DR.

PETER MICHAEL OWINY

peterowiny27@gmail.com
+256772559467
• Statements that show what is to be
achieved by the study.
• It is a description what the researcher
wants to focus on, do and achieve at
the end of the study
• Objectives defines the relationship
between variables which explain the
parameters of the problem.
 General Objective/ Purpose

 Specific Objectives/ Objectives

• Both the purpose and objectives should be
stated after the problem has been clearly
stated.
• The purpose/ general objectives are directly
generated from the research topic.
• They spell out what the research is to
investigate and accomplish in a nut shell.
• They introduce the dependent and
independent variables of the study.
• The objectives of the study, which
are also referred to as the specific
objectives, are components of the
purpose

• The objectives must follow logically

from the purpose

• To formulate the objectives of the

study, the variables have to be
conceptualized
• Be rooted in the problem statement
• Match with the elements that constitute the
problem area
• Be testable
• Be arranged in a coherent way
• They can be as many as necessary but not so
many. Not more than six (Amin 2005)
• Should be written in an unbiased way
• They determine the variables that
will be identified in conceptual and
theoretical frameworks
• They guide the researcher in
formulating a testable hypotheses
• They also guide the researcher in
formulating research questions
 Determines the choice of a study design and
methods
 Helps in generating literature review process
 Provide the basis presentation and discussion

of the findings
 Directs the conclusions and

recommendations for a study

• Focus the study (narrowing it down
to essentials);
• Avoid the collection of data which
are not strictly necessary for
understanding and solving the
problem you have identified
• Organise the study in clearly
defined parts or phases.
 A hypothesis is a statement of the
researcher’s prediction or guess of the
relation that exists among the variables being
investigated.
 Tentative answers to the research problem
 Derived directly from the objectives
 So, variables appearing in the objectives

should appear in the hypothesis

 Usually drawn from theory
 In quantitative research hypotheses are stated
before collecting the data
 In qualitative research hypotheses are often

generated as the data is being collected and

as the researcher gains insight into what is
being studied.
 Hypothesis can be determined from the
proposition which should be available at the
end of your qualitative study.  Proposition is
merely a pure concept statement which is not
meant for testing purpose but hypothesis
statement should be testable & measurable.  
 E.g. at the end of your qualitative study which
is merely based few participants, you
discovered construct A is related to construct
B (this statement in proposition). But you
want to find out for sure with quantitative
empirical evidence & try to generalize this
relationship for the entire population, you can
change the above proposition to a hypothesis
e.g. construct A is positively influencing
construct B. 
 The Null Hypothesis- HO
◦ The alternative of no difference
◦ Usually not stated in the research proposal
◦ Talked about in the findings section
◦ Based on Ho , a decision is made on whether the
relationship is significant or not
◦ One either rejects or accepts HO
 Advertising does not lead to higher sales
 There is no relationship between higher

remuneration higher productivity.

 Alcoholism does not lead to divorce
 Alternative hypothesis
◦ Usually stated in the proposal
◦ Only talked about in the findings if the null
hypotheses is rejected
◦ May be directional or non-directional
 Advertising leads to higher sales.
 There is relationship between

higher remuneration higher

productivity.
 Alcoholism leads to divorce.
 A research question asks about the
relationship between two or more variables
of the study
 Research questions are also directly derived
from the objectives of the study,
 To focus the study (narrowing it down to
the essentials)
 Avoid collection of data that are not strictly
necessary 
 Organise the study in clearly defined parts
or phases
 Does advertising leads to higher
sales?
 What is the relationship between

higher remuneration higher

productivity?
 Does alcoholism leads to divorce?
• The relationship between objectives,
questions and hypotheses can be deduced
from the fact that all the three have the
same variables.
• Research questions are directly derived
from the objectives. They transform the
stated objectives into doubts to be settled.
• Hypotheses go a step further by providing
tentative answers to the research questions
Imagine any topic in your area of
specialization.
Required
Come up with 3 research objectives,3

research questions and state 3 research

hypotheses
 Research justification refers to the rationale
for the research, or the reason why the
research is being conducted, including an
explanation for the design and methods
employed in the research
 The rationale or justification for doing any

research must be gleaned from the existing

literature on the subject.
 You will need to conduct a thorough literature
survey and identify gaps in the current literature. 
 The best way to write this is to introduce the
current literature in the background/Introduction
section and then highlight the gaps in the
literature that have not been addressed or are yet
to be understood.
 This will help set up the need for the current study
and thus justify the need for this research.
 
 Significance of the study is basically the
importance of your research.
 The significance of a study must be stated in

the Introduction section of your research

paper.
 While stating the significance, you must

highlight how your research will be beneficial

to the development of knowledge and the
society in general.
 You can first outline the significance in a
broader sense by stating how your research
will contribute to the broader problem in your
field and gradually narrow it down to
demonstrate the specific group that will
benefit from your research.
 Why should your research be published?
 How will this study contribute to the
development of your field?
- Your focus should be:

1. Policy
2. Organization from which you draw
information
3. Researchers/Academicians
 The scope of the study refers to the
boundaries within which your research
project will be performed.
 This is sometimes also called the scope of

research. To define the scope of the study is

to define all aspects that will be considered in
your research project.
 Defines what the study is going to cover and
what it is focusing on. Similarly, you also
have to define what the study is not going to
cover. This will come under the limitations.
Generally, the scope of a research paper is
followed by its limitations. 
 General purpose of the study
 The population or sample that you are

studying
 The duration of the study(Time)
 The topics or theories that you

will discuss(content)
 The geographical location covered in the

study
 Research process is a systematic endeavor that
can only be best achieved if a researcher
understands what and why get engage in the
project. Justify this statement based on each
the following aspects of a research proposal;
a) Research objectives
b) Hypotheses
c) Research questions
d) Justification of the study
e) Significance of the study
f) Scope of the study
Thank you for your participation