Chapter Six: The Purpose Statement

Chapter Outline
The Purpose Statement
Significance and Meaning of a Purpose Statement
A Qualitative Purpose Statement
Example 6.1. A Purpose Statement in a Qualitative Phenomenology Study
Example 6.2. A Purpose Statement in a Case Study
Example 6.3. A Purpose Statement in an Ethnography
Example 6.4. A Purpose Statement in a Grounded Theory Study
A Quantitative Purpose Statement
Example 6.5. A Purpose Statement in a Published Survey Study
Example 6.6. A Purpose Statement in a Dissertation Survey Study
Example 6.7. A Purpose Statement in an Experimental Study
A Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Example 6.8. A Convergent Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Example 6.9. An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Example 6.10. An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Significance and Meaning of a Purpose Statement

• The purpose statement

• Indicates why you want to do the study and what you intend to accomplish
• Is the central controlling idea in a study
• Is written in a sentence or several sentences
• Sets the objectives, the intent, or the major idea of a proposal or a study

• The purpose statement is NOT

• The problem leading to a need for the study (see Chapter 5)
• The questions to be answered by collecting data (see Chapter 7)
Qualitative Purpose Statements
• A good qualitative purpose statement contains:
• The central phenomenon
• The participants
• The research site

• Include language drawn from qualitative inquiry

• Use words such as purpose, intent, or objective to signal attention to this
statement as the central controlling idea.
• Focus on a single phenomenon, narrow the study to one idea to be explored or
understood.
Qualitative Purpose Statements Cont.
Include language drawn from qualitative inquiry cont.

• Use action verbs such as describe, understand, develop, examine the meaning
of, or discover to convey how learning will take place
• Use neutral words and phrases, non-directional language
• Provide a general working definition of the central phenomenon or idea,
particularly those not typically understood by a broad audience
• Include words that indicate the strategy of inquiry to be used in data collection,
analysis and the process of research
• Mention the participants in the study
• Identify the site for the research
• Delimit the scope of participation or research sites in the study
A Script for Writing Qualitative Purpose Statements

The purpose of this _________________ (strategy of inquiry, such as

ethnography, case study, or other type) study is (was? will be?) to
___________________ (understand? explore? develop? discover?) the
___________ (central phenomenon being studied) for
______________(the participants, such as the individual, groups,
organization) at ______________ (research site). At this stage in the
research, the _________________ (central phenomenon being studied)
will be generally defined as ________________ (provide a general
definition).
Purpose Statement in a Qualitative Phenomenology Study
Purpose Statement in a Case Study
Purpose Statement in an Ethnography
Purpose Statement in a Grounded Theory Study
Quantitative Purpose Statements
• This statement differs from the purpose statement in a
qualitative study in terms of language and focus
• Focus on relating or comparing the variables (independent,
dependent, and mediating, moderating or control) and how
these relate to:
• The participants
• The research site
• Identify the proposed major variables in a study
• Discuss the intent of using the variables
Quantitative Purpose Statements Cont.
• A good quantitative purpose statement includes the following:
• Words to signal the major intent of the study, such as purpose, intent, or
objective
• Identify the theory, model, or conceptual framework to provide emphasis to the
importance of the theory to be used in the study
• Identify the independent and dependent variables as well as any mediating,
moderating, or control variables used in the study
• Use words that connect the independent and dependent variables to indicate
that they are related (comparison, relationship between, describe)
• Position the independent before the dependent variable; other variables may
go between the two or after the dependent variable
• Mention the specific strategy of inquiry used in the study
• Mention the participants or unit of analysis
• Use the literature to define the key variables
A Script for Writing Quantitative Purpose Statements

• The purpose of this _______________ (experiment? survey?) study is

(was? will be?) to test the theory of ______________ (theory name)
that ____________ (compares? relates?) the ____________
(independent variable) to _________________ (dependent variable),
controlling for (control variables) for (participants) at ___________
(the research site). The independent variable(s) ______________ will
be defined as (provide a definition). The dependent variable(s) will be
defined as ____________ (provide a definition), and the control and
intervening variable(s), ___________, (identify the control and
intervening variables) will be defined as ________ (provide a
definition).
Purpose Statement in a Published Survey Study
Purpose Statement in a Dissertation Survey Study
Purpose Statement in an Experimental Study
Mixed Methods Purpose Statements
• A good mixed methods purpose statement contains:
• The overall intent of the study from a content perspective
• Information about both the quantitative and qualitative strands of the study
• A rationale for combining both quantitative and qualitative data

• Guidelines include:
• Use words and phrases that signal intent such as: purpose, intent of, or
objective
• Indicate the overall purpose of the study from a content perspective
• Indicate the type of mixed methods design
Mixed Methods Purpose Statements Cont.
Guidelines include:
• Discuss the reasons for combining both quantitative and
qualitative data:
A convergent design
An explanatory sequential design
An exploratory sequential design
Multiphase design
Scripts for Writing Mixed Methods Purpose Statements

1. Convergent Mixed Methods Strategy

This mixed methods study will address ___________ [overall content aim]. A
convergent mixed methods design will be used, and it is a type of design in which
qualitative and quantitative data are collected in parallel, analyzed separately,
and then merged. In this study, ___________ [quantitative data] will be used to
test the theory of ___________ [the theory] that predicts that [independent
variables] will ___________ [positively, negatively] influence the ___________
[dependent variables] for ___________ [participants] at ___________ [the site].
The ___________ [type of qualitative data] will explore___________ [the central
phenomenon] for ___________ [participants] at ___________ [the site]. The
reason for collecting both quantitative and qualitative data is to ___________
[the mixing reason].
Scripts for Writing Mixed Methods Purpose Statements

2. Explanatory Sequential Design

This study will address ___________ [content aim]. An explanatory sequential mixed
methods design will be used, and it will involve collecting quantitative data first
and then explaining the quantitative results with in-depth qualitative data. In the
first, quantitative phase of the study, ___________ [quantitative instrument] data
will be collected from ___________ [participants] at ___________ [research site]
to test ___________ [name of theory] to assess whether ___________
[independent variables] relate to ___________ [dependent variables]. The
second, qualitative phase will be conducted as a follow up to the quantitative
results to help explain the quantitative results. In this exploratory follow-up, the
tentative plan is to explore ___________ [the central phenomenon] with
___________ [participants at a ___________ [research site].
Scripts for Writing Mixed Methods Purpose Statements

3. Exploratory sequential design

This study addresses ___________ [content aim]. The purpose of this exploratory
sequential design will be to first qualitatively explore with a small sample and
then to determine if the qualitative findings generalize to a large sample. The first
phase of the study will be a qualitative exploration of ___________ [the central
phenomenon] in which ___________ [types of data] will be collected from
___________ [participants] at ___________ [research site]. From this initial
exploration, the qualitative findings will be used to develop assessment measures
that can be administered to a large sample. In the tentatively planned
quantitative phase, ___________ [instrument data] will be collected from
___________ [participants] at ___________ [research site].
Convergent Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Purpose Statement
Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Purpose Statement