What Elements Should the General Objective of a Research Study Contain?

The general objective of a research study is a clear and concise statement that describes the overall purpose of the research. The first condition is that it must answer the research question and must be at the same level of knowledge as that question.

The author Jacqueline Hurtado de Barrera describes the following elements that a research objective should include in its statement, according to the holistic understanding of science.

1. The verb that indicates the objective’s degree of complexity, which must be in the infinitive.

The verb is a fundamental part of the general objective, as it indicates the objective’s degree of complexity and the type of action that will be carried out. It must be in the infinitive to indicate that this is an action that has not yet been performed. Some examples of verbs that can be used in the general objective are: to analyze, to evaluate, to compare, to describe, to identify, among others.

Example: To describe the economic-financial structure of Venezuelan savings and credit cooperatives registered with the Cooperative Integration Center of the Capital Region (CECODIFEMI).

2. The event, or events, of study.

The event or events of study refer to the situation, behavior, process, or fact that will be studied in the research. It is important that these be clearly defined so that the general objective is specific and focused.

Example: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.

3. The units of study.

The units of study refer to the beings or elements that will be studied in the research. A central key to the units of study is that they are the beings that possess the event of study. They can be people, objects, institutions, countries, groups, documents, materials, among others. It is important that they be clearly defined so that the general objective is focused.

Example: To identify the barriers that low-income students face in accessing higher education in Latin America.

4. Temporality.

Temporality is the time at which the event under study occurs, which may be past or present.

Example: To identify the causes that contribute to the quality of the research reports submitted as Special Degree Projects by the thesis writers of the Music Education Concentration of the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Carabobo during the period January 2004–December 2005.

5. The context.

The context refers to the setting or geographic region in which the research will be carried out. It is important that the context be clearly defined so that the general objective is specific and focused.

Example: To describe corporate social responsibility practices in the tourism sector in Mexico.

In conclusion, the general objective of a research study must contain the verb that indicates the objective’s degree of complexity, the event or events of study, the units of study, temporality, and the context. By following these elements, you can formulate a clear, specific, and focused general objective that guides the research toward its purpose.

If you want to learn more about this topic, you can purchase the book “How to Formulate Research Objectives” by Professor Jacqueline Hurtado de Barrera.