When writing a dissertation, you must choose the appropriate aims and objectives. Explaining research aims and objectives is essential as it helps the students focus on the research topic and clarifies the readers’ minds regarding the achievement of the research study.
This blog will give you research aims and objectives examples, all the necessary information, the difference between aims and objectives, writing tips, and the common mistakes you should avoid while writing your research.
What Are the Aims and Objectives?
Research Aim
The research aims to explain the purpose of the study, stating what that study will achieve. It directs the researcher in selecting questionnaires, methods, and data analysis to address specific objectives and contribute to existing knowledge in the research. It is usually created as a statement of the main goal of the dissertation and can range in length from a single sentence to a short paragraph. You should describe why your research is important, the actual aim of the study, and an overview of your objectives.
Example
The aim of the study example is given to help you better understand the aims.
It is observed that employees with social anxiety survive to work effectively in a team. This research identifies the Impact of social anxiety on job satisfaction for employees who lose their creativity. In this research, we will use surveys and case study analysis to check the impact of social anxiety on employee job satisfaction.
Research Objectives
When a research aim defines what your study will answer, research objectives specify how it will answer it. Objective divides your research into chunks, representing the critical section of your research project. As a result, the research objective takes the form of a numbered list, with each item usually receiving its chapter in a dissertation or marketing research papers.
Example
The number of objectives should be authentic, usually between three and six, and each should be achievable. These are the following research objective examples for your better understanding.
- Investigate the cause of social anxiety
- Identifying the characteristics that can cause social anxiety in employees
- Exploring the relationship between social anxiety and job satisfaction of employees
- Provide suitable suggestions on underrating social anxiety in the workplace
Smart
The term used for the objective is smart, which means your research objective should be smart, which stands for
- S is specific
- M is measurable
- A is achievable
- R is relevant
- T is time-bound
Let’s understand them one by one
Specific
You should focus and clearly define your research objectives to achieve useful results.
Measurable
The result should be measurable, and you should be able to determine when you have achieved an objective.
Achievable
You should be able to carry out the required action using your available resources.
Relevant
It should be relevant to the dissertation aim.
Time-bound
It should be possible within the available time.
Difference Between Aims and Objectives
Above, we define the aims and research objective examples. Hopefully, the example will make you clear what aims and objectives but for further clarification, here is the difference between them
- The aims concentrate on what the research project is intended to achieve.
- The aims of the research are relatively broad, and objectives are specific
- The research focuses on a long-term outcome, and the objective focuses on quick, short-term outcomes.
- The research aims should be written in paragraphs, and objectives in numbered lists.
How to write aims and objectives?
There is no particular way or standard to write the aims and objectives. Different researchers have different writing styles, and often it can be influenced by your research supervisor. Moreover, you should follow the basic principles while writing aims and objectives in a dissertation.
Writing aims of research
These are the basic principles you should follow in the research aim statement.
- Why is this research necessary?
- Explain the research, including the title or description
- How are you going to conduct this research?
The research aim should be clearly defined without confusing the readers.
Writing research objectives
When writing an objective, the first question is how to write objectives of the study. The objectives explain how you would achieve your research aim. The following methods can be used to write research objectives:
- Organizing your goals, simply and clearly state your key research question.
- Explain the purpose of your study, which is comparable to the research question but expresses the desired results in greater detail.
- Create more categories from this primary aim to help you formulate your objectives.
- Reduce the amount of goals to two generally or three and four specifically
- Evaluate every goal using the SMART
- Employing appropriate language to make the study seem more actionable, begin each objective with an action verb such as assess, compare, decide, evaluate, etc
- Employ precise wording without overloading the phrase with information.
- Putting the study goals in writing
- The objectives are frequently added after the problem description and the introduction.
- The final objective should include a conclusion and recommendation.
How many aims and objectives should be there?
After understanding how to write aims and objectives, the next question is how many objectives a research should have. Well, it depends on your research topic and your supervisor’s requirements. A dissertation typically expresses its research aim through a single broad statement.
In research, the number of objectives should be appropriate, often ranging from three to six, depending on the goal.
Common mistakes to avoid while establishing research goals and objectives
These are the following tips to help you avoid common mistakes when writing research aims and objectives.
Writing a broad statement
Writing a broad research aim is a common mistake, making it challenging. Proving how you achieved your aims in your viva defence may be problematic. Narrow down the scope of your study to a specific area in the initial stages of the dissertation.
Creating overlapping goals for research
Establishing the objectives measurably and distinctly from one another is essential. Organising your dissertation into specific chapters is challenging if the content is overlapping.
Setting unrealistic aims
It’s common for students to be overly ambitious when explaining their research aim, which can direct to problems in achieving those aims later on. Be realistic about what you can achieve within the available time and resources. Aims and objectives are important sections that need significant attention to ensure you can handle the problems while conducting research and writing your dissertation.
To Sum it Up
When writing a dissertation, it’s important to comprehend and distinguish between aims and objectives. Aims direct to your research goals, while the objective outlines the specific steps you will take to achieve them.it is crucial that your aims statement is not broad and that objectives don’t overlap. The clear and concise writing will make your research more effective. Moreover, you can see aims and research objectives examples to help you understand how to write them correctly.