This guide will tell you about the research objectives of a research paper. It is one of the most important aspects to make clear. In the introduction, research objectives showcase what your research strives to accomplish. We shall focus on the steps to write research objectives and share tips to make your research objectives sound confident. An example will be provided too.
What are research objectives, and why are they important?
A definition research objective can be compared to a goal of your paper that speaks about what you would like to achieve. It is an envisioned outcome that you plan to reach as you conduct your research. It can be both theoretical and practical, as you outline it. It can be summed up with a single sentence or several sentences summarizing the purpose of your research paper or a lab assignment. In this part, you should not explain your methods but set your objectives.
Research paper objectives are essential because they tend to outline the depth of your research by narrowing things down. When an average college professor or a scientist starts reading your paper, this section is crucial because it shows what it aims to achieve. It also helps to avoid doing certain work that should not be done. It also helps to determine what research methods can be used (in theory and practice) and what conclusions can be made.
Step-by-step research objectives writing guide
Contrary to popular belief, composing research objectives is not that challenging as long as you have your thesis and set your topic straight. Here are the steps that you should take to achieve success with your objectives:
Step 1: Provide the major background of your research
Offer background information about your research purpose and add information that shows why your work is important and why it is essential to do this study.
Step 2: Mention several objectives from the most to least important aspects
It is important to provide your main goals and arguments from the strongest to the weakest argument. Keep your objectives clear and add several examples if and when necessary to outline the purpose.
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.
Step 4: Keep your objectives and limitations mentioned
If there are any limitations that you already have, make sure to mention them and talk about your objectives through the lens of the current setting.
Step 5: Provide action verbs and tone
Keep your tone specific and make it possible to achieve in terms of resources, skills, and time. Writing research objectives, use action verbs to help add more confidence.
Helpful tips for writing research objectives
Although it is not possible to provide a universal template for research objectives as there are many research paper types and subjects, these tips will help you achieve more clarity and make your assignment stand out from the rest:
- 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
Before we proceed with the research objectives example, it must be mentioned that it comes after the research question section and the research aim part. As a rule, it comes down to three different objectives. If we explore the subject of youth movements in Belgium as a subject, three research objectives examples would be as follows:
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.
