Objectives of the Research

             Objectives of the Research

                                                    Written by Ari Julianto

Objectives or the research purposes are the goals you set out to attain in your study.This part of the skripsi/thesis usually found in CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION. Objectives inform a reader what you want to attain through the study. It is extremely important to word them clearly and specifically.

I. Two headings
Objectives should be listed under two headings:
a) main objectives (aims)
The main objective is an overall statement of the thrust of your study. It is also a statement of the main associations and relationships that you seek to discover or establish.
b) sub-objectives
The sub-objectives are the specific aspects of the topic that you want to investigate within the main framework of your study.
-They should be numerically listed.

II. Words in Objectives
Wording should clearly, completely and specifically to inform your readers about your intention. Each objective should contain only one aspect of the Study. Use action oriented words or verbs when writing objectives. The objectives should start with words such as
to determine
to find out
to ascertain
to measure
to explore etc

The wording of objectives determines the type of research (descriptive, correlational and experimental) and the type of research design you need to adopt to achieve them. For example:

a. Descriptive studies:
-To describe the use of derivational forms in Educational News,
-To find out the needs of the students in learning English.

b. Correlatinal studies:
-To ascertain the impact of using flashcards on students' achievement in vocabulary,
-To compare the effectivenesss of different loyalty programmes on repeat clientele.

c. Hypothesis –testing studies:
-To ascertain if an increase in working hours will increase the incidence of drug/alchohol abuse,
-To demonstrate that the provision of school accommodation to teachers in Jakarta will reduce staff turnover.


Writing research objectives clearly helps to:
- Define the focus of your study
- Clearly identify variables to be measured
- Indicate the various steps to be involved
- Establish the limits of the study
- Avoid collection of any data that is not strictly necessary.


Hopefully, today's posting will be useful for all of us. Amin.