One of the most important aspects of a thesis or dissertation is the correct formulation of research aims & objectives. The reason is that these two sections of a dissertation establish its scope, depth, and direction. An effective set of aims and objectives gives a research focus and clarity. The aims highlight what is to be achieved, and the objectives explain how it will be achieved. However, it has been seen that many students are making mistakes in writing research aims & objectives. Keeping this in view, in today’s article, we will discuss the do’s and don’ts when writing aims and objectives. Before that, let’s explain them a bit.
What Are The Research Aims & Objectives?
Many students find it difficult to differentiate between the aims and objectives. The reason is that they think both sections are the same. In actuality, they are not the same. By reading the definitions given below, you will understand that they are not the same.
Research aims are statements of intent. It is what you aim to achieve after the completion of your research study. It is generally a broad overview of your research study. Furthermore, the research aims outline the epicentre of your research.
Research objectives, on the other hand, are specific statements. These statements highlight the measurable outcomes of your research study that you intend to obtain after its completion. In simple words, the objectives relate to the steps that will be taken to achieve the desired result.
Do’s And Don’ts Of Writing Good Research Aims & Objectives
Formulating good research aims & objectives is not like baking a cake. It requires time and effort to think of the scope of the research and its aims. Many students take the wrong way to formulate them and do things which they should not. Therefore, a brief description of the do’s and don’ts is as follows:
Do’s Of Writing Aims And Objectives
Answer 2 Ws.
Before crafting the objectives, it is mandatory to write the aims of your research. To write the aims, answering the 2 Ws is extremely important. The 2 Ws are Why, What, along with one H, i.e., How. It is the first “do” for writing good aims and objectives because the answers make the research aims clear to you.
Be Specific.
The research aim is a short statement about what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it. Therefore, you cannot be descriptive in this. As the writer, you must be specific in your research aim and only talk to the point. Define one broad aim of your research, and that is it.
Objectives Should Be SMART.
When developing the research objectives, you must employ the SMART technique. This technique allows you to formulate objectives which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Formulating such objectives is also a requirement of your research. So do this. However, if you cannot, then get dissertation help UK.
Start With A Verb.
In addition to the utilisation of the SMART technique, the objectives of your research must start with an action verb. It should be a verb that will communicate your intent clearly. For example, identify, review, explore, or discover.
Don’ts Of Writing Aims And Objectives
Do Not Make The Aim Too Broad.
Research aims & objectives are specific to one research topic. Many student researchers take this wrong and formulate aims that are too broad in their context. It is a big DON’T. Do not go beyond the research context and aim for things which are not achievable.
Do Not Add Too Many Objectives.
Too many objectives in a research study are also not considered good. Maybe all your research objectives are achievable and measurable, but you must not exceed from having three to four objectives. You may combine two objectives to make one, but having more than three objectives is another big DON’T.
Do Not Craft Vague Aims. Vague Research Aims & Objectives
are those which are not clear and do have any direction. You must not craft aims and objectives which are unclear in their meaning and do not have a start and end. Always for the aims and objectives, and if you cannot craft them, hire dissertation writers UK.
Do Not Exceed Research Boundary.
Lastly, when crafting the aims, you must not exceed the research boundary. Keep yourself within the limits of the research, and do not aim for unrealistic things. This will only make your research difficult.
Conclusion
In this post, we have learned that aims are outcomes that we hope to achieve after the completion of a research study. The research objectives outline how to achieve the outcomes. However, when writing research aims & objectives, you must read the do’s and don’ts mentioned above. Having an idea of these will help you a lot in formulating good aims and objectives for your research study.