RESEARCH

OBJECTIVES

RUVY M. TUBLE, PhD

The module aims to help researchers:
o Define each component or element of the statement of
the research problem;
o Identify the various forms of each element; and
o Formulate each element, given a particular research
problem the researcher will decide to focus on.
WHAT ARE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES?
Research objectives
 are statements of what the researcher intends to do.
 flow logically from the problem.
 they communicate what the researcher plans to do.
 are seen as small particles which constitute the
problem.

 Whilethe problem deals with broad concepts, the

research objective usually states the concepts in
operational terms.
Example

Problem: “Employees’ Extent of Engagement to

Corporate Social Responsibility”
Objective: To determine employees’ frequency of
engagement to medical mission

Note: frequency of engagement to medical mission

is specific and measurable
 Research objectives are usually stated in
declarative form and start with infinitives like:
“to determine”, “to assess”, “to find out”,
“to describe” , “to compare” , to ascertain”, or “to test”

 Insteadof stating objectives, some researchers

ask research questions. The research
questions are usually introduced with a clause,
such as: “This study aims to answer the
following questions,” or “This study sought
answers to the following questions.”
Examples of research objectives:

 “To determine the extent of Bank

employees’ participation in team
building activities.”
 “To determine the relationship
between awareness and utilization of
public health services”
 To test the effectiveness of oresol in the
treatment of diarrhea”
Examples of objectives stated in question form:
This study sought answers to the following
questions:

 To what extent do bank employees participate

in team building activities?
 Does extent of participation in team building
activities of male employees significantly differ
from the extent of participation of female
employees?
 Is there a significant relationship between the
employees’ extent of participation in team
building activities and their work
performance?
 Types of Objectives

 immediate/general
 specific
Immediate/General objectives
 relates directly to the research problem and
states clearly what the researcher will do and
expects to find out.
 is preferably stated in behavioral terms

--in terms of: who or what will be studied,

who will do it,
when it will be done (optional),
or where it will done.
Immediate/General objectives
 specifies the activity/ties that will take place
and the variables that will be examined.

 The way the immediate objective is

formulated suggests the type of research
that will be undertaken
and the methodology
that will be adopted.
 Example of Immediate/General Objectives of a
Descriptive Study

Research Title: “Engagement to Clean Development Mechanism of

Host Countries in Asia”
Objective: A survey will be conducted to determine the extent of
engagement to clean development mechanism of host countries in Asia
for the last three (3) years.
What will be done?
A survey will be conducted
For what purpose?
To determine the extent of engagement to clean
development mechanism
Who will be studied?
Host Countries
Where?
In Asia
When?
last three years
 Example of Immediate/General Objectives of a
Correlation/Relational Study

Research Title: “Awareness and Utilization of the residents on

Public Health Services of the Bacolod City Health Office”
Objective: This study will be conducted to determine whether there is
a significant relationship between awareness and utilization of public
health services in Bacolod City Health Office.
What will be done?
A study will be conducted
For what purpose?
To determine whether there is a significant relationship
between awareness and utilization of public health services
Who will be studied?
Residents
Where?
Bacolod City
When?
(Not Specified)
 Example of Objectives of an
Intervention/Experimental Study

Research Title: “A comparative study of the Effectiveness of

Classroom-Based and Field-Based Training Programs in Improving the
Performance of Volunteer Workers in Community X”

Objective: this experimental study will be conducted to determine and

compare the effectiveness of classroom-based and field-based training
programs in improving the performance of volunteer workers.

What will be done?

This experimental study will be conducted
Why? For what purpose?
To determine and compare the effectiveness of classroom-
based and field-based training programs in improving the
performance
Who will be studied?
Community volunteers workers”
Where?
Community X
Specific Objectives
 Instudies with a broader coverage in
terms of subjects and variables,
statement of specific objectives may
be necessary.

 Specificobjectives may
be viewed as
sub-objectives
or small particles
of the general objectives.
Specific Objectives
 Thespecific variables examined in the
study are identified in the specific
objectives.
 The
variables are expressed in
measurable terms.
 The specific objectives suggest the type
of analysis to be done.
Examples of Specific Objectives
Research Title: “Demographic and Socioeconomic Determinants of
Health-Seeking Behavior of the Elderly in Southern Mindanao”

General Objective: This study will be conducted to identify

demographic and socioeconomic determinants of the health seeking
behavior of the elderly in Southern Mindanao”
Specifically, the study aims to:
1. Determine whether there is a significant relationship
between demographic factors, such as age, sex, and civil
status of the elderly and their health-seeking behavior.
2. Determine whether there is a significant relationship
between selected socio-economic characteristics of the elderly,
particularly, educational attainment, community
involvement, occupation and income, and their health-seeking
behavior;
Comment: demographic factors and socio-economic characteristics are still broad
Some Tips in formulating Objectives

In formulating research objectives, be sure to:

 Use simple language.
 Focus attention on the specific actions that
will be performed,
 State exactly, what will be done and what
variables will be measured, and
 Write objectives in behavioral terms, like, “to
determine…,” “to describe…” “to compare…,
and the like.
Example of Statement of General and Specific
Objectives

“TV viewing and Academic

Performance of Grade Six Pupils
in Private and Public Elementary
School in Region VI”
Example of Statement of General and Specific Objectives
“TV viewing and Academic Performance of Grade Six Pupils in
Private and Public Elementary School in Region VI”

General Objective
The study will be conducted to determine the existence and degree
of relationship between TV Viewing and Academic Performance of
Grade Six Pupils in Private and Public Elementary School in Region
VI

Specific Objectives
Specifically, the study aims to:
1. Determine whether there is a significant relationship the
pupils’ frequency of viewing TV and their general average in all
subjects in grade six.
2. Determine whether there is a significant relationship
between the amount of time spent by the pupils in viewing TV and
their general average in all subjects in grade six.
Example No.2
“The Effect of Fielding Trained Male Family Planning
Educators on the Improvement of Contraceptive Use?”

General Objective
This experimental study will be conducted to determine the effect of
fielding trained male family planning educators in the improvement of
contraceptive use in two municipalities in Region III.

Specific Objectives
Specifically, the study aims:
1. To determine whether there is a significant difference between the
extent of contraceptive use in the area where trained male family
planning educators were fielded and that in the control areas before and
after the study.
2. To determine whether there is significant difference between the
change in extent of contraceptive use in the area where trained male
family planning educators were fielded and the change in the control
areas after the invention.
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS

RUVY M. TUBLE, PhD

Researchers make educated
guesses to tentatively
answer the research
questions.

Hypothesis
 is an educated guess or tentative answer to the
question.
 is a statement about an expected relationship
between two or more variables that can be
empirically tested.
Hypotheses
- are usually tested in
intervention /evaluation
studies and
correlation/relational
studies
Note: Purely descriptive
studies or diagnostic investigations
do not test causal relationships
between variables.
Functions of a Hypothesis
A single hypothesis might state that an
independent variable is associated with a
dependent variable.
Examples:
1.“There is a significant association between
level of knowledge about the dangers of smoking
and smoking habits of young professionals.”
2.“Parents” extent of participation in school
activities of their children is significantly
related to their children’s school performance.”
3.“Direct selling of prepaid cell cards is more
profitable than selling them in stores.”
Functions of a Hypothesis
 Sometimes, a hypothesis specifies that,
under certain conditions (x, y, and z),
variable A is associated with or can
influence variable B.

Examples:
“There is a significant association between level
1.
of knowledge about the dangers of smoking and
smoking habits among young medical
practitioners who have positive attitude
towards life.”
Condition: if they have positive attitude
2. “There is a significant relationship between
men’s extent of exposure to gender issues and
their degree of involvement in child care
among those living in urban areas.”
Condition: living in urban areas

3. “Husbands who have attended gender

sensitivity training are more likely to
participate in household chores when they are
free, than those who have not attended
training.”
Condition: when they are free
Functions of a Hypothesis
 Some hypothesis may state that a particular
characteristics of a person or object varies
according to another variable.
Examples:
1) “The proportion of women who have experienced
domestic violence is higher in the rural areas than in
the urban areas.”
2) “Board performance of nursing graduates varies
according to the type of school they graduated from.”
3) “The repayment status of new clients of the PAG-
IBIG housing loan is significantly higher that that of
old clients.”
Types of Hypotheses
 null or alternative
 directional or non-
directional
Null Hypothesis vs. Alternative
Hypothesis
A null hypothesis is a negative statement
which indicates:
 the absence of a relationship/correlation between
two variables,
 an absence of a significant difference between the
proportions of two groups of people or objects
possessing a particular characteristic, or
 an absence of difference between or among the
means of two or more groups with respect to a
particular variable, such as, “mean age of males
and mean age of females,” and “mean score in math
of students who attended tutorial classes and mean
score of those who did not attend tutorial classes.
Examples of Null Hypotheses

1. “There is no significant relationship between

mass media exposure and attitude towards land
reform among lowland farmers.”
2. “There is no significant difference between the
mean age of male faculty members and the mean
age of female faculty members.”
3. “There is no significant difference between the
proportion of health care provides who are
smoking and the proportion of those who are not
smoking.”
4. “There is no significant relationship between the
amount paid in advertisement and gross sales
among food establishments in Iloilo City.”
An alternative hypothesis, also
called the research hypothesis, is
the positive form of the null
hypothesis.

It may state the presence of a significant

relationship between the independent and
dependent variables, or the presence of a
significant difference between two means or
two proportions.
Examples of Alternative Hypotheses
1. “There is a significant relationship between
mass media exposure and attitude towards
land reform among lowland farmers.”
2. “There is a significant difference between
the mean age of male faculty members and
the mean age of female faculty members.”
3. “There is a significant difference between
the proportion of health care provides who
are smoking and the proportion of those
who are not smoking”.
4. “The amount paid in advertisement by food
establishments is significantly associated
with their monthly gross sales.”
Directional vs. Non-
directional Hypotheses
A directional hypothesis states whether
the relationship between two variables is
direct or inverse or positive or negative. A
positive or direct relationship is present
when the value of one variable increases
with the increase in the value of another.
The relationship is negative when the
value of one variable increases as the value
of another decreases.
Examples of Directional
Hypotheses
 “The
higher the level of exposure of farmers to
mass media the more favorable their attitude
towards land reform” (positive)

 “The more time employees spend in meetings,

the less productive they are.” (negative)
Non-directional Hypotheses does not specify
the direction of relationship between variables. It merely
states the presence or absence of a relationship between
two variables or that one variable influences another, or
there is a significant difference in the mean values of the
two variables.

Examples:
1. “The women’s educational attainment is significantly associated with
their extent of participation in decision-making at home”.
2. “There is a significant difference between the proportion of women
and the proportion of men who are engaged in dry goods business.”
3. “Students who attend tutorial classes perform better than those who
do not attend.”
4. “Taking vitamins regularly tend to improve a workers’ total health
status”
How to write Hypotheses
In writing hypotheses, one must remember the
following:
 Hypotheses must be written in simple
understandable language.
 Hypotheses must focus on the variables.
 One must keep in mind the distinction
between independent and dependent
variables.
WORKSHOP/ACTIVITY
Title: Level of Awareness on the Dangers of Smoking and Smoking Habits
Among Graduate Students

1. Provide a General Statement

2. Specific Objectives

3. Hypotheses
WORKSHOP/ACTIVITY
Title: The Relationship Between Level of Awareness Regarding the
Dangers of Smoking and Smoking Habits Among Graduate Students

General Statement
The study will be conducted to determine the relationship between
level of awareness regarding the dangers of smoking and smoking habits
among Graduate Students.

Specific Objectives
1. Is there a significant relationship between graduate students’ awareness
about the dangers of smoking and their practice of smoking?
2. Is there a significant relationship between graduate students’ awareness
about cancer and the number of sticks of cigarettes smokers smoke in a
day?
WORKSHOP NO. 2
FORMULATION OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND
HYPOTHESIS
 Picture thesis difficulty
VARIABLES

RUVY M. TUBLE, PhD

VARIABLE
 is a concept that stands for a variation within a class of
objects of persons (Fraenkel and Wallen, 1996).
 is a characteristic or property that can take different
values or attributes (Schutt, 1999).

Variables are the basic elements which are measured in a

study. They are observable and measurable.
Example:
age location of business type of crop
sex revenue size of land
marital status type of work size of land
income degree of malnutrition level of fertilizer
TYPES OF VARIABLE
 Dependent
 Independent

 Intervening

 Antecedent
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
 is the “assumed effect” of another variable
 is the change that occurs in the study population
when one or more factors are changed or when an
intervention is introduced
 Is the problem itself
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
 is the “assumed cause” of a problem
 is an assumed person for any “change” or variation
in a dependent variable

Note:
An independent variable is sometimes treated as
“antecedent” variable (the variable before). Likewise,
an “antecedent” variable may be treated as an
“independent” variable
EXAMPLE # 1

Title: “The Relationship Between Exposure to Mass

Media and Smoking Habits among Young Adults”

Exposure to Smoking
Mass Media Habits

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

A student’s study habit is assumed to change or vary

depending on his/her mere exposure to print, broadcast,
or electronic media related to smoking.
EXAMPLE # 2

Title: “Effect of Peer Counseling on the Students’

Study Habits”

Exposure to
Study Habits
Peer Counseling

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

It is assumed that students who have been

counseled by peers or those who have been exposed to
traditional counseling techniques.
EXAMPLE # 3

Title: “Factors that Influence of Extent of Participation

in Household Decision-making among Married
Professionals”

Factors Extent of decision-

Sex, Education, making participation
Age, Income

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

It is assumed that “factors” which include personal

characteristics of the respondents, such as age, sex,
educational attainment and income might have an
effect on their decision-making participation.
INTERVENING VARIABLE
-the intervening variable is a factor that works
“between” the independent and dependent variables.
-it can weaken (decrease) or strengthen (increase) the
effect of the independent on the dependent variables.
-it is also called a “facilitating variable” or “moderator”
or a “control variable.”
 EXAMPLE Knowledge of the Independent
dangers of smoking Variable

Attitudes Towards Intervening

Variable
Life

Smoking Habits Dependent

Variable

Title: “ Knowledge of the Dangers of Smoking, Attitudes towards

Life, and Smoking Habits of Young Professionals”
 Factors Title:
Independent Sex, Education , Age, “Factors that
Variable Income influence
Household
Decision-making
Participation of
Gender Sensitivity Married
Intervening (Perception about Professionals.”
Variable Gender Roles

Decision-making
Dependent
Variable
Participation
 ANTECEDENT VARIABLE

 An antecedent variable is a factor or characteristic

which is found before (ante) the independent variable.
It is expected to influence the independent variable/s.
 In the study entitled “Attitude Towards Land Reform and
Acceptance of the Program among Lowland Farmers of
Northern Luzon” the major concern of the study is the
influence of “attitude towards land reform” (independent
variable) on the “farmers’ acceptance of the program”
(dependent variable).
 The farmers’ attitude towards land reform is expected to
vary according to their “education, tenurial status and the
size of the land they own “(antecedent variables).
 Educational
Attainment Antecedent Variables
Tenurial Status
Sized of Land Owned

Attitudes towards
Land Reform Independent Variables

Acceptance of Land Dependent Variables

Reform Program
EXAMPLE NO.2

 Study: “Extent of Exposure to Print Media and

Reading Ability of College Freshmen”

 Main Concern is the relationship between students’

“extent of exposure to print media”(independent
variable) and their “reading ability”(dependent
variable).

 The students’ exposure to print media, however, may

depend on their sex, residence and their parents’
education (antecedent variable)
Sex, Residence
Parents’ Antecedent Variable
Education

Extent of
Exposure to Independent Variable
Print Media

Reading Ability Dependent Variable

THANK YOU!