The research aims, objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are arguably the most important thing you need to get right when you’re crafting a research proposal, dissertation or thesis. We receive questions almost every day about this “holy trinity” of research and there’s certainly a lot of confusion out there, so we’ve crafted this post to help you navigate your way through the fog. Show
What is the “golden thread”?The golden thread simply refers to the collective research aims, research objectives, and research questions for any given project (i.e., a dissertation, thesis, or research paper). These three elements are bundled together because it’s extremely important that they align with each other, and that the entire research project aligns with them. Importantly, the golden thread needs to weave its way through the entirety of any research project, from start to end. In other words, it needs to be very clearly defined right at the beginning of the project (the topic ideation and proposal stage) and it needs to inform almost every decision throughout the rest of the project. For example, your research design and methodology will be heavily influenced by the golden thread (we’ll explain this in more detail later), as well as your literature review. The research aims, objectives and research questions (the golden thread) define the focus and scope (the delimitations) of your research project. In other words, they help ringfence your dissertation or thesis to a relatively narrow domain, so that you can “go deep” and really dig into a specific problem or opportunity. They also help keep you on track, as they act as a litmus test for relevance. In other words, if you’re ever unsure whether to include something in your document, simply ask yourself the question, “does this contribute toward my research aims, objectives or questions?”. If it doesn’t, chances are you can drop it. Alright, enough of the fluffy, conceptual stuff. Let’s get down to business and look at what exactly the research aims, objectives and questions are and outline a few examples to bring these concepts to life. Research Aims: What are they?Simply put, the research aim(s) is a statement that reflects the broad overarching goal(s) of the research project. Research aims are fairly high-level (low resolution) as they outline the general direction of the research and what it’s trying to achieve. Research Aims: ExamplesTrue to the name, research aims usually start with the wording “this research aims to…”, “this research seeks to…”, and so on. For example:
As you can see, these research aims provide a high-level description of what the study is about and what it seeks to achieve. They’re not hyper-specific or action-oriented, but they’re clear about what the study’s focus is and what is being investigated. Research Objectives: What are they?The research objectives take the research aims and make them more practical and actionable. In other words, the research objectives showcase the steps that the researcher will take to achieve the research aims. The research objectives need to be far more specific (higher resolution) and actionable than the research aims. In fact, it’s always a good idea to craft your research objectives using the “SMART” criteria. In other words, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound”. Research Objectives: ExamplesLet’s look at two examples of research objectives. We’ll stick with the topic and research aims we mentioned previously. For the digital transformation topic:
And for the student wellness topic:
As you can see, these research objectives clearly align with the previously mentioned research aims and effectively translate the low-resolution aims into (comparatively) higher-resolution objectives and action points. They give the research project a clear focus and present something that resembles a research-based “to-do” list. Research Questions: What are they?Finally, we arrive at the all-important research questions. The research questions are, as the name suggests, the key questions that your study will seek to answer. Simply put, they are the core purpose of your dissertation, thesis, or research project. You’ll present them at the beginning of your document (either in the introduction chapter or literature review chapter) and you’ll answer them at the end of your document (typically in the discussion and conclusion chapters). The research questions will be the driving force throughout the research process. For example, in the literature review chapter, you’ll assess the relevance of any given resource based on whether it helps you move towards answering your research questions. Similarly, your methodology and research design will be heavily influenced by the nature of your research questions. For instance, research questions that are exploratory in nature will usually make use of a qualitative approach, whereas questions that relate to measurement or relationship testing will make use of a quantitative approach. Let’s look at some examples of research questions to make this more tangible. Research Questions: ExamplesAgain, we’ll stick with the research aims and research objectives we mentioned previously. For the digital transformation topic (which would be qualitative in nature):
And for the student wellness topic (which would be quantitative in nature):
You’ll probably notice that there’s quite a formulaic approach to this. In other words, the research questions are basically the research objectives “converted” into question format. While that is true most of the time, it’s not always the case. For example, the first research objective for the digital transformation topic was more or less a step on the path toward the other objectives, and as such, it didn’t warrant its own research question. So, don’t rush your research questions and sloppily reword your objectives as questions. Carefully think about what exactly you’re trying to achieve (i.e. your research aim) and the objectives you’ve set out, then craft a set of well-aligned research questions. Also, keep in mind that this can be a somewhat iterative process, where you go back and tweak research objectives and aims to ensure tight alignment throughout the golden thread. The importance of strong alignmentAlignment is the keyword here and we have to stress its importance. Simply put, you need to make sure that there is a very tight alignment between all three pieces of the golden thread. If your research aims and research questions don’t align, for example, your project will be pulling in different directions and will lack focus. This is a common problem students face and can cause many headaches (and tears), so be warned. Take the time to carefully craft your research aims, objectives and research questions before you run off down the research path. Ideally, get your research supervisor/advisor to review and comment on your golden thread before you invest significant time into your project, and certainly before you start collecting data. Recap: The golden threadIn this post, we unpacked the golden thread of research, consisting of the research aims, research objectives and research questions. You can jump back to any section using the links below.
As always, feel free to leave a comment below – we always love to hear from you. Also, if you’re interested in 1-on-1 support, take a look at our private coaching service here. What is research question and research objective?Research objectives are clear statements of what you aim to achieve through your research. They are specific actions that you will take and act as milestones that will help you complete your research. A research question is the specific concern that you will answer through your research.
How do you write research objectives and research questions?Steps to Developing a Good Research Question. Start with a broad topic. ... . Do preliminary research to learn about topical issues. ... . Narrow down your topic and determine potential research questions. ... . Evaluate the soundness of your research question. ... . Construct your research question properly.. What are research objectives examples?What is a research objective?. Example: Research aim To examine contributory factors to muscle retention in a group of elderly people.. Example: Research objectives To assess the relationship between sedentary habits and muscle atrophy among the participants.. What is an example of a research question?Once you've read our guide on how to write a research question, you can use these examples to craft your own. What effect does social media have on your mind? What effect does daily use of Twitter have on the attention span of 12-16 year-olds?
|