completion.

You’re not expected to fit every single element of the SMART framework in one objective, but across your objectives, try to touch on each of the five components.

Research Objectives Examples

1. Field: Psychology

Aim: To explore the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in college students.

Objective 1: To compare cognitive test scores of students with less than six hours of sleep and those with 8 or more hours of sleep.
Objective 2: To investigate the relationship between class grades and reported sleep duration.
Objective 3: To survey student perceptions and experiences on how sleep deprivation affects their cognitive capabilities.

2. Field: Environmental Science

Aim: To understand the effects of urban green spaces on human well-being in a metropolitan city.

Objective 1: To assess the physical and mental health benefits of regular exposure to urban green spaces.
Objective 2: To evaluate the social impacts of urban green spaces on community interactions.
Objective 3: To examine patterns of use for different types of urban green spaces.

3. Field: Technology

Aim: To investigate the influence of using social media on productivity in the workplace.

Objective 1: To measure the amount of time spent on social media during work hours.
Objective 2: To evaluate the perceived impact of social media use on task completion and work efficiency.
Objective 3: To explore whether company policies on social media usage correlate with different patterns of productivity.

4. Field: Education

Aim: To examine the effectiveness of online vs traditional face-to-face learning on student engagement and achievement.

Objective 1: To compare student grades between the groups exposed to online and traditional face-to-face learning.
Objective 2: To assess student engagement levels in both learning environments.
Objective 3: To collate student perceptions and preferences regarding both learning methods.

5. Field: Health

Aim: To determine the impact of a Mediterranean diet on cardiac health among adults over 50.

Objective 1: To assess changes in cardiovascular health metrics after following a Mediterranean diet for six months.
Objective 2: To compare these health metrics with a similar group who follow their regular diet.
Objective 3: To document participants’ experiences and adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

6. Field: Environmental Science

Aim: To analyze the impact of urban farming on community sustainability.

Objective 1: To document the types and quantity of food produced through urban farming initiatives.
Objective 2: To assess the effect of urban farming on local communities’ access to fresh produce.
Objective 3: To examine the social dynamics and cooperative relationships in the creating and maintaining of urban farms.

7. Field: Sociology

Aim: To investigate the influence of home offices on work-life balance during remote work.

Objective 1: To survey remote workers on their perceptions of work-life balance since setting up home offices.
Objective 2: To conduct an observational study of daily work routines and family interactions in a home office setting.
Objective 3: To assess the correlation, if any, between physical boundaries of workspaces and mental boundaries for work in the home setting.

8. Field: Economics

Aim: To evaluate the effects of minimum wage increases on small businesses.

Objective 1: To analyze cost structures, pricing changes, and profitability of small businesses before and after minimum wage increases.
Objective 2: To survey small business owners on the strategies they employ to navigate minimum wage increases.
Objective 3: To examine employment trends in small businesses in response to wage increase legislation.

9. Field: Education

Aim: To explore the role of extracurricular activities in promoting soft skills among high school students.

Objective 1: To assess the variety of soft skills developed through different types of extracurricular activities.
Objective 2: To compare self-reported soft skills between students who participate in extracurricular activities and those who do not.
Objective 3: To investigate the teachers’ perspectives on the contribution of extracurricular activities to students’ skill development.

10. Field: Technology

Aim: To assess the impact of virtual reality (VR) technology on the tourism industry.

Objective 1: To document the types and popularity of VR experiences available in the tourism market.
Objective 2: To survey tourists on their interest levels and satisfaction rates with VR tourism experiences.
Objective 3: To determine whether VR tourism experiences correlate with increased interest in real-life travel to the simulated destinations.

11. Field: Biochemistry

Aim: To examine the role of antioxidants in preventing cellular damage.

Objective 1: To identify the types and quantities of antioxidants in common fruits and vegetables.
Objective 2: To determine the effects of various antioxidants on free radical neutralization in controlled lab tests.
Objective 3: To investigate potential beneficial impacts of antioxidant-rich diets on long-term cellular health.

12. Field: Linguistics

Aim: To determine the influence of early exposure to multiple languages on cognitive development in children.

Objective 1: To assess cognitive development milestones in monolingual and multilingual children.
Objective 2: To document the number and intensity of language exposures for each group in the study.
Objective 3: To investigate the specific cognitive advantages, if any, enjoyed by multilingual children.

13. Field: Art History

Aim: To explore the impact of the Renaissance period on modern-day art trends.

Objective 1: To identify key characteristics and styles of Renaissance art.
Objective 2: To analyze modern art pieces for the influence of the Renaissance style.
Objective 3: To survey modern-day artists for their inspirations and the influence of historical art movements on their work.

14. Field: Cybersecurity

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of two-factor authentication (2FA) in preventing unauthorized system access.

Objective 1: To measure the frequency of unauthorized access attempts before and after the introduction of 2FA.
Objective 2: To survey users about their experiences and challenges with 2FA implementation.
Objective 3: To evaluate the efficacy of different types of 2FA (SMS-based, authenticator apps, biometrics, etc.).

15. Field: Cultural Studies

Aim: To analyze the role of music in cultural identity formation among ethnic minorities.

Objective 1: To document the types and frequency of traditional music practices within selected ethnic minority communities.
Objective 2: To survey community members on the role of music in their personal and communal identity.
Objective 3: To explore the resilience and transmission of traditional music practices in contemporary society.

16. Field: Astronomy

Aim: To explore the impact of solar activity on satellite communication.

Objective 1: To categorize different types of solar activities and their frequencies of occurrence.
Objective 2: To ascertain how variations in solar activity may influence satellite communication.
Objective 3: To investigate preventative and damage-control measures currently in place during periods of high solar activity.

17. Field: Literature

Aim: To examine narrative techniques in contemporary graphic novels.

Objective 1: To identify a range of narrative techniques employed in this genre.
Objective 2: To analyze the ways in which these narrative techniques engage readers and affect story interpretation.
Objective 3: To compare narrative techniques in graphic novels to those found in traditional printed novels.

18. Field: Renewable Energy

Aim: To investigate the feasibility of solar energy as a primary renewable resource within urban areas.

Objective 1: To quantify the average sunlight hours across urban areas in different climatic zones.
Objective 2: To calculate the potential solar energy that could be harnessed within these areas.
Objective 3: To identify barriers or challenges to widespread solar energy implementation in urban settings and potential solutions.

19. Field: Sports Science

Aim: To evaluate the role of pre-game rituals in athlete performance.

Objective 1: To identify the variety and frequency of pre-game rituals among professional athletes in several sports.
Objective 2: To measure the impact of pre-game rituals on individual athletes’ performance metrics.
Objective 3: To examine the psychological mechanisms that might explain the effects (if any) of pre-game ritual on performance.

20. Field: Ecology

Aim: To investigate the effects of urban noise pollution on bird populations.

Objective 1: To record and quantify urban noise levels in various bird habitats.
Objective 2: To measure bird population densities in relation to noise levels.
Objective 3: To determine any changes in bird behavior or vocalization linked to noise levels.

21. Field: Food Science

Aim: To examine the influence of cooking methods on the nutritional value of vegetables.

Objective 1: To identify the nutrient content of various vegetables both raw and after different cooking processes.
Objective 2: To compare the effect of various cooking methods on the nutrient retention of these vegetables.
Objective 3: To propose cooking strategies that optimize nutrient retention.

The Importance of Research Objectives

The importance of research objectives cannot be overstated. In essence, these guideposts articulate what the researcher aims to discover, understand, or examine (Kothari, 2014).

When drafting research objectives, it’s essential to make them simple and comprehensible, specific to the point of being quantifiable where possible, achievable in a practical sense, relevant to the chosen research question, and time-constrained to ensure efficient progress (Kumar, 2019).

Remember that a good research objective is integral to the success of your project, offering a clear path forward for setting out a research design , and serving as the bedrock of your study plan. Each objective must distinctly address a different dimension of your research question or problem (Kothari, 2014). Always bear in mind that the ultimate purpose of your research objectives is to succinctly encapsulate your aims in the clearest way possible, facilitating a coherent, comprehensive and rational approach to your planned study, and furnishing a scientific roadmap for your journey into the depths of knowledge and research (Kumar, 2019).

Kothari, C.R (2014). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques . New Delhi: New Age International.

Kumar, R. (2019). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners .New York: SAGE Publications.

Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management review, 70 (11), 35-36.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2013). New Developments in Goal Setting and Task Performance . New York: Routledge.

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Writing the Research Objectives: 5 Straightforward Examples

The research objective of a research proposal or scientific article defines the direction or content of a research investigation. Without the research objectives, the proposal or research paper is in disarray. It is like a fisherman riding on a boat without any purpose and with no destination in sight. Therefore, at the beginning of any research venture, the researcher must be clear about what he or she intends to do or achieve in conducting a study.

How do you define the objectives of a study? What are the uses of the research objective? How would a researcher write this essential part of the research? This article aims to provide answers to these questions.

Definition of a research objective.

A research objective describes, in a few words, the result of the research project after its implementation. It answers the question,

The research objective provides direction to the performance of the study.

What are the Uses of the Research Objective?

The uses of the research objective are enumerated below:

The research design serves as the “blueprint” for the research investigation. The University of Southern California describes the different types of research design extensively. It details the data to be gathered, data collection procedure, data measurement, and statistical tests to use in the analysis.

The variables of the study include those factors that the researcher wants to evaluate in the study. These variables narrow down the research to several manageable components to see differences or correlations between them.

Specifying the data collection procedure ensures data accuracy and integrity . Thus, the probability of error is minimized. Generalizations or conclusions based on valid arguments founded on reliable data strengthens research findings on particular issues and problems.

In data mining activities where large data sets are involved, the research objective plays a crucial role. Without a clear objective to guide the machine learning process, the desired outcomes will not be met.

How is the Research Objective Written?

A research objective must be achievable, i.e., it must be framed keeping in mind the available time, infrastructure required for research, and other resources.

Before forming a research objective, you should read about all the developments in your area of research and find gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. Readings will help you come up with suitable objectives for your research project.

5 Examples of Research Objectives

The following examples of research objectives based on several published studies on various topics demonstrate how the research objectives are written:

Finally, writing the research objectives requires constant practice, experience, and knowledge about the topic investigated. Clearly written objectives save time, money, and effort.

Evans, K. L., Rodrigues, A. S., Chown, S. L., & Gaston, K. J. (2006). Protected areas and regional avian species richness in South Africa. Biology letters , 2 (2), 184-188.

Yeemin, T., Sutthacheep, M., & Pettongma, R. (2006). Coral reef restoration projects in Thailand. Ocean & Coastal Management , 49 (9-10), 562-575.

How to write a thesis statement, mango pulp weevil: a pest control problem in palawan island, how to conduct a focus group discussion, about the author, patrick regoniel.

Dr. Regoniel, a hobbyist writer, served as consultant to various environmental research and development projects covering issues and concerns on climate change, coral reef resources and management, economic valuation of environmental and natural resources, mining, and waste management and pollution. He has extensive experience on applied statistics, systems modelling and analysis, an avid practitioner of LaTeX, and a multidisciplinary web developer. He leverages pioneering AI-powered content creation tools to produce unique and comprehensive articles in this website.

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The “Golden Thread” Explained Simply (+ Examples)

By: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | June 2022

The research aims , objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are arguably the most important thing you need to get right when you’re crafting a research proposal , dissertation or thesis . We receive questions almost every day about this “holy trinity” of research and there’s certainly a lot of confusion out there, so we’ve crafted this post to help you navigate your way through the fog.

Overview: The Golden Thread

What is the golden thread
What are research aims ( examples )
What are research objectives ( examples )
What are research questions ( examples )
The importance of alignment in the golden thread

What is the “golden thread”?

The golden thread simply refers to the collective research aims , research objectives , and research questions for any given project (i.e., a dissertation, thesis, or research paper ). These three elements are bundled together because it’s extremely important that they align with each other, and that the entire research project aligns with them.

Importantly, the golden thread needs to weave its way through the entirety of any research project , from start to end. In other words, it needs to be very clearly defined right at the beginning of the project (the topic ideation and proposal stage) and it needs to inform almost every decision throughout the rest of the project. For example, your research design and methodology will be heavily influenced by the golden thread (we’ll explain this in more detail later), as well as your literature review.

The research aims, objectives and research questions (the golden thread) define the focus and scope ( the delimitations ) of your research project. In other words, they help ringfence your dissertation or thesis to a relatively narrow domain, so that you can “go deep” and really dig into a specific problem or opportunity. They also help keep you on track , as they act as a litmus test for relevance. In other words, if you’re ever unsure whether to include something in your document, simply ask yourself the question, “does this contribute toward my research aims, objectives or questions?”. If it doesn’t, chances are you can drop it.

Alright, enough of the fluffy, conceptual stuff. Let’s get down to business and look at what exactly the research aims, objectives and questions are and outline a few examples to bring these concepts to life.

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Research Aims: What are they?

Simply put, the research aim(s) is a statement that reflects the broad overarching goal (s) of the research project. Research aims are fairly high-level (low resolution) as they outline the general direction of the research and what it’s trying to achieve .

Research Aims: Examples

True to the name, research aims usually start with the wording “this research aims to…”, “this research seeks to…”, and so on. For example:

“This research aims to explore employee experiences of digital transformation in retail HR.” “This study sets out to assess the interaction between student support and self-care on well-being in engineering graduate students”

As you can see, these research aims provide a high-level description of what the study is about and what it seeks to achieve. They’re not hyper-specific or action-oriented, but they’re clear about what the study’s focus is and what is being investigated.

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Research Objectives: What are they?

The research objectives take the research aims and make them more practical and actionable . In other words, the research objectives showcase the steps that the researcher will take to achieve the research aims.

The research objectives need to be far more specific (higher resolution) and actionable than the research aims. In fact, it’s always a good idea to craft your research objectives using the “SMART” criteria. In other words, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound”.

Research Objectives: Examples

Let’s look at two examples of research objectives. We’ll stick with the topic and research aims we mentioned previously.

For the digital transformation topic:

To observe the retail HR employees throughout the digital transformation. To assess employee perceptions of digital transformation in retail HR. To identify the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR.

And for the student wellness topic:

To determine whether student self-care predicts the well-being score of engineering graduate students. To determine whether student support predicts the well-being score of engineering students. To assess the interaction between student self-care and student support when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students.

As you can see, these research objectives clearly align with the previously mentioned research aims and effectively translate the low-resolution aims into (comparatively) higher-resolution objectives and action points . They give the research project a clear focus and present something that resembles a research-based “to-do” list.

The research objectives detail the specific steps that you, as the researcher, will take to achieve the research aims you laid out.

Research Questions: What are they?

Finally, we arrive at the all-important research questions. The research questions are, as the name suggests, the key questions that your study will seek to answer . Simply put, they are the core purpose of your dissertation, thesis, or research project. You’ll present them at the beginning of your document (either in the introduction chapter or literature review chapter) and you’ll answer them at the end of your document (typically in the discussion and conclusion chapters).

The research questions will be the driving force throughout the research process. For example, in the literature review chapter, you’ll assess the relevance of any given resource based on whether it helps you move towards answering your research questions. Similarly, your methodology and research design will be heavily influenced by the nature of your research questions. For instance, research questions that are exploratory in nature will usually make use of a qualitative approach, whereas questions that relate to measurement or relationship testing will make use of a quantitative approach.

Let’s look at some examples of research questions to make this more tangible.

Research Questions: Examples

Again, we’ll stick with the research aims and research objectives we mentioned previously.

For the digital transformation topic (which would be qualitative in nature):

How do employees perceive digital transformation in retail HR? What are the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR?

And for the student wellness topic (which would be quantitative in nature):

Does student self-care predict the well-being scores of engineering graduate students? Does student support predict the well-being scores of engineering students? Do student self-care and student support interact when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students?

You’ll probably notice that there’s quite a formulaic approach to this. In other words, the research questions are basically the research objectives “converted” into question format. While that is true most of the time, it’s not always the case. For example, the first research objective for the digital transformation topic was more or less a step on the path toward the other objectives, and as such, it didn’t warrant its own research question.

So, don’t rush your research questions and sloppily reword your objectives as questions. Carefully think about what exactly you’re trying to achieve (i.e. your research aim) and the objectives you’ve set out, then craft a set of well-aligned research questions . Also, keep in mind that this can be a somewhat iterative process , where you go back and tweak research objectives and aims to ensure tight alignment throughout the golden thread.

The importance of strong alignment

Alignment is the keyword here and we have to stress its importance . Simply put, you need to make sure that there is a very tight alignment between all three pieces of the golden thread. If your research aims and research questions don’t align, for example, your project will be pulling in different directions and will lack focus . This is a common problem students face and can cause many headaches (and tears), so be warned.

Take the time to carefully craft your research aims, objectives and research questions before you run off down the research path. Ideally, get your research supervisor/advisor to review and comment on your golden thread before you invest significant time into your project, and certainly before you start collecting data .

Recap: The golden thread

In this post, we unpacked the golden thread of research, consisting of the research aims , research objectives and research questions . You can jump back to any section using the links below.

As always, feel free to leave a comment below – we always love to hear from you. Also, if you’re interested in 1-on-1 support, take a look at our private coaching service here.

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41 Comments

Thank you very much for your great effort put. As an Undergraduate taking Demographic Research & Methodology, I’ve been trying so hard to understand clearly what is a Research Question, Research Aim and the Objectives in a research and the relationship between them etc. But as for now I’m thankful that you’ve solved my problem.

Well appreciated. This has helped me greatly in doing my dissertation.

An so delighted with this wonderful information thank you a lot.

so impressive i have benefited a lot looking forward to learn more on research.

I am very happy to have carefully gone through this well researched article.

Infact,I used to be phobia about anything research, because of my poor understanding of the concepts.

Now,I get to know that my research question is the same as my research objective(s) rephrased in question format.

I please I would need a follow up on the subject,as I intends to join the team of researchers. Thanks once again.

Thanks so much. This was really helpful.

I know you pepole have tried to break things into more understandable and easy format. And God bless you. Keep it up

i found this document so useful towards my study in research methods. thanks so much.

This is my 2nd read topic in your course and I should commend the simplified explanations of each part. I’m beginning to understand and absorb the use of each part of a dissertation/thesis. I’ll keep on reading your free course and might be able to avail the training course! Kudos!

Thank you! Better put that my lecture and helped to easily understand the basics which I feel often get brushed over when beginning dissertation work.

This is quite helpful. I like how the Golden thread has been explained and the needed alignment.

This is quite helpful. I really appreciate!

The article made it simple for researcher students to differentiate between three concepts.

Very innovative and educational in approach to conducting research.

I am very impressed with all these terminology, as I am a fresh student for post graduate, I am highly guided and I promised to continue making consultation when the need arise. Thanks a lot.

A very helpful piece. thanks, I really appreciate it .

Very well explained, and it might be helpful to many people like me.

Wish i had found this (and other) resource(s) at the beginning of my PhD journey… not in my writing up year… 😩 Anyways… just a quick question as i’m having some issues ordering my “golden thread”…. does it matter in what order you mention them? i.e., is it always first aims, then objectives, and finally the questions? or can you first mention the research questions and then the aims and objectives?

Thank you for a very simple explanation that builds upon the concepts in a very logical manner. Just prior to this, I read the research hypothesis article, which was equally very good. This met my primary objective.

My secondary objective was to understand the difference between research questions and research hypothesis, and in which context to use which one. However, I am still not clear on this. Can you kindly please guide?

In research, a research question is a clear and specific inquiry that the researcher wants to answer, while a research hypothesis is a tentative statement or prediction about the relationship between variables or the expected outcome of the study. Research questions are broader and guide the overall study, while hypotheses are specific and testable statements used in quantitative research. Research questions identify the problem, while hypotheses provide a focus for testing in the study.

Exactly what I need in this research journey, I look forward to more of your coaching videos.

This helped a lot. Thanks so much for the effort put into explaining it.

What data source in writing dissertation/Thesis requires?

What is data source covers when writing dessertation/thesis

This is quite useful thanks

I’m excited and thankful. I got so much value which will help me progress in my thesis.

where are the locations of the reserch statement, research objective and research question in a reserach paper? Can you write an ouline that defines their places in the researh paper?

Very helpful and important tips on Aims, Objectives and Questions.

Thank you so much for making research aim, research objectives and research question so clear. This will be helpful to me as i continue with my thesis.

Thanks much for this content. I learned a lot. And I am inspired to learn more. I am still struggling with my preparation for dissertation outline/proposal. But I consistently follow contents and tutorials and the new FB of GRAD Coach. Hope to really become confident in writing my dissertation and successfully defend it.

As a researcher and lecturer, I find splitting research goals into research aims, objectives, and questions is unnecessarily bureaucratic and confusing for students. For most biomedical research projects, including ‘real research’, 1-3 research questions will suffice (numbers may differ by discipline).

Awesome! Very important resources and presented in an informative way to easily understand the golden thread. Indeed, thank you so much.

Well explained

The blog article on research aims, objectives, and questions by Grad Coach is a clear and insightful guide that aligns with my experiences in academic research. The article effectively breaks down the often complex concepts of research aims and objectives, providing a straightforward and accessible explanation. Drawing from my own research endeavors, I appreciate the practical tips offered, such as the need for specificity and clarity when formulating research questions. The article serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers, offering a concise roadmap for crafting well-defined research goals and objectives. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced researcher, this article provides practical insights that contribute to the foundational aspects of a successful research endeavor.

A great thanks for you. it is really amazing explanation. I grasp a lot and one step up to research knowledge.

I really found these tips helpful. Thank you very much Grad Coach.

I found this article helpful. Thanks for sharing this.

thank you so much, the explanation and examples are really helpful

This is a well researched and superbly written article for learners of research methods at all levels in the research topic from conceptualization to research findings and conclusions. I highly recommend this material to university graduate students. As an instructor of advanced research methods for PhD students, I have confirmed that I was giving the right guidelines for the degree they are undertaking.

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Handy Tips To Write A Clear Research Objectives With Examples

Introduction.

Research objectives play a crucial role in any research study. They provide a clear direction and purpose for the research, guiding the researcher in their investigation. Understanding research objectives is essential for conducting a successful study and achieving meaningful results.

In this comprehensive review, we will delve into the definition of research objectives, exploring their characteristics, types, and examples. We will also discuss the relationship between research objectives and research questions, as well as provide insights into how to write effective research objectives. Additionally, we will examine the role of research objectives in research methodology and highlight the importance of them in a study. By the end of this review, you will have a comprehensive understanding of research objectives and their significance in the research process.

Definition of Research Objectives: What Are They?

Research objectives clearly define the specific aims of a study, aligning closely with the broader research goals and guiding the formulation of precise research questions to ensure a focused and effective investigation.

A research objective is defined as a clear and concise statement that outlines the specific goals and aims of a research study. These objectives are designed to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART), ensuring they provide a structured pathway to accomplishing the intended outcomes of the project. Each objective serves as a foundational element that summarizes the purpose of your study, guiding the research activities and helping to measure progress toward the study’s goals. Additionally, research objectives are integral components of the research framework , establishing a clear direction that aligns with the overall research questions and hypotheses. This alignment helps to ensure that the study remains focused and relevant, facilitating the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.

Characteristics of Effective Research Objectives

Characteristics of research objectives include:

Specific: Research objectives should be clear about the what, why, when, and how of the study.
Measurable: Research objectives should identify the main variables of the study that can be measured or observed.
Relevant: Research objectives should be relevant to the research topic and contribute to the overall understanding of the subject.
Feasible: Research objectives should be achievable within the constraints of time, resources, and expertise available.
Logical: Research objectives should follow a logical sequence and build upon each other to achieve the overall research goal.
Observable: Research objectives should be observable or measurable in order to assess the progress and success of the research project.
Unambiguous: Research objectives should be clear and unambiguous, leaving no room for interpretation or confusion.
Measurable: Research objectives should be measurable, allowing for the collection of data and analysis of results.

By incorporating these characteristics into research objectives, researchers can ensure that their study is focused, achievable, and contributes to the body of knowledge in their field.

Types of Research Objectives

Research objective can be broadly classified into general and specific objectives. General objectives are broad statements that define the overall purpose of the research. They provide a broad direction for the study and help in setting the context. Specific objectives, on the other hand, are detailed objectives that describe what will be researched during the study. They are more focused and provide specific outcomes that the researcher aims to achieve. Specific objectives are derived from the general objectives and help in breaking down the research into smaller, manageable parts. The specific objectives should be clear, measurable, and achievable. They should be designed in a way that allows the researcher to answer the research questions and address the research problem.

In addition to general and specific objectives, research objective can also be categorized as descriptive or analytical objectives. Descriptive objectives focus on describing the characteristics or phenomena of a particular subject or population. They involve surveys, observations, and data collection to provide a detailed understanding of the subject. Analytical objectives, on the other hand, aim to analyze the relationships between variables or factors. They involve data analysis and interpretation to gain insights and draw conclusions.

Both descriptive and analytical objectives are important in research as they serve different purposes and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the research topic.

Examples of Research Objectives

Here are some examples of research objectives in different fields:

1. Objective: To identify key characteristics and styles of Renaissance art.

This objective focuses on exploring the characteristics and styles of art during the Renaissance period. The research may involve analyzing various artworks, studying historical documents, and interviewing experts in the field.

2. Objective: To analyze modern art trends and their impact on society.

This objective aims to examine the current trends in modern art and understand how they influence society. The research may involve analyzing artworks, conducting surveys or interviews with artists and art enthusiasts, and studying the social and cultural implications of modern art.

3. Objective: To investigate the effects of exercise on mental health.

This objective focuses on studying the relationship between exercise and mental health. The research may involve conducting experiments or surveys to assess the impact of exercise on factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

4. Objective: To explore the factors influencing consumer purchasing decisions in the fashion industry.

This objective aims to understand the various factors that influence consumers’ purchasing decisions in the fashion industry. The research may involve conducting surveys, analyzing consumer behavior data, and studying the impact of marketing strategies on consumer choices.

5. Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a new drug in treating a specific medical condition.

This objective focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of a newly developed drug in treating a particular medical condition. The research may involve conducting clinical trials, analyzing patient data, and comparing the outcomes of the new drug with existing treatment options.

These examples demonstrate the diversity of research objectives across different disciplines. Each objective is specific, measurable, and achievable, providing a clear direction for the research study.

Aligning Research Objectives with Research Questions

Research objectives and research questions are essential components of a research project. Research objective describe what you intend your research project to accomplish. They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and provide a clear direction for the research. Research questions, on the other hand, are the starting point of any good research. They guide the overall direction of the research and help identify and focus on the research gaps .

The main difference between research questions and objectives is their form. Research questions are stated in a question form, while objectives are specific, measurable, and achievable goals that you aim to accomplish within a specified timeframe. Research questions are broad statements that provide a roadmap for the research, while objectives break down the research aim into smaller, actionable steps.

Research objectives and research questions work together to form the ‘golden thread’ of a research project. The research aim specifies what the study will answer, while the objectives and questions specify how the study will answer it. They provide a clear focus and scope for the research project, helping researchers stay on track and ensure that their study is meaningful and relevant.

When writing research objectives and questions, it is important to be clear, concise, and specific. Each objective or question should address a specific aspect of the research and contribute to the overall goal of the study. They should also be measurable, meaning that their achievement can be assessed and evaluated. Additionally, research objectives and questions should be achievable within the given timeframe and resources of the research project. By clearly defining the objectives and questions, researchers can effectively plan and execute their research, leading to valuable insights and contributions to the field.

Guidelines for Writing Clear Research Objectives

Writing research objective is a crucial step in any research project. The objectives provide a clear direction and purpose for the study, guiding the researcher in their data collection and analysis. Here are some tips on how to write effective research objective:

1. Be clear and specific

Research objective should be written in a clear and specific manner. Avoid vague or ambiguous language that can lead to confusion. Clearly state what you intend to achieve through your research.

2. Use action verbs

Start your research objective with action verbs that describe the desired outcome. Action verbs such as ‘investigate’, ‘analyze’, ‘compare’, ‘evaluate’, or ‘identify’ help to convey the purpose of the study.

3. Align with research questions or hypotheses

Ensure that your research objectives are aligned with your research questions or hypotheses. The objectives should address the main goals of your study and provide a framework for answering your research questions or testing your hypotheses.

4. Be realistic and achievable

Set research objectives that are realistic and achievable within the scope of your study. Consider the available resources, time constraints, and feasibility of your objectives. Unrealistic objectives can lead to frustration and hinder the progress of your research.

5. Consider the significance and relevance

Reflect on the significance and relevance of your research objectives. How will achieving these objectives contribute to the existing knowledge or address a gap in the literature? Ensure that your objectives have a clear purpose and value.

6. Seek feedback

It is beneficial to seek feedback on your research objectives from colleagues, mentors, or experts in your field. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improving the clarity and effectiveness of your objectives.

7. Revise and refine

Research objectives are not set in stone. As you progress in your research, you may need to revise and refine your objectives to align with new findings or changes in the research context. Regularly review and update your objectives to ensure they remain relevant and focused.

By following these tips, you can write research objectives that are clear, focused, and aligned with your research goals. Well-defined objectives will guide your research process and help you achieve meaningful outcomes.

The Role of Research Objectives in Research Methodology

Research objectives play a crucial role in the research methodology . In research methodology, research objectives are formulated based on the research questions or problem statement. These objectives help in defining the scope and focus of the study, ensuring that the research is conducted in a systematic and organized manner.

The research objectives in research methodology act as a roadmap for the research project. They help in identifying the key variables to be studied, determining the research design and methodology, and selecting the appropriate data collection methods .

Furthermore, research objectives in research methodology assist in evaluating the success of the study. By setting clear objectives, researchers can assess whether the desired outcomes have been achieved and determine the effectiveness of the research methods employed. It is important to note that research objectives in research methodology should be aligned with the overall research aim. They should address the specific aspects or components of the research aim and provide a framework for achieving the desired outcomes.

Understanding The Dynamic of Research Objectives in Your Study

The research objectives of a study play a crucial role in guiding the research process, ensuring that the study is focused, purposeful, and contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field. It is important to note that the research objectives may evolve or change as the study progresses. As new information is gathered and analyzed, the researcher may need to revise the objectives to ensure that they remain relevant and achievable.

In summary, research objectives are essential components in writing an effective research paper . They provide a roadmap for the research process, guiding the researcher in their investigation and helping to ensure that the study is purposeful and meaningful. By understanding and effectively utilizing research objectives, researchers can enhance the quality and impact of their research endeavors.

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Formulating Research Aims and Objectives

Formulating research aim and objectives in an appropriate manner is one of the most important aspects of your thesis. This is because research aim and objectives determine the scope, depth and the overall direction of the research. Research question is the central question of the study that has to be answered on the basis of research findings.

Research aim emphasizes what needs to be achieved within the scope of the research, by the end of the research process. Achievement of research aim provides answer to the research question.

Research objectives divide research aim into several parts and address each part separately. Research aim specifies WHAT needs to be studied and research objectives comprise a number of steps that address HOW research aim will be achieved.

As a rule of dumb, there would be one research aim and several research objectives. Achievement of each research objective will lead to the achievement of the research aim.

Consider the following as an example:

Research title: Effects of organizational culture on business profitability: a case study of Virgin Atlantic

Research aim: To assess the effects of Virgin Atlantic organizational culture on business profitability

Following research objectives would facilitate the achievement of this aim:

Analyzing the nature of organizational culture at Virgin Atlantic by September 1, 2022
Identifying factors impacting Virgin Atlantic organizational culture by September 16, 2022
Analyzing impacts of Virgin Atlantic organizational culture on employee performances by September 30, 2022
Providing recommendations to Virgin Atlantic strategic level management in terms of increasing the level of effectiveness of organizational culture by October 5, 2022

Figure below illustrates additional examples in formulating research aims and objectives:

Formulation of research question, aim and objectives

Common mistakes in the formulation of research aim relate to the following:

1. Choosing the topic too broadly . This is the most common mistake. For example, a research title of “an analysis of leadership practices” can be classified as too broad because the title fails to answer the following questions:

a) Which aspects of leadership practices? Leadership has many aspects such as employee motivation, ethical behaviour, strategic planning, change management etc. An attempt to cover all of these aspects of organizational leadership within a single research will result in an unfocused and poor work.

b) An analysis of leadership practices in which country? Leadership practices tend to be different in various countries due to cross-cultural differences, legislations and a range of other region-specific factors. Therefore, a study of leadership practices needs to be country-specific.

c) Analysis of leadership practices in which company or industry? Similar to the point above, analysis of leadership practices needs to take into account industry-specific and/or company-specific differences, and there is no way to conduct a leadership research that relates to all industries and organizations in an equal manner.

Accordingly, as an example “a study into the impacts of ethical behaviour of a leader on the level of employee motivation in US healthcare sector” would be a more appropriate title than simply “An analysis of leadership practices”.

2. Setting an unrealistic aim . Formulation of a research aim that involves in-depth interviews with Apple strategic level management by an undergraduate level student can be specified as a bit over-ambitious. This is because securing an interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook or members of Apple Board of Directors might not be easy. This is an extreme example of course, but you got the idea. Instead, you may aim to interview the manager of your local Apple store and adopt a more feasible strategy to get your dissertation completed.

3. Choosing research methods incompatible with the timeframe available . Conducting interviews with 20 sample group members and collecting primary data through 2 focus groups when only three months left until submission of your dissertation can be very difficult, if not impossible. Accordingly, timeframe available need to be taken into account when formulating research aims and objectives and selecting research methods.

Moreover, research objectives need to be formulated according to SMART principle,

where the abbreviation stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.


Study employee motivation of Coca-Cola	To study the impacts of management practices on the levels of employee motivation at Coca-Cola US by December 5, 2022
Analyze consumer behaviour in catering industry	Analyzing changes in consumer behaviour in catering industry in the 21 century in the UK by March 1, 2022
Recommend Toyota Motor Corporation management on new market entry strategy	Formulating recommendations to Toyota Motor Corporation management on the choice of appropriate strategy to enter Vietnam market by June 9, 2022
Analyze the impact of social media marketing on business	Assessing impacts of integration of social media into marketing strategy on the level of brand awareness by March 30, 2022
Finding out about time management principles used by Accenture managers	Identifying main time-management strategies used by managers of Accenture France by December 1, 2022

Examples of SMART research objectives

At the conclusion part of your research project you will need to reflect on the level of achievement of research aims and objectives. In case your research aims and objectives are not fully achieved by the end of the study, you will need to discuss the reasons. These may include initial inappropriate formulation of research aims and objectives, effects of other variables that were not considered at the beginning of the research or changes in some circumstances during the research process.

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Writing Tips

How to Write Research Objectives

3-minute read
22nd November 2021

Writing a research paper, thesis, or dissertation ? If so, you’ll want to state your research objectives in the introduction of your paper to make it clear to your readers what you’re trying to accomplish. But how do you write effective research objectives? In this post, we’ll look at two key topics to help you do this:

How to use your research aims as a basis for developing objectives.
How to use SMART criteria to refine your research objectives.

For more advice on how to write strong research objectives, see below.

Research Aims and Objectives

There is an important difference between research aims and research objectives:

A research aim defines the main purpose of your research. As such, you can think of your research aim as answering the question “What are you doing?”
Research objectives (as most studies will have more than one) are the steps you will take to fulfil your aims. As such, your objectives should answer the question “How are you conducting your research?”

For instance, an example research aim could be:

This study will investigate the link between dehydration and the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in intensive care patients in Australia.

To develop a set of research objectives, you would then break down the various steps involved in meeting said aim. For example:

This study will investigate the link between dehydration and the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in intensive care patients in Australia. To achieve this, the study objectives w ill include:

Replicat ing a small Singaporean study into the role of dehydration in UTIs in hospital patients (Sepe, 2018) in a larger Australian cohort.
Trialing the use of intravenous fluids for intensive care patients to prevent dehydration.
Assessing the relationship between the age of patients and quantities of intravenous fluids needed to counter dehydration.

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Note that the objectives don’t go into any great detail here. The key is to briefly summarize each component of your study. You can save details for how you will conduct the research for the methodology section of your paper.

Make Your Research Objectives SMART

A great way to refine your research objectives is to use SMART criteria . Borrowed from the world of project management, there are many versions of this system. However, we’re going to focus on developing specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound objectives.

In other words, a good research objective should be all of the following:

S pecific – Is the objective clear and well-defined?
M easurable – How will you know when the objective has been achieved? Is there a way to measure the thing you’re seeking to do?
A chievable – Do you have the support and resources necessary to undertake this action? Are you being overly ambitious with this objective?
R elevant – Is this objective vital for fulfilling your research aim?
T imebound – Can this action be realistically undertaken in the time you have?

If you follow this system, your research objectives will be much stronger.

Expert Research Proofreading

Whatever your research aims and objectives, make sure to have your academic writing proofread by the experts!

Our academic editors can help you with research papers and proposals , as well as any other scholarly document you need checking. And this will help to ensure that your academic writing is always clear, concise, and precise.

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A Research Guide
Research Paper Guide

How to Write Research Objectives

What are research objectives
Step-by-step writing guide
Helpful tips
Research objectives examples

What are research objectives, and why are they important?

Step-by-step research objectives writing guide, step 1: provide the major background of your research, step 2: mention several objectives from the most to least important aspects, step 3: follow your resources and do not promise too much, step 4: keep your objectives and limitations mentioned, step 5: provide action verbs and tone, helpful tips for writing research objectives.

Keep your content specific! It is necessary to narrow things down and leave no space for double meanings or confusion. If some idea cannot be supported with a piece of evidence, it’s better to avoid it in your objectives.
Objectives must be measurable! It is crucial to make it possible to replicate your work in further research. Creating an outline as you strive for your goals and set the purpose is necessary.
Keeping things relevant! Your research objectives should be related to your thesis statement and the subject that you have chosen to work with. It will help to avoid introducing ideas that are not related to your work.
Temporal factor! Set deadlines to track your progress and provide a setting for your research if it is relevant. It will help your target audience to see your limitations and specifics.

Research objectives example

Research objective 1: The study aims to explore the origins and evolution of the youth movements in the Flemish provinces in Belgium, namely Chiro and KSA. This research evaluates the major differences during the post-WW2 period and the social factors that created differences between the movements.

Research objective 2: This paper implements surveys and personal interviews to determine first-hand feedback from the youth members and the team leaders.

Research objective 3: Aiming to compare and contrast, this study determines the positive outcomes of the unity project work between the branches of the youth movement in Belgium, aiming for statistical data to support it.

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Research objective

A research objective, also known as a goal or an objective, is a sentence or question that summarizes the purpose of your study or test. In other words, it’s an idea you want to understand deeper by performing research. Objectives should be the driving force behind every task you assign and each question that you ask. These objectives should be centered on specific features or processes of your product. By having a solid understanding of the information you need when running your usability study, you’ll be able to better stay on track throughout your development process.

How do I write a research objective?

Before you write your objective, you need a problem statement , which you can source from your support team and the frequent customer issues they encounter, negative customer reviews , or feedback from social media. From there, your objective might look like, “Do people find value in this new product idea?” or “How do our competitors describe their offerings compared to us?”

Many UX researchers agree that the more specific the objectives, the easier it is to write tasks and questions. Subsequently, it’ll also be easier to extract answers later on in the analysis. In addition, your objective doesn’t have to spark one angle alone; it could have the potential to inspire multiple test directions. For instance, take this research objective, “I want to understand and resolve the barriers customers face when looking for answers about products and services on our website.”

From this one objective, potential study angles could be:

Content quality: Learn whether the FAQ questions anticipate users’ needs and if the answers are sufficiently detailed and directive.
FAQ accessibility: Can customers easily find the FAQ section? What access points should we consider?
FAQ concept test: Is the design approach we’re considering for the proposed redesign understandable? What can we do to optimize it?

As you can see, the above objective can be branched out to address content, usability, and design. For further inspiration, collaborate with the product’s stakeholders. You can start the conversation at a high level by determining what features or processes they want test participants to review, like a navigation menu or website messaging.

And before you put a stamp of approval on a research objective, ask for feedback from your team. Two researchers could write very different test plans when an objective is unclear or misaligned. For example, one researcher may hone in on design while another focuses on usability. Meanwhile, another may keep their objective more broad while another writes on that’s more detailed. And while the findings from either case would be insightful, they might not match up with what the team actually needs to learn. So to summarize, start the process with a problem statement, loop in stakeholders early if applicable, and ensure your team is aligned on your objective(s).

When should I write a research objective—and how should they be prioritized?

Writing and refining your research objective should come after you have a clear problem statement and before you decide on a research method and test plan to execute your study.

After you’ve written a rough draft of your research objective, the ink might not even be dry when stakeholders could get involved by offering you an abundance of objectives. To figure out what to tackle first, ask your stakeholders to prioritize their needs. This step could happen via email or in a meeting, but another method could be to list out all of the possible objectives in a Google form and have everyone rearrange the list into their ideal order.

And if stakeholders haven’t handed you a list of objectives and you’re on your own for brainstorming and prioritizing, opt for the objective that’s tied to a KPI—from increasing website conversions to driving more daily active users in your SaaS product. This will help you size up the relevance and impact your research has on the metrics your business is measuring. The added benefit here is when you’re asked about the impact of that research, you can tie back your ROI calculations to tangible and relatable objectives that you know the business is tracking.

How many research objectives do I need?

The type of research you do will depend on the stage of product development you’re in. Each stage of development has different research objectives—and different questions that need to be answered. And once you’ve decided on a problem statement, you could either have one or multiple research objectives that tie back to that statement. Typically, this means that you’ll want to select one to three objectives; the less you have, the more manageable your test (and timeline) will be.

For more, the UserTesting template library is a great place to start for common questions that you need answers to or inspiration for your research objective.

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Research Objectives: The Compass of Your Study

Table of contents

1 Definition and Purpose of Setting Clear Research Objectives
2 How Research Objectives Fit into the Overall Research Framework
3 Types of Research Objectives
4 Aligning Objectives with Research Questions and Hypotheses
5 Role of Research Objectives in Various Research Phases
6.1 Key characteristics of well-defined research objectives
6.2 Step-by-Step Guide on How to Formulate Both General and Specific Research Objectives
6.3 How to Know When Your Objectives Need Refinement
7 Research Objectives Examples in Different Fields
8 Conclusion

Embarking on a research journey without clear objectives is like navigating the sea without a compass. This article delves into the essence of establishing precise research objectives, serving as the guiding star for your scholarly exploration.

We will unfold the layers of how the objective of study not only defines the scope of your research but also directs every phase of the research process, from formulating research questions to interpreting research findings. By bridging theory with practical examples, we aim to illuminate the path to crafting effective research objectives that are both ambitious and attainable. Let’s chart the course to a successful research voyage, exploring the significance, types, and formulation of research paper objectives.

Definition and Purpose of Setting Clear Research Objectives

Defining the research objectives includes which two tasks? Research objectives are clear and concise statements that outline what you aim to achieve through your study. They are the foundation for determining your research scope, guiding your data collection methods, and shaping your analysis. The purpose of research proposal and setting clear objectives in it is to ensure that your research efforts are focused and efficient, and to provide a roadmap that keeps your study aligned with its intended outcomes.

To define the research objective at the outset, researchers can avoid the pitfalls of scope creep, where the study’s focus gradually broadens beyond its initial boundaries, leading to wasted resources and time. Clear objectives facilitate communication with stakeholders, such as funding bodies, academic supervisors, and the broader academic community, by succinctly conveying the study’s goals and significance. Furthermore, they help in the formulation of precise research questions and hypotheses, making the research process more systematic and organized. Yet, it is not always easy. For this reason, PapersOwl is always ready to help. Lastly, clear research objectives enable the researcher to critically assess the study’s progress and outcomes against predefined benchmarks, ensuring the research stays on track and delivers meaningful results.

How Research Objectives Fit into the Overall Research Framework

Research objectives are integral to the research framework as the nexus between the research problem, questions, and hypotheses. They translate the broad goals of your study into actionable steps, ensuring every aspect of your research is purposefully aligned towards addressing the research problem. This alignment helps in structuring the research design and methodology, ensuring that each component of the study is geared towards answering the core questions derived from the objectives. Creating such a difficult piece may take a lot of time. If you need it to be accurate yet fast delivered, consider getting professional research paper writing help whenever the time comes. It also aids in the identification and justification of the research methods and tools used for data collection and analysis, aligning them with the objectives to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings.

Furthermore, by setting clear objectives, researchers can more effectively evaluate the impact and significance of their work in contributing to existing knowledge. Additionally, research objectives guide literature review, enabling researchers to focus their examination on relevant studies and theoretical frameworks that directly inform their research goals.

Types of Research Objectives

In the landscape of research, setting objectives is akin to laying down the tracks for a train’s journey, guiding it towards its destination. Constructing these tracks involves defining two main types of objectives: general and specific. Each serves a unique purpose in guiding the research towards its ultimate goals, with general objectives providing the broad vision and specific objectives outlining the concrete steps needed to fulfill that vision. Together, they form a cohesive blueprint that directs the focus of the study, ensuring that every effort contributes meaningfully to the overarching research aims.

General objectives articulate the overarching goals of your study. They are broad, setting the direction for your research without delving into specifics. These objectives capture what you wish to explore or contribute to existing knowledge.
Specific objectives break down the general objectives into measurable outcomes. They are precise, detailing the steps needed to achieve the broader goals of your study. They often correspond to different aspects of your research question , ensuring a comprehensive approach to your study.

To illustrate, consider a research project on the impact of digital marketing on consumer behavior. A general objective might be “to explore the influence of digital marketing on consumer purchasing decisions.” Specific objectives could include “to assess the effectiveness of social media advertising in enhancing brand awareness” and “to evaluate the impact of email marketing on customer loyalty.”

Aligning Objectives with Research Questions and Hypotheses

The harmony between what research objectives should be, questions, and hypotheses is critical. Objectives define what you aim to achieve; research questions specify what you seek to understand, and hypotheses predict the expected outcomes.

This alignment ensures a coherent and focused research endeavor. Achieving it necessitates a thoughtful consideration of how each component interrelates, ensuring that the objectives are not only ambitious but also directly answerable through the research questions and testable via the hypotheses. This interconnectedness facilitates a streamlined approach to the research process, enabling researchers to systematically address each aspect of their study in a logical sequence. Moreover, it enhances the clarity and precision of the research, making it easier for peers and stakeholders to grasp the study’s direction and potential contributions.

Role of Research Objectives in Various Research Phases

Throughout the research process, objectives guide your choices and strategies – from selecting the appropriate research design and methods to analyzing data and interpreting results. They are the criteria against which you measure the success of your study. In the initial stages, research objectives inform the selection of a topic, helping to narrow down a broad area of interest into a focused question that can be explored in depth. During the methodology phase, they dictate the type of data needed and the best methods for obtaining that data, ensuring that every step taken is purposeful and aligned with the study’s goals. As the research progresses, objectives provide a framework for analyzing the collected data, guiding the researcher in identifying patterns, drawing conclusions, and making informed decisions.

Crafting Effective Research Objectives

The effective objective of research is pivotal in laying the groundwork for a successful investigation. These objectives clarify the focus of your study and determine its direction and scope. Ensuring that your objectives are well-defined and aligned with the SMART criteria is crucial for setting a strong foundation for your research.

Key characteristics of well-defined research objectives

Well-defined research objectives are characterized by the SMART criteria – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Specific objectives clearly define what you plan to achieve, eliminating any ambiguity. Measurable objectives allow you to track progress and assess the outcome. Achievable objectives are realistic, considering the research sources and time available. Relevant objectives align with the broader goals of your field or research question. Finally, Time-bound objectives have a clear timeline for completion, adding urgency and a schedule to your work.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Formulate Both General and Specific Research Objectives

So lets get to the part, how to write research objectives properly?

Understand the issue or gap in existing knowledge your study aims to address.
Gain insights into how similar challenges have been approached to refine your objectives.
Articulate the broad goal of research based on your understanding of the problem.
Detail the specific aspects of your research, ensuring they are actionable and measurable.

How to Know When Your Objectives Need Refinement

Your objectives of research may require refinement if they lack clarity, feasibility, or alignment with the research problem. If you find yourself struggling to design experiments or methods that directly address your objectives, or if the objectives seem too broad or not directly related to your research question, it’s likely time for refinement. Additionally, objectives in research proposal that do not facilitate a clear measurement of success indicate a need for a more precise definition. Refinement involves ensuring that each objective is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, enhancing your research’s overall focus and impact.

Research Objectives Examples in Different Fields

The application of research objectives spans various academic disciplines, each with its unique focus and methodologies. To illustrate how the objectives of the study guide a research paper across different fields, here are some research objective examples:

In Health Sciences , a research aim may be to “determine the efficacy of a new vaccine in reducing the incidence of a specific disease among a target population within one year.” This objective is specific (efficacy of a new vaccine), measurable (reduction in disease incidence), achievable (with the right study design and sample size), relevant (to public health), and time-bound (within one year).
In Environmental Studies , the study objectives could be “to assess the impact of air pollution on urban biodiversity over a decade.” This reflects a commitment to understanding the long-term effects of human activities on urban ecosystems, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning.
In Economics , an example objective of a study might be “to analyze the relationship between fiscal policies and unemployment rates in developing countries over the past twenty years.” This seeks to explore macroeconomic trends and inform policymaking, highlighting the role of economic research study in societal development.

These examples of research objectives describe the versatility and significance of research objectives in guiding scholarly inquiry across different domains. By setting clear, well-defined objectives, researchers can ensure their studies are focused and impactful and contribute valuable knowledge to their respective fields.

Defining research studies objectives and problem statement is not just a preliminary step, but a continuous guiding force throughout the research journey. These goals of research illuminate the path forward and ensure that every stride taken is meaningful and aligned with the ultimate goals of the inquiry. Whether through the meticulous application of the SMART criteria or the strategic alignment with research questions and hypotheses, the rigor in crafting and refining these objectives underscores the integrity and relevance of the research. As scholars venture into the vast terrains of knowledge, the clarity, and precision of their objectives serve as beacons of light, steering their explorations toward discoveries that advance academic discourse and resonate with the broader societal needs.

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Crafting Clear Pathways: Writing Objectives in Research Papers

Struggling to write research objectives? Follow our easy steps to learn how to craft effective and compelling objectives in research papers.

Are you struggling to define the goals and direction of your research ? Are you losing yourself while doing research and tend to go astray from the intended research topic? Fear not, as many face the same problem and it is quite understandable to overcome this, a concept called research objective comes into play here.

In this article, we’ll delve into the world of the objectives in research papers and why they are essential for a successful study. We will be studying what they are and how they are used in research.

What is a Research Objective?

A research objective is a clear and specific goal that a researcher aims to achieve through a research study. It serves as a roadmap for the research, providing direction and focus. Research objectives are formulated based on the research questions or hypotheses, and they help in defining the scope of the study and guiding the research design and methodology . They also assist in evaluating the success and outcomes of the research.

Types of Research Objectives

There are typically three main types of objectives in a research paper:

Exploratory Objectives: These objectives are focused on gaining a deeper understanding of a particular phenomenon, topic, or issue. Exploratory research objectives aim to explore and identify new ideas, insights, or patterns that were previously unknown or poorly understood. This type of objective is commonly used in preliminary or qualitative studies.
Descriptive Objectives: Descriptive objectives seek to describe and document the characteristics, behaviors, or attributes of a specific population, event, or phenomenon. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive and accurate account of the subject of study. Descriptive research objectives often involve collecting and analyzing data through surveys, observations, or archival research.
Explanatory or Causal Objectives: Explanatory objectives aim to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables or factors. These objectives focus on understanding why certain events or phenomena occur and how they are related to each other.

Also Read: What are the types of research?

Steps for Writing Objectives in Research Paper

1. identify the research topic:.

Clearly define the subject or topic of your research. This will provide a broad context for developing specific research objectives.

2. Conduct a Literature Review

Review existing literature and research related to your topic. This will help you understand the current state of knowledge, identify any research gaps, and refine your research objectives accordingly.

3. Identify the Research Questions or Hypotheses

Formulate specific research questions or hypotheses that you want to address in your study. These questions should be directly related to your research topic and guide the development of your research objectives.

4. Focus on Specific Goals

Break down the broader research questions or hypothesis into specific goals or objectives. Each objective should focus on a particular aspect of your research topic and be achievable within the scope of your study.

5. Use Clear and Measurable Language

Write your research objectives using clear and precise language. Avoid vague terms and use specific and measurable terms that can be observed, analyzed, or measured.

6. Consider Feasibility

Ensure that your research objectives are feasible within the available resources, time constraints, and ethical considerations. They should be realistic and attainable given the limitations of your study.

7. Prioritize Objectives

If you have multiple research objectives, prioritize them based on their importance and relevance to your overall research goals. This will help you allocate resources and focus your efforts accordingly.

8. Review and Refine

Review your research objectives to ensure they align with your research questions or hypotheses, and revise them if necessary. Seek feedback from peers or advisors to ensure clarity and coherence.

Tips for Writing Objectives in Research Paper

1. be clear and specific.

Clearly state what you intend to achieve with your research. Use specific language that leaves no room for ambiguity or confusion. This ensures that your objectives are well-defined and focused.

2. Use Action Verbs

Begin each research objective with an action verb that describes a measurable action or outcome. This helps make your objectives more actionable and measurable.

3. Align with Research Questions or Hypotheses

Your research objectives should directly address the research questions or hypotheses you have formulated. Ensure there is a clear connection between them to maintain coherence in your study.

4. Be Realistic and Feasible

Set research objectives that are attainable within the constraints of your study, including available resources, time, and ethical considerations. Unrealistic objectives may undermine the validity and reliability of your research.

5. Consider Relevance and Significance

Your research objectives should be relevant to your research topic and contribute to the broader field of study. Consider the potential impact and significance of achieving the objectives.

SMART Goals for Writing Research Objectives

To ensure that your research objectives are well-defined and effectively guide your study, you can apply the SMART framework. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Here’s how you can make your research objectives SMART:

Specific : Clearly state what you want to achieve in a precise and specific manner. Avoid vague or generalized language. Specify the population, variables, or phenomena of interest.
Measurable : Ensure that your research objectives can be quantified or observed in a measurable way. This allows for objective evaluation and assessment of progress.
Achievable : Set research objectives that are realistic and attainable within the available resources, time, and scope of your study. Consider the feasibility of conducting the research and collecting the necessary data.
Relevant : Ensure that your research objectives are directly relevant to your research topic and contribute to the broader knowledge or understanding of the field. They should align with the purpose and significance of your study.
Time-bound : Set a specific timeframe or deadline for achieving your research objectives. This helps create a sense of urgency and provides a clear timeline for your study.

Examples of Research Objectives

Here are some examples of research objectives from various fields of study:

To examine the relationship between social media usage and self-esteem among young adults aged 18-25 in order to understand the potential impact on mental well-being.
To assess the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention in reducing stress levels and improving coping mechanisms among individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
To investigate the factors influencing consumer purchasing decisions in the e-commerce industry, with a focus on the role of online reviews and social media influencers.
To analyze the effects of climate change on the biodiversity of coral reefs in a specific region, using remote sensing techniques and field surveys.

Importance of Research Objectives

Research objectives play a crucial role in the research process and hold significant importance for several reasons:

Guiding the Research Process: Research objectives provide a clear roadmap for the entire research process. They help researchers stay focused and on track, ensuring that the study remains purposeful and relevant.
Defining the Scope of the Study: Research objectives help in determining the boundaries and scope of the study. They clarify what aspects of the research topic will be explored and what will be excluded.
Providing Direction for Data Collection and Analysis: Research objectives assist in identifying the type of data to be collected and the methods of data collection. They also guide the selection of appropriate data analysis techniques.
Evaluating the Success of the Study: Research objectives serve as benchmarks for evaluating the success and outcomes of the research. They provide measurable criteria against which the researcher can assess whether the objectives have been met or not.
Enhancing Communication and Collaboration: Clearly defined research objectives facilitate effective communication and collaboration among researchers, advisors, and stakeholders.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Writing Research Objectives

When writing research objectives, it’s important to be aware of common mistakes and pitfalls that can undermine the effectiveness and clarity of your objectives. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Vague or Ambiguous Language: One of the key mistakes is using vague or ambiguous language that lacks specificity. Ensure that your research objectives are clearly and precisely stated, leaving no room for misinterpretation or confusion.
Lack of Measurability: Research objectives should be measurable, meaning that they should allow for the collection of data or evidence that can be quantified or observed. Avoid setting objectives that cannot be measured or assessed objectively.
Lack of Alignment with Research Questions or Hypotheses: Your research objectives should directly align with the research questions or hypotheses you have formulated. Make sure there is a clear connection between them to maintain coherence in your study.
Overgeneralization : Avoid writing research objectives that are too broad or encompass too many variables or phenomena. Overgeneralized objectives may lead to a lack of focus or feasibility in conducting the research.
Unrealistic or Unattainable Objectives: Ensure that your research objectives are realistic and attainable within the available resources, time, and scope of your study. Setting unrealistic objectives may compromise the validity and reliability of your research.

In conclusion, research objectives are integral to the success and effectiveness of any research study. They provide a clear direction, focus, and purpose, guiding the entire research process from start to finish. By formulating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives, researchers can define the scope of their study, guide data collection and analysis, and evaluate the outcomes of their research.

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Crafting Clear Pathways: Writing Objectives in Research Papers

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Sowjanya is a passionate writer and an avid reader. She holds MBA in Agribusiness Management and now is working as a content writer. She loves to play with words and hopes to make a difference in the world through her writings. Apart from writing, she is interested in reading fiction novels and doing craftwork. She also loves to travel and explore different cuisines and spend time with her family and friends.

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Aims and Objectives – A Guide for Academic Writing
Doing a PhD

One of the most important aspects of a thesis, dissertation or research paper is the correct formulation of the aims and objectives. This is because your aims and objectives will establish the scope, depth and direction that your research will ultimately take. An effective set of aims and objectives will give your research focus and your reader clarity, with your aims indicating what is to be achieved, and your objectives indicating how it will be achieved.

Introduction

There is no getting away from the importance of the aims and objectives in determining the success of your research project. Unfortunately, however, it is an aspect that many students struggle with, and ultimately end up doing poorly. Given their importance, if you suspect that there is even the smallest possibility that you belong to this group of students, we strongly recommend you read this page in full.

This page describes what research aims and objectives are, how they differ from each other, how to write them correctly, and the common mistakes students make and how to avoid them. An example of a good aim and objectives from a past thesis has also been deconstructed to help your understanding.

What Are Aims and Objectives?

Research aims.

A research aim describes the main goal or the overarching purpose of your research project.

In doing so, it acts as a focal point for your research and provides your readers with clarity as to what your study is all about. Because of this, research aims are almost always located within its own subsection under the introduction section of a research document, regardless of whether it’s a thesis , a dissertation, or a research paper .

A research aim is usually formulated as a broad statement of the main goal of the research and can range in length from a single sentence to a short paragraph. Although the exact format may vary according to preference, they should all describe why your research is needed (i.e. the context), what it sets out to accomplish (the actual aim) and, briefly, how it intends to accomplish it (overview of your objectives).

To give an example, we have extracted the following research aim from a real PhD thesis:

Example of a Research Aim

The role of diametrical cup deformation as a factor to unsatisfactory implant performance has not been widely reported. The aim of this thesis was to gain an understanding of the diametrical deformation behaviour of acetabular cups and shells following impaction into the reamed acetabulum. The influence of a range of factors on deformation was investigated to ascertain if cup and shell deformation may be high enough to potentially contribute to early failure and high wear rates in metal-on-metal implants.

Note: Extracted with permission from thesis titled “T he Impact And Deformation Of Press-Fit Metal Acetabular Components ” produced by Dr H Hothi of previously Queen Mary University of London.

Research Objectives

Where a research aim specifies what your study will answer, research objectives specify how your study will answer it.

They divide your research aim into several smaller parts, each of which represents a key section of your research project. As a result, almost all research objectives take the form of a numbered list, with each item usually receiving its own chapter in a dissertation or thesis.

Following the example of the research aim shared above, here are it’s real research objectives as an example:

Example of a Research Objective

Develop finite element models using explicit dynamics to mimic mallet blows during cup/shell insertion, initially using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum.
Investigate the number, velocity and position of impacts needed to insert a cup.
Determine the relationship between the size of interference between the cup and cavity and deformation for different cup types.
Investigate the influence of non-uniform cup support and varying the orientation of the component in the cavity on deformation.
Examine the influence of errors during reaming of the acetabulum which introduce ovality to the cavity.
Determine the relationship between changes in the geometry of the component and deformation for different cup designs.
Develop three dimensional pelvis models with non-uniform bone material properties from a range of patients with varying bone quality.
Use the key parameters that influence deformation, as identified in the foam models to determine the range of deformations that may occur clinically using the anatomic models and if these deformations are clinically significant.

It’s worth noting that researchers sometimes use research questions instead of research objectives, or in other cases both. From a high-level perspective, research questions and research objectives make the same statements, but just in different formats.

Taking the first three research objectives as an example, they can be restructured into research questions as follows:

Restructuring Research Objectives as Research Questions

Can finite element models using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum together with explicit dynamics be used to mimic mallet blows during cup/shell insertion?
What is the number, velocity and position of impacts needed to insert a cup?
What is the relationship between the size of interference between the cup and cavity and deformation for different cup types?

Difference Between Aims and Objectives

Hopefully the above explanations make clear the differences between aims and objectives, but to clarify:

The research aim focus on what the research project is intended to achieve; research objectives focus on how the aim will be achieved.
Research aims are relatively broad; research objectives are specific.
Research aims focus on a project’s long-term outcomes; research objectives focus on its immediate, short-term outcomes.
A research aim can be written in a single sentence or short paragraph; research objectives should be written as a numbered list.

How to Write Aims and Objectives

Before we discuss how to write a clear set of research aims and objectives, we should make it clear that there is no single way they must be written. Each researcher will approach their aims and objectives slightly differently, and often your supervisor will influence the formulation of yours on the basis of their own preferences.

Regardless, there are some basic principles that you should observe for good practice; these principles are described below.

Your aim should be made up of three parts that answer the below questions:

Why is this research required?
What is this research about?
How are you going to do it?

The easiest way to achieve this would be to address each question in its own sentence, although it does not matter whether you combine them or write multiple sentences for each, the key is to address each one.

The first question, why , provides context to your research project, the second question, what , describes the aim of your research, and the last question, how , acts as an introduction to your objectives which will immediately follow.

Scroll through the image set below to see the ‘why, what and how’ associated with our research aim example.

Note: Your research aims need not be limited to one. Some individuals per to define one broad ‘overarching aim’ of a project and then adopt two or three specific research aims for their thesis or dissertation. Remember, however, that in order for your assessors to consider your research project complete, you will need to prove you have fulfilled all of the aims you set out to achieve. Therefore, while having more than one research aim is not necessarily disadvantageous, consider whether a single overarching one will do.

Research Objectives

Each of your research objectives should be SMART :

Specific – is there any ambiguity in the action you are going to undertake, or is it focused and well-defined?
Measurable – how will you measure progress and determine when you have achieved the action?
Achievable – do you have the support, resources and facilities required to carry out the action?
Relevant – is the action essential to the achievement of your research aim?
Timebound – can you realistically complete the action in the available time alongside your other research tasks?

In addition to being SMART, your research objectives should start with a verb that helps communicate your intent. Common research verbs include:

Table of Research Verbs to Use in Aims and Objectives

Table showing common research verbs which should ideally be used at the start of a research aim or objective.
(Understanding and organising information)	(Solving problems using information)	(reaching conclusion from evidence)	(Breaking down into components)	(Judging merit)
Review Identify Explore Discover Discuss Summarise Describe	Interpret Apply Demonstrate Establish Determine Estimate Calculate Relate	Analyse Compare Inspect Examine Verify Select Test Arrange	Propose Design Formulate Collect Construct Prepare Undertake Assemble	Appraise Evaluate Compare Assess Recommend Conclude Select

Last, format your objectives into a numbered list. This is because when you write your thesis or dissertation, you will at times need to make reference to a specific research objective; structuring your research objectives in a numbered list will provide a clear way of doing this.

To bring all this together, let’s compare the first research objective in the previous example with the above guidance:

Checking Research Objective Example Against Recommended Approach

Research Objective:

1. Develop finite element models using explicit dynamics to mimic mallet blows during cup/shell insertion, initially using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum.

Checking Against Recommended Approach:

Q: Is it specific? A: Yes, it is clear what the student intends to do (produce a finite element model), why they intend to do it (mimic cup/shell blows) and their parameters have been well-defined ( using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum ).

Q: Is it measurable? A: Yes, it is clear that the research objective will be achieved once the finite element model is complete.

Q: Is it achievable? A: Yes, provided the student has access to a computer lab, modelling software and laboratory data.

Q: Is it relevant? A: Yes, mimicking impacts to a cup/shell is fundamental to the overall aim of understanding how they deform when impacted upon.

Q: Is it timebound? A: Yes, it is possible to create a limited-scope finite element model in a relatively short time, especially if you already have experience in modelling.

Q: Does it start with a verb? A: Yes, it starts with ‘develop’, which makes the intent of the objective immediately clear.

Q: Is it a numbered list? A: Yes, it is the first research objective in a list of eight.

Mistakes in Writing Research Aims and Objectives

1. making your research aim too broad.

Having a research aim too broad becomes very difficult to achieve. Normally, this occurs when a student develops their research aim before they have a good understanding of what they want to research. Remember that at the end of your project and during your viva defence , you will have to prove that you have achieved your research aims; if they are too broad, this will be an almost impossible task. In the early stages of your research project, your priority should be to narrow your study to a specific area. A good way to do this is to take the time to study existing literature, question their current approaches, findings and limitations, and consider whether there are any recurring gaps that could be investigated .

Note: Achieving a set of aims does not necessarily mean proving or disproving a theory or hypothesis, even if your research aim was to, but having done enough work to provide a useful and original insight into the principles that underlie your research aim.

2. Making Your Research Objectives Too Ambitious

Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time you have available. It is natural to want to set ambitious research objectives that require sophisticated data collection and analysis, but only completing this with six months before the end of your PhD registration period is not a worthwhile trade-off.

3. Formulating Repetitive Research Objectives

Each research objective should have its own purpose and distinct measurable outcome. To this effect, a common mistake is to form research objectives which have large amounts of overlap. This makes it difficult to determine when an objective is truly complete, and also presents challenges in estimating the duration of objectives when creating your project timeline. It also makes it difficult to structure your thesis into unique chapters, making it more challenging for you to write and for your audience to read.

Fortunately, this oversight can be easily avoided by using SMART objectives.

Hopefully, you now have a good idea of how to create an effective set of aims and objectives for your research project, whether it be a thesis, dissertation or research paper. While it may be tempting to dive directly into your research, spending time on getting your aims and objectives right will give your research clear direction. This won’t only reduce the likelihood of problems arising later down the line, but will also lead to a more thorough and coherent research project.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a research objective.

Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarise the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

Frequently asked questions: Dissertation

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis or dissertation, directly after the title page and before the abstract .

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation, you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimising confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation and displays them with the page number where they can be found.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organise your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation, such as:

Your anticipated title
Your abstract
Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review, research methods, avenues for future research, etc.)

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 150–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

The abstract appears on its own page, after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion…”)
Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g. “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5-7% of your overall word count.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

A restatement of your research question
A summary of your key arguments and/or results
A short discussion of the implications of your research

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

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Defining Research Objectives: How To Write Them

Almost all industries use research for growth and development. Research objectives are how researchers ensure that their study has direction and makes a significant contribution to growing an industry or niche.

Research objectives provide a clear and concise statement of what the researcher wants to find out. As a researcher, you need to clearly outline and define research objectives to guide the research process and ensure that the study is relevant and generates the impact you want.

In this article, we will explore research objectives and how to leverage them to achieve successful research studies.

What Are Research Objectives?

Research objectives are what you want to achieve through your research study. They guide your research process and help you focus on the most important aspects of your topic.

You can also define the scope of your study and set realistic and attainable study goals with research objectives. For example, with clear research objectives, your study focuses on the specific goals you want to achieve and prevents you from spending time and resources collecting unnecessary data.

However, sticking to research objectives isn’t always easy, especially in broad or unconventional research. This is why most researchers follow the SMART criteria when defining their research objectives.

Understanding SMART Criteria in Research

Think of research objectives as a roadmap to achieving your research goals, with the SMART criteria as your navigator on the map.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you ensure that your research objectives are clear, specific, realistic, meaningful, and time-bound.

Here’s a breakdown of the SMART Criteria:

Specific : Your research objectives should be clear: what do you want to achieve, why do you want to achieve it, and how do you plan to achieve it? Avoid vague or broad statements that don’t provide enough direction for your research.

Measurable : Your research objectives should have metrics that help you track your progress and measure your results. Also, ensure the metrics are measurable with data to verify them.

Achievable : Your research objectives should be within your research scope, timeframe, and budget. Also, set goals that are challenging but not impossible.

Relevant: Your research objectives should be in line with the goal and significance of your study. Also, ensure that the objectives address a specific issue or knowledge gap that is interesting and relevant to your industry or niche.

Time-bound : Your research objectives should have a specific deadline or timeframe for completion. This will help you carefully set a schedule for your research activities and milestones and monitor your study progress.

Characteristics of Effective Research Objectives

Clarity : Your objectives should be clear and unambiguous so that anyone who reads them can understand what you intend to do. Avoid vague or general terms that could be taken out of context.

Specificity : Your objectives should be specific and address the research questions that you have formulated. Do not use broad or narrow objectives as they may restrict your field of research or make your research irrelevant.

Measurability : Define your metrics with indicators or metrics that help you determine if you’ve accomplished your goals or not. This will ensure you are tracking the research progress and making interventions when needed.

Also, do use objectives that are subjective or based on personal opinions, as they may be difficult to accurately verify and measure.

Achievability : Your objectives should be realistic and attainable, given the resources and time available for your research project. You should set objectives that match your skills and capabilities, they can be difficult but not so hard that they are realistically unachievable.

For example, setting very difficult make you lose confidence, and abandon your research. Also, setting very simple objectives could demotivate you and prevent you from closing the knowledge gap or making significant contributions to your field with your research.

Relevance : Your objectives should be relevant to your research topic and contribute to the existing knowledge in your field. Avoid objectives that are unrelated or insignificant, as they may waste your time or resources.

Time-bound : Your objectives should be time-bound and specify when you will complete them. Have a realistic and flexible timeframe for achieving your objectives, and track your progress with it.

Steps to Writing Research Objectives

Identify the research questions.

The first step in writing effective research objectives is to identify the research questions that you are trying to answer. Research questions help you narrow down your topic and identify the gaps or problems that you want to address with your research.

For example, if you are interested in the impact of technology on children’s development, your research questions could be:

What is the relationship between technology use and academic performance among children?
Are children who use technology more likely to do better in school than those who do not?
What is the social and psychological impact of technology use on children?

Brainstorm Objectives

Once you have your research questions, you can brainstorm possible objectives that relate to them. Objectives are more specific than research questions, and they tell you what you want to achieve or learn in your research.

You can use verbs such as analyze, compare, evaluate, explore, investigate, etc. to express your objectives. Also, try to generate as many objectives as possible, without worrying about their quality or feasibility at this stage.

Prioritize Objectives

Once you’ve brainstormed your objectives, you’ll need to prioritize them based on their relevance and feasibility. Relevance is how relevant the objective is to your research topic and how well it fits into your overall research objective.

Feasibility is how realistic and feasible the objective is compared to the time, money, and expertise you have. You can create a matrix or ranking system to organize your objectives and pick the ones that matter the most.

Refine Objectives

The next step is to refine and revise your objectives to ensure clarity and specificity. Start by ensuring that your objectives are consistent and coherent with each other and with your research questions.

Make Objectives SMART

A useful way to refine your objectives is to make them SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Specific : Objectives should clearly state what you hope to achieve.
Measurable : They should be able to be quantified or evaluated.
Achievable : realistic and within the scope of the research study.
Relevant : They should be directly related to the research questions.
Time-bound : specific timeframe for research completion.

Review and Finalize Objectives

The final step is to review your objectives for coherence and alignment with your research questions and aim. Ensure your objectives are logically connected and consistent with each other and with the purpose of your study.

You also need to check that your objectives are not too broad or too narrow, too easy or too hard, too many or too few. You can use a checklist or a rubric to evaluate your objectives and make modifications.

Examples of Well-Written Research Objectives

Example 1- Psychology

Research question: What are the effects of social media use on teenagers’ mental health?

Objective : To determine the relationship between the amount of time teenagers in the US spend on social media and their levels of anxiety and depression before and after using social media.

What Makes the Research Objective SMART?

The research objective is specific because it clearly states what the researcher hopes to achieve. It is measurable because it can be quantified by measuring the levels of anxiety and depression in teenagers.

Also, the objective is achievable because the researcher can collect enough data to answer the research question. It is relevant because it is directly related to the research question. It is time-bound because it has a specific deadline for completion.

Example 2- Marketing

Research question : How can a company increase its brand awareness by 10%?

Objective : To develop a marketing strategy that will increase the company’s sales by 10% within the next quarter.

How Is this Research Objective SMART?

The research states what the researcher hopes to achieve ( Specific ). You can also measure the company’s reach before and after the marketing plan is implemented ( Measurable ).

The research objective is also achievable because you can develop a marketing plan that will increase awareness by 10% within the timeframe. The objective is directly related to the research question ( Relevant ). It is also time-bound because it has a specific deadline for completion.

Research objectives are a well-designed roadmap to completing and achieving your overall research goal.

However, research goals are only effective if they are well-defined and backed up with the best practices such as the SMART criteria. Properly defining research objectives will help you plan and conduct your research project effectively and efficiently.

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Research Objectives
Your research objectives may evolve slightly as your research progresses, but they should always line up with the research carried out and the actual content of your paper. Research aims. A distinction is often made between research objectives and research aims. A research aim typically refers to a broad statement indicating the general purpose ...
What Are Research Objectives and How to Write Them (with Examples)
Characteristics of research objectives. Research objectives must start with the word "To" because this helps readers identify the objective in the absence of headings and appropriate sectioning in research papers. 5,6. A good objective is SMART (mostly applicable to specific objectives): Specific—clear about the what, why, when, and how
Research Objectives
Research Objectives. Research objectives refer to the specific goals or aims of a research study. They provide a clear and concise description of what the researcher hopes to achieve by conducting the research.The objectives are typically based on the research questions and hypotheses formulated at the beginning of the study and are used to guide the research process.
How do I write a research objective?
Once you've decided on your research objectives, you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement. Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one. Example: Verbs for research objectives I will assess … I will compare …
What is a Research Objective? Definition, Types, Examples and Best
A research objective is defined as a clear and concise statement of the specific goals and aims of a research study. It outlines what the researcher intends to accomplish and what they hope to learn or discover through their research. Research objectives are crucial for guiding the research process and ensuring that the study stays focused and ...
21 Research Objectives Examples (Copy and Paste)
Examples of Specific Research Objectives: 1. "To examine the effects of rising temperatures on the yield of rice crops during the upcoming growth season.". 2. "To assess changes in rainfall patterns in major agricultural regions over the first decade of the twenty-first century (2000-2010).". 3.
Writing the Research Objectives: 5 Straightforward Examples
5 Examples of Research Objectives. The following examples of research objectives based on several published studies on various topics demonstrate how the research objectives are written: This study aims to find out if there is a difference in quiz scores between students exposed to direct instruction and flipped classrooms (Webb and Doman, 2016).
Research Questions, Objectives & Aims (+ Examples)
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The objectives provide a clear direction and purpose for the study, guiding the researcher in their data collection and analysis. Here are some tips on how to write effective research objective: 1. Be clear and specific. Research objective should be written in a clear and specific manner.
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How to Write Research Objectives
To develop a set of research objectives, you would then break down the various steps involved in meeting said aim. For example: This study will investigate the link between dehydration and the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in intensive care patients in Australia. To achieve this, the study objectives w ill include:
How to Write Research Objectives
Step 3: Follow your resources and do not promise too much. Do not promise something you cannot achieve in your objectives of research paper. Keep things limited and focus on existing research and prior work, as it will help to show why your work is different and what similarities are present.
What is a Research Objective?
Research objective. A research objective, also known as a goal or an objective, is a sentence or question that summarizes the purpose of your study or test. In other words, it's an idea you want to understand deeper by performing research. Objectives should be the driving force behind every task you assign and each question that you ask.
Research Objectives: What They Are and How to Write Them
Research Objectives Examples in Different Fields. The application of research objectives spans various academic disciplines, each with its unique focus and methodologies. To illustrate how the objectives of the study guide a research paper across different fields, here are some research objective examples:
Crafting Clear Pathways: Writing Objectives in Research Papers
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A research objective must be achievable, i.e., it must be framed keeping in mind the available time, infrastructure required for research, and other resources. The objectives of your research lay down specific milestones or stages that you will reach in order to accomplish your goals. They are precise steps that will guide you through your ...
What is a research objective?
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The objective of this paper is to provide step by step guides to analyse quantitative data. A common research topic on diabetes is used to illustrate the approach in data analysis.
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What Are Research Objectives and How to Write Them (with Examples)

Introduction

What is the introduction in research papers?

Why are research objectives important?

Types of research objectives

Characteristics of research objectives

How to write research objectives?

Formulating research objectives

Advantages of research objectives

Disadvantages of research objectives

Key takeaways

Frequently asked questions on research objectives

Q: What are the examples of research objectives, both general and specific?

Q: How do I develop research objectives?

Q: Are research objectives measurable?

Q: Can research objectives change during the study?

Q: What is the difference between research questions and research objectives? 10

Q: Are research objectives the same as hypotheses?

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Research Objectives

Types of Research Objectives

How to Write Research Objectives

Example of Research Objectives

When to Write Research Objectives

Purpose of Research Objectives

Advantages of Research Objectives

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

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