What is the goals of research
What is Research? - Purpose of Research
Summary
The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas. A research purpose is met through forming hypotheses, collecting data, analysing results, forming conclusions, implementing findings into real-life applications and forming new research questions.
What is Research
Simply put, research is the process of discovering new knowledge. This knowledge can be either the development of new concepts or the advancement of existing knowledge and theories, leading to a new understanding that was not previously known.
As a more formal definition of research, the following has been extracted from the Code of Federal Regulations:
“Research is a systematic investigation (i.e. the gathering and analysis of information) designed to develop or contribute to generalisable knowledge”
While research can be carried out by anyone and in any field, most research is usually done to broaden knowledge in the physical, biological, and social worlds. This can range from learning why certain materials behave the way they do, to asking why certain people are more resilient than others when faced with the same challenges.
The use of ‘systematic investigation’ in the formal definition represents how research is normally conducted – a hypothesis is formed, appropriate research methods are designed, data is collected and analysed, and research results are summarised into one or more ‘research conclusions’. These research conclusions are then shared with the rest of the scientific community to add to the existing knowledge and serve as evidence to form additional questions that can be investigated. It is this cyclical process that enables scientific research to make continuous progress over the years; the true purpose of research.
What is the Purpose of Research
From weather forecasts to the discovery of antibiotics, researchers are constantly trying to find new ways to understand the world and how things work – with the ultimate goal of improving our lives.
The purpose of research is therefore to find out what is known, what is not and what we can develop further. In this way, scientists can develop new theories, ideas and products that shape our society and our everyday lives.
The purpose of research is to further understand the world and to learn how this knowledge can be applied to better everyday life. It is an integral part of problem solving.
Although research can take many forms, there are three main purposes of research:
- Exploratory: Exploratory research is the first research to be conducted around a problem that has not yet been clearly defined. Exploration research therefore aims to gain a better understanding of the exact nature of the problem and not to provide a conclusive answer to the problem itself. This enables us to conduct more in-depth research later on.
- Descriptive: Descriptive research expands knowledge of a research problem or phenomenon by describing it according to its characteristics and population.
Descriptive research focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘what’, but not on the ‘why’. - Explanatory: Explanatory research, also referred to as casual research, is conducted to determine how variables interact, i.e. to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Explanatory research deals with the ‘why’ of research questions and is therefore often based on experiments.
Characteristics of Research
There are 8 core characteristics that all research projects should have. These are:
- Empirical – based on proven scientific methods derived from real-life observations and experiments.
- Logical – follows sequential procedures based on valid principles.
- Cyclic – research begins with a question and ends with a question, i.e. research should lead to a new line of questioning.
- Controlled – vigorous measures put into place to keep all variables constant, except those under investigation.
- Hypothesis-based – the research design generates data that sufficiently meets the research objectives and can prove or disprove the hypothesis. It makes the research study repeatable and gives credibility to the results.
- Analytical – data is generated, recorded and analysed using proven techniques to ensure high accuracy and repeatability while minimising potential errors and anomalies.
- Objective – sound judgement is used by the researcher to ensure that the research findings are valid.
- Statistical treatment – statistical treatment is used to transform the available data into something more meaningful from which knowledge can be gained.
Types of Research
Research can be divided into two main types: basic research (also known as pure research) and applied research.
Basic Research
Basic research, also known as pure research, is an original investigation into the reasons behind a process, phenomenon or particular event.
It focuses on generating knowledge around existing basic principles.
Basic research is generally considered ‘non-commercial research’ because it does not focus on solving practical problems, and has no immediate benefit or ways it can be applied.
For example, a researcher may try to investigate the molecular structure of a material for the purpose of understanding it’s behaviour better as it is not yet well understood.
While basic research may not have direct applications, it usually provides new insights that can later be used in applied research.
Applied Research
Applied research investigates well-known theories and principles in order to enhance knowledge around a practical aim. Because of this, applied research focuses on solving real-life problems by deriving knowledge which has an immediate application.
For example, a person may undertake applied research to investigate whether they can modify the molecular structure of a material for the purpose of making it strong enough to be used in aircraft construction.
Methods of Research
Research methods for data collection fall into one of two categories: inductive methods or deductive methods.
Inductive research methods focus on the analysis of an observation and are usually associated with qualitative research. Deductive research methods focus on the verification of an observation and are typically associated with quantitative research.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is a method that enables non-numerical data collection through open-ended methods such as interviews, case studies and focus groups.
It enables researchers to collect data on personal experiences, feelings or behaviours, as well as the reasons behind them. Because of this, qualitative research is often used in fields such as social science, psychology and philosophy and other areas where it is useful to know the connection between what has occurred and why it has occurred.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is a method that collects and analyses numerical data through statistical analysis.
It allows us to quantify variables, uncover relationships, and make generalisations across a larger population. As a result, quantitative research is often used in the natural and physical sciences such as engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, finance, and medical research, etc.
What does Research Involve?
Research often follows a systematic approach known as a Scientific Method, which is carried out using an hourglass model.
A research project first starts with a problem statement, or rather, the research purpose for engaging in the study. This can take the form of the ‘scope of the study’ or ‘aims and objectives’ of your research topic.
Subsequently, a literature review is carried out and a hypothesis is formed. The researcher then creates a research methodology and collects the data.
The data is then analysed using various statistical methods and the null hypothesis is either accepted or rejected.
In both cases, the study and its conclusion are officially written up as a report or research paper, and the researcher may also recommend lines of further questioning.
The report or research paper is then shared with the wider research community, and the cycle begins all over again.
Although these steps outline the overall research process, keep in mind that research projects are highly dynamic and are therefore considered an iterative process with continued refinements and not a series of fixed stages.
Research: Definition, Characteristics, Goals, Approaches
Research is an original and systematic investigation undertaken to increase existing knowledge and understanding of the unknown to establish facts and principles.
Some people consider research as a voyage of discovery of new knowledge.
It comprises the creation of ideas and the generation of new knowledge that leads to new and improved insights and the development of new materials, devices, products, and processes.
It should have the potential to produce sufficiently relevant results to increase and synthesize existing knowledge or correct and integrate previous knowledge.
Good reflective research produces theories and hypotheses and benefits any intellectual attempt to analyze facts and phenomena.
The word ‘research’ perhaps originates from the old French word “recerchier” which meant to ‘search again.’ It implicitly assumes that the earlier search was not exhaustive and complete; hence, a repeated search is called for.
In practice, ‘research’ refers to a scientific process of generating an unexplored horizon of knowledge, aiming at discovering or establishing facts, solving a problem, and reaching a decision. Keeping the above points in view, we arrive at the following definition of research:
Research Definition
Research is a scientific approach to answering a research question, solving a research problem, or generating new knowledge through a systematic and orderly collection, organization, and analysis of data to make research findings useful in decision-making.
When do we call research scientific? Any research endeavor is said to be scientific if
- It is based on empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning;
- It consists of systematic observations, measurement, and experimentation;
- It relies on the application of the scientific methods and harnessing of curiosity;
- It provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of nature;
- It makes practical applications possible; and
- It ensures adequate analysis of data employing rigorous statistical techniques.
The chief characteristic which distinguishes the scientific method from other methods of acquiring knowledge is that scientists seek to let reality speak for itself, supporting a theory when a theory’s predictions are confirmed and challenging a theory when its predictions prove false.
Scientific research has multidimensional functions, characteristics, and objectives.
Keeping these issues in view, we assert that research in any field or discipline:
- Attempts to solve a research problem;
- Involves gathering new data from primary or first-hand sources or using existing data for a new purpose;
- is based upon observable experiences or empirical evidence;
- Demands accurate observation and description;
- Employs carefully designed procedures and rigorous analysis;
- attempts to find an objective, unbiased solution to the problem and takes great pains to validate the methods employed;
- is a deliberate and unhurried activity that is directional but often refines the problem or questions as the research progresses.
Characteristics of Research
Keeping this in mind that research in any field of inquiry is undertaken to provide information to support decision-making in its respective area, we summarize some desirable characteristics of research:
- The research should focus on priority problems.
- The research should be systematic. It emphasizes that a researcher should employ a structured procedure.
- The research should be logical. Without manipulating ideas logically, the scientific researcher cannot make much progress in any investigation.
- The research should be reductive. This means that one researcher’s findings should be made available to other researchers to prevent them from repeating the same research.
- The research should be replicable. This asserts that there should be scope to confirm previous research findings in a new environment and different settings with a new group of subjects or at a different point in time.
- The research should be generative.
This is one of the valuable characteristics of research because answering one question leads to generating many other new questions. - The research should be action-oriented. In other words, it should be aimed at solving to implement its findings.
- The research should follow an integrated multidisciplinary approach, i.e., research approaches from more than one discipline are needed.
- The research should be participatory, involving all parties concerned (from policymakers down to community members) at all stages of the study.
- The research must be relatively simple, timely, and time-bound, employing a comparatively simple design.
- The research must be as much cost-effective as possible.
- The research results should be presented in formats most useful for administrators, decision-makers, business managers, or community members.
3 Basic Operations of Research
Scientific research in any field of inquiry involves three basic operations:
- Data collection;
- Data analysis;
- Report writing.
- Data collection refers to observing, measuring, and recording data or information.
- Data analysis, on the other hand, refers to arranging and organizing the collected data so that we may be able to find out what their significance is and generalize about them.
- Report writing is the ultimate step of the study. Its purpose is to convey the information contained in it to the readers or audience.
If you note down, for example, the reading habit of newspapers of a group of residents in a community, that would be your data collection.
If you then divide these residents into three categories, ‘regular,’ ‘occasional,’ and ‘never,’ you have performed a simple data analysis. Your findings may now be presented in a report form.
A reader of your report knows what percentage of the community people never read any newspaper and so on.
Here are some examples that demonstrate what research is:
- A farmer is planting two varieties of jute side by side to compare yields;
- A sociologist examines the causes and consequences of divorce;
- An economist is looking at the interdependence of inflation and foreign direct investment;
- A physician is experimenting with the effects of multiple uses of disposable insulin syringes in hospital;
- A business enterprise is examining the effects of advertisement of their products on the volume of sales;
- An economist is doing a cost-benefit analysis of reducing the sales tax on essential commodities;
- The Bangladesh Bank is closely observing and monitoring the performance of nationalized and private banks;
- Based on some prior information, Bank Management plans to open new counters for female customers.
- Supermarket Management is assessing the satisfaction level of the customers with their products.
The above examples are all researching whether the instrument is an electronic microscope, hospital records, a microcomputer, a questionnaire, or a checklist.
Research Motivation – What makes one motivated to do research?
A person may be motivated to undertake research activities because
- He might have genuine interest and curiosity in the existing body of knowledge and understanding of the problem;
- He is looking for answers to questions which remained unanswered so far and trying to unfold the truth;
- The existing tools and techniques are accessible to him, and others may need modification and change to suit the current needs.
One might research ensuring.
- Better livelihood;
- Better career development;
- Higher position, prestige, and dignity in society;
- Academic achievement leading to higher degrees;
- Self-gratification.
At the individual level, the results of the research are used by many:
- A villager is drinking water from an arsenic-free tube well;
- A rural woman is giving more green vegetables to her child than before;
- A cigarette smoker is actively considering quitting smoking;
- An old man is jogging for cardiovascular fitness;
- A sociologist is using newly suggested tools and techniques in poverty measurement.
The above activities are all outcomes of the research.
All involved in the above processes will benefit from the research results. There is hardly any action in everyday life that does not depend upon previous research.
Research in any field of inquiry provides us with the knowledge and skills to solve problems and meet the challenges of a fast-paced decision-making environment.
9 Qualities of Research
Good research generates dependable data. It is conducted by professionals and can be used reliably for decision-making.
It is thus of crucial importance that research should be made acceptable to the audience for which research should possess some desirable qualities in terms of its;
9 qualities of research are;
We enumerate below a few qualities that good research should possess.
Purpose clearly defined
Good research must have its purposes clearly and unambiguously defined.
The problem involved or the decision to be made should be sharply delineated as clearly as possible to demonstrate the credibility of the research.
Research process detailed
The research procedures should be described in sufficient detail to permit other researchers to repeat the research later.
Failure to do so makes it difficult or impossible to estimate the validity and reliability of the results. This weakens the confidence of the readers.
Any recommendations from such research justifiably get little attention from the policymakers and implementation.
Research design planner
The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to yield results that are as objective as possible.
In doing so, care must be taken so that the sample’s representativeness is ensured, relevant literature has been thoroughly searched, experimental controls, whenever necessary, have been followed, and the personal bias in selecting and recording data have been minimized.
Ethical issues considered
A research design should always safeguard against causing mental and physical harm not only to the participants but also those who belong to their organizations.
Careful consideration must also be given to research situations when there is a possibility for exploitation, invasion of privacy, and loss of dignity of all those involved in the study.
Limitations revealed
The researcher should report with complete honesty and frankness any flaws in procedural design; he followed and provided estimates of their effects on the findings.
This enhances the readers’ confidence and makes the report acceptable to the audience. One can legitimately question the value of research where no limitations are reported.
Adequate analysis ensured
Adequate analysis reveals the significance of the data and helps the researcher to check the reliability and validity of his estimates.
Data should, therefore, be analyzed with proper statistical rigor to assist the researcher in reaching firm conclusions.
When statistical methods have been employed, the probability of error should be estimated, and criteria of statistical significance applied.
Findings unambiguously presented
The presentation of the results should be comprehensive, easily understood by the readers, and organized so that the readers can readily locate the critical and central findings.
Conclusions and recommendations justified.
Proper research always specifies the conditions under which the research conclusions seem valid.
Therefore, it is important that any conclusions drawn and recommendations made should be solely based on the findings of the study.
No inferences or generalizations should be made beyond the data.
If this were not followed, the objectivity of the research would tend to decrease, resulting in confidence in the findings.
The researcher’s experiences were reflected.
The research report should contain information about the qualification of the researchers.
If the researcher is experienced, has a good reputation in research, and is a person of integrity, his report is likely to be highly valued. The policymakers feel confident in implementing the recommendation made in such reports.
Goals of Research
The primary goal or purpose of research in any field of inquiry; is to add to what is known about the phenomenon under investigation through applying scientific methods.
Though each research has its own specific goals, we may enumerate the following 4 broad goals of scientific research:
The link between the 4 goals of research and the questions raised in reaching these goals.
| Goals/Purposes of Research | Types of Questions in Research |
|---|---|
| Exploration | What is the full nature of the problem or phenomenon? What is going on? What factors are related to the problem? |
| Description | How prevalent is the problem? What are the characteristics of the problem? What is the process by which the problem is experienced? |
| Explanation | What are the underlying causes of the problem? What do the occurrences of the problem mean? Why does the problem exist? |
| Prediction | If problem X occurs, will problem K follow? Can the occurrence of the problem be controlled? Does an intervention result in the intended effect? |
Let’s try to understand the 4 goals of the research.
1. Exploration and Explorative Research
Exploration is finding out about some previously unexamined phenomenon. In other words, an explorative study structures and identifies new problems.
The explorative study aims to gain familiarity with a phenomenon or gain new insights into it.
Exploration is particularly useful when researchers lack a clear idea of the problems they meet during their study.
Through exploration, researchers attempt to
- Develop concepts more clearly;
- Establish priorities among several alternatives;
- Develop operational definitions of variables;
- Formulate research hypotheses and sharpen research objectives;
- Improve the methodology and modify (if needed) the research design.
Exploration is achieved through what we call exploratory research.
The end of an explorative study comes when the researchers are convinced that they have established the major dimensions of the research task.
2. Description and Descriptive Research
Many research activities consist of gathering information on some topic of interest. The description refers to these data-based information-gathering activities. Descriptive studies portray precisely the characteristics of a particular individual, situation, or group.
Here we attempt to describe situations and events through studies, which we refer to as descriptive research.
Such research is undertaken when much is known about the problem under investigation.
Descriptive studies try to discover answers to the questions of who, what, when, where, and sometimes how.
Such research studies may involve the collection of data and the creation of distribution of the number of times the researcher observes a single event or characteristic, known as a research variable.
A descriptive study may also involve the interaction of two or more variables and attempts to observe if there is any relationship between the variables under investigation.
Research that examines such a relationship is sometimes called correlational study. It is correlational because it attempts to relate (i.e., co-relate) two or more variables.
A descriptive study may be feasible to answer the questions of the following types:
- What are the characteristics of the people who are involved in city crime? Are they young? Middle-aged? Poor? Muslim? Educated?
- Who are the potential buyers of the new product? Men or women? Urban people or rural people?
- Are rural women more likely to marry earlier than their urban counterparts?
- Does previous experience help an employee to get a higher initial salary?
Although the data description in descriptive research is factual, accurate, and systematic, the research cannot describe what caused a situation.
Thus, descriptive research cannot be used to create a causal relationship where one variable affects another.
In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity.
In sum, descriptive research deals with everything that can be counted and studied.
But there are always restrictions on that. All research must impact the lives of the people around us.
For example, finding the most frequent disease that affects the people of a community falls under descriptive research.
But the research readers will have the hunch to know why this has happened and what to do to prevent that disease so that more people will live healthy life.
It dictates that we need a causal explanation of the situation under reference and a causal study vis-a-vis causal research.
3. Causal Explanation and Causal Research
Explanation reveals why and how something happens.
An explanatory study goes beyond description and attempts to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables. It explains the reason for the phenomenon that the descriptive study observed.
Thus if a researcher finds that communities having larger family sizes have higher child death or that smoking is correlated with lung cancer, he is performing a descriptive study.
If he explains why it is so and tries to establish a cause-and-effect relationship, he is performing explanatory or causal research. The researcher uses theories or at-least hypotheses to account for the factors that caused a certain phenomenon.
Look at the following examples that fit causal studies:
- Why are people involved in crime? Can we explain this as a consequence of the present job market crisis or lack of parental care?
- Will the buyers be motivated to purchase the new product in a new container? Can an attractive advertisement motivate them to buy a new product?
- Why has the share market shown the steepest ever fall in stock prices? Is it because of IMF’s warnings and prescriptions on the commercial banks’ exposure to the stock market or because of an abundant increase in the supply of new shares?
4. Prediction and Predictive Research
Prediction seeks to answer: when and in what situations will occur if we can provide a plausible explanation for the event in question.
However, the precise nature of the relationship between explanation and prediction has been a subject of debate.
One view is that explanation and prediction are the same phenomena, except that prediction precedes the event while the explanation takes place after the event has occurred.
Another view is that explanation and prediction are fundamentally different processes.
We need not be concerned with this debate here but can simply state that in addition to being able to explain an event after it has occurred, we would also be able to predict when it will occur.
Research Approaches
There are two main approaches to doing research.
The first is the basic approach, which mostly pertains to academic research. Many people view this as pure research or fundamental research.
The research implemented through the second approach is variously known as applied research, action research, operations research, or a contract research.
Also, the third category of research, evaluative research, is important in many applications. All these approaches have different purposes influencing the nature of the respective research.
Lastly, precautions in research are required for thorough research.
So, 4 research approaches are;
- Basic Research.
- Applied Research.
- Evaluative Research.
- Precautions in Research.
Areas of Research
The most important fields of research, among others, are;
- Social Research.
- Health Research.
- Population Research.
- Business Research.
- Marketing Research.
- Agricultural Research.
- Biomedical Research.
- Clinical Research.
- Outcomes Research.
- Internet Research.
- Archival Research.
- Empirical Research.
- Legal Research.
- Education Research.
- Engineering Research.
- Historical Research.
Precautions in Research
Whether a researcher is doing applied or basic research or research of any other form, he or she must take necessary precautions to ensure that the research he or she is doing is relevant, timely, efficient, accurate, and ethical.
The research is considered relevant if it anticipates the kinds of information that will be required by decision-makers, scientists, or policymakers.
Timely research is completed in time to influence decisions.
- Research is efficient when it is of the best quality for the minimum expenditure and the study is appropriate to the research context.
- Research is considered accurate or valid when the interpretation can account for both consistencies and inconsistencies in the data.
- Research is ethical when it can promote trust, exercise care, ensure standards, and protect the rights of the participants in the research process.
Purposes of marketing research. The meaning of the analysis. marketing Among the main ones are:
- Identification of customer needs.
- Selection of products, services or goods that can be successfully marketed.
- Calculation of production volumes for profitable sales.
- Determination of promotion methods.
nine0012 - Search for distribution channels for products.
- Determination of price limits and critical sales volume.
- Study of the competitiveness of the company's products.
- Choice of company policy regarding price levels, etc.
The most effective way to implement all these tasks is marketing research. The main goal of marketing research is to solve a number of specific problems of the enterprise related to maintaining market positions and maximizing profits. nine0003
Marketing research can be used to solve problems such as:
- Determination of the possibility of mass production of services or goods.
- Establishing a hierarchy between the characteristics of services or goods in order to gain acceptance from consumers.
- Determination of the best terms of sale and the best price.
Purpose of the analysis
Marketing research requires obtaining information about the market, the marketing environment and the company itself from a variety of sources.
The most complete information obtained from reliable and reliable sources allows you to conduct a full-fledged marketing analysis and get:
- Reducing risks in business activities and the level of danger for the company.
- Get advantages over competing companies.
- Monitor the marketing environment.
- Create strategic planning and coordinate it according to changing conditions.
- Evaluate performance.
- Help managers and the head of the company in their work.
Marketing research is a periodic and systematic collection of data, as well as their subsequent analysis, on various aspects of the company's marketing activities. Marketing research helps to connect the enterprise with the industry or market segments, to resist competitors, to interact with customers and various environmental factors. nine0003
The goals and objectives of marketing research are used to identify problems, describe them, study them, search for patterns and predict future developments.
There are three areas of marketing research, each of which solves its own problems:
- Intelligence - are used to collect data that are used to identify the problem and put forward certain hypotheses for its solution.
- Descriptive - allow you to study the problems, situation, processes and objects of study in more detail. nine0012
- Casual - carried out to test previously put forward hypotheses, clarify causal relationships and create forecasts.
Also, marketing research can have different objects of research: the market as a whole, selective segments, elements of the marketing mix (prices, products, promotion, sales), the activities of competing companies or customer behavior. Marketing research can also be directed to the macro environment.
According to the nature of the information that is obtained in the course of the study, there are qualitative and quantitative studies, the study of primary and secondary information, field and desk work.
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To achieve all the goals and objectives, marketing research should take place in the following order:
- Identification of the problem, choice of methods, definition of the goal.
- Development of a study plan.
- Data collection and processing.
- Conclusions, forecasting and presentation of results to the manager.
The essence of conducting marketing research
At the same time, marketing research allows solving the following problems:
- Researching the potential of an industry or market segment, determining possible sales volumes, suitable sales conditions, pricing policy, potential customers.
- Studying competing companies, identifying their capabilities, their pricing strategies, etc.
- Sales analysis on a territorial basis, selection of optimal sales schemes, optimal sales volume for the market.
The essence of marketing research is to create an integrated system that allows you to study the organization of production, sales of products focused on customer satisfaction and maximum profit based on market analysis and forecasting its further development.
Among the most difficult tasks of marketing research are the analysis and planning of price levels and the search for ways to stimulate sales. nine0003
Based on the results of marketing research, a company strategy is developed, the main goal of which is to select a market or its segment, as well as a set of marketing actions that will make sales as effective as possible.
Another task of marketing research is the choice of the target market. Depending on what products customers need. What are their opportunities, you should choose a market in which the sale of products will be most effective and profitable. In this case, a full marketing research is also necessary. nine0003
Only a complete marketing research, conducted using all available information, allows you to get reliable data and market situations, the company's position, and create the most accurate forecast for the future. Marketing research allows you to solve all marketing problems and provides a solid basis for promoting the company, its struggle with competitors, expanding market share and insuring against risks lurking in the market.
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Determining the purpose and objectives of scientific research
- What is the purpose and objectives of research?
- The purpose of the study: isolate and describe
- Research tasks and their compilation
- Examples of the purpose and objectives of the study
What is the purpose and objectives of the study?
The purpose and objectives of the study are two obligatory points when writing any scientific work. When writing an introduction in a term paper or diploma, the goal and objectives should be reflected in it. If an introduction is not expected in a scientific work, for example, this is an article or an essay, then the goal and objectives should be located in the first paragraphs, only relevance can get ahead of them.
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The goal determines the expected result of the work, it is always directed to the object of study, and the tasks are the algorithm for achieving this goal. Already when describing the relevance of the study, it is necessary to decide what the goal of future work is.
As for the objectives of the study, each of them, together with others, should lead to the achievement of the expected result. The easiest way to define research objectives is to rewrite paragraphs from the work plan. This option often suits teachers, however, if when writing a term paper or diploma you are urged not to confuse tasks with the content of the work, it will be better if you meet 1-2 theoretical tasks “to study literature, concepts, analyze the situation”, and do the rest of the tasks more specific. This may be the development and testing of methods for solving a problem, the search and formulation of a new hypothesis, the choice of research methods, etc.
The main thing is that the resulting list of actions should be not just an automatic list of tasks completed by the student, but also be a guide to action.
That is, it is necessary to strive to ensure that the results of the research can be applied in practice - used in production, resolve a difficult economic situation, etc.
Determining the purpose of the study its writing, that is, the final predicted result of the work. It affects all the accompanying sections of the introduction to the course or graduation project, especially the relevance of the topic. At the time of setting the goal, you may not even know how achievable it is. nine0003
What can serve as a goal:
- Development of methods for solving a problem in any area.
- Set dependencies between scientific concepts.
- Search for causal relationships between phenomena.
- Identification of patterns in the course of processes.
- The study of the characteristics of a phenomenon.
Usually the goal is consonant with the title of the work - this should be taken into account when highlighting it. If, nevertheless, difficulties arise, it is worth discussing the goal with the supervisor in advance so that you do not have to rewrite the already finished work.
The work is quite voluminous and the formulation of the goal becomes cumbersome? Break it down into specific subtasks and highlight the main one - it will be the overall goal. Move the remaining sub-items to the research tasks section - this way you will be able to kill two birds with one stone. Nobody can accuse you that such approach is wrong as in any case tasks are defined proceeding from the purpose. nine0003
The definition of purpose begins with the phrase “The purpose of the research is…” or “The purpose of the work is to…”. These are generally accepted formulations that should not be deviated from when writing any scientific text. Use keywords like "define", "highlight", "develop", "clarify", etc.
The resulting goal can be both final and intermediate - it all depends on the subject of the course or diploma project, as well as its depth. A superficial analysis of the situation can serve as a goal for theoretical research, but the development of recommendations can serve as the basis for further practical actions.
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Research objectives and their compilation
Research objectives are the steps that need to be taken gradually until the goal of the same research is achieved. In other words, tasks are sometimes sub-items into which the overall goal of the work is divided.
When writing a list of tasks, remember the typical mistakes that many students make:
As already mentioned, the abstract, term paper or thesis should be a single whole, united in one structure and connected by a common theme. At the same time, it is desirable that the results of writing a term paper or diploma are not just a set of well-known facts about the chosen branch of knowledge, but bring something new to theoretical science or be used in practice.
Therefore, one of the tasks of the work should be to identify links with real production or already ongoing research. nine0003
Coursework or WRC usually have sufficient volume, so at least 3 tasks should be identified in the course of work. They can refer both to analytical activity or systematization of already studied phenomena (theory), and to the study and development of a problem (practice).
If, after writing a diploma (WRC) it turns out that the tasks set cannot lead to the goal of the study in any way, we can conclude that the means used in the work were ineffective and irrelevant. In other words, a negative result is also a result. nine0003
Read also: How to increase the level of originality of the text in the term paper, thesis
Sample 1
The purpose of the master's work is to develop and evaluate the real possibilities of organizing the production of plastic windows on the basis of the operating enterprise Okna+ LLC.
The goal determined the solution of the following tasks:
- to study the essence of the proposed project for the production of plastic windows;
- calculate and justify the efficiency of the organization of the production of plastic windows.
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Sample 2
The purpose of the work is to analyze the institution of exemption from punishment, its types and features of their application.
To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set:
- to consider the concept and essence of release from punishment;
- to consider the history of formation and the current state of the legal regulation of this institution;
- identify the characteristics of individual widows of exemption from punishment. nine0027
- to analyze the influence of internal factors on the efficiency of the municipal government, on the example of the Financial Department of the Blagoveshchensky District Administration of the Amur Region; nine0012
- to propose directions for improving the internal environment of the Financial Department of the Blagoveshchensky District Administration of the Amur Region.
Sample 3
The purpose of the study is to analyze the problems and prospects for improving the internal environment of the local government, using the example of the Financial Department of the Blagoveshchensky District Administration of the Amur Region.
Tasks to be solved during the practice:
