Research Tips

Clarifying Research Objectives

One of the most important parts of any research project is clarifying your objectives. This should be done before you’ve selected a methodology, chosen a sampling frame, or even formulated a budget. That’s because your objectives should drive these other decisions and considerations.

It’s wise to avoid setting too many objectives for a single research project. The research methodology should be selected based on the research objectives, and if there are too many objectives, methodological compromises may need to be made since the technique that’s best suited to achieving one objective may not be helpful in achieving others. In these situations, it’s often better to prioritize the objectives, focus on the most important first, and then address lower-priority objectives in subsequent projects.