Strong, Clear Examples of Research Proposal Objectives (With Real Samples)

Start With Clear, Real Examples of Research Proposal Objectives

Let’s skip the theory and go straight to what you actually need: concrete examples of research proposal objectives you can adapt.

Think of each objective as a promise to your reader: “Here is exactly what this study will do.” The best examples are specific, measurable, and written in plain English. You can always refine later, but you need a solid starting point.

Below, you’ll find real examples of examples of research proposal objectives grouped by topic area. Use the wording as a template and swap in your own variables, population, and setting.

Education Research: Examples of Research Proposal Objectives

Education proposals live or die on clarity. Review committees want to know who you’ll study, what you’ll measure, and how you’ll know whether something worked.

Here are examples of research proposal objectives for an education-focused study on AI tools in classrooms (a hot topic in 2024–2025):

Study topic: Impact of AI-based tutoring tools on 9th-grade algebra performance.

Sample objectives:

• To compare the end-of-semester algebra test scores of 9th-grade students who use an AI-based tutoring tool with those who receive only traditional instruction in three public high schools.
• To examine how frequently students use the AI tool (measured in minutes per week) and how this usage relates to changes in their quiz scores over a 12-week period.
• To explore student and teacher perceptions of the AI tool’s usefulness and usability through semi-structured interviews and short online surveys.
• To identify which types of algebra problems (e.g., linear equations, inequalities, word problems) show the greatest improvement among students using the AI tool.

Notice how each objective starts with a strong verb: compare, examine, explore, identify. When you look for the best examples of research proposal objectives, you’ll see these kinds of verbs over and over.

For education research more generally, other examples include:

• To evaluate the impact of a flipped-classroom model on attendance and homework completion rates among 10th-grade biology students over one academic year.
• To assess whether weekly formative quizzes improve final exam performance in an introductory psychology course at a large public university.

If you want to see how real education studies frame their goals, browse abstracts from universities like Harvard Graduate School of Education where objectives are often clearly spelled out.

Health & Psychology: Best Examples of Research Proposal Objectives

Health and psychology proposals often need especially precise objectives because they tie into patient safety, ethics, and policy. Reviewers expect measurable outcomes and clear time frames.

Study topic: College student anxiety and a brief mindfulness app.

Here are real examples of research proposal objectives for that topic:

• To determine whether using a 10-minute daily mindfulness app for 8 weeks reduces self-reported anxiety scores among first-year college students compared with a waitlist control group.
• To measure changes in sleep quality (using a standardized sleep scale) among participants who use the mindfulness app versus those in the control group.
• To analyze app usage data (number of sessions completed per week) and its relationship to changes in anxiety and sleep quality.
• To explore participants’ perceived barriers and facilitators to regular mindfulness app use through focus group discussions.

If your topic is physical health, your examples of research proposal objectives might look like this:

• To compare rates of influenza vaccination among adults aged 18–64 before and after a text-message reminder campaign at a community clinic.
• To assess changes in physical activity levels (measured in minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week) following a 12-week workplace wellness program.

For health topics, it helps to check how organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or National Institutes of Health (NIH) describe their study aims. Their language offers some of the best examples of clear, outcome-focused objectives.

Business & Management: Examples Include Market and Employee Studies

Business research proposals often focus on performance, satisfaction, or behavior. The objectives need to spell out what will be measured—sales, engagement, turnover, and so on.

Study topic: Remote work and employee productivity in a mid-sized tech company.

Here are examples of examples of research proposal objectives in that context:

• To compare self-reported productivity levels of employees working fully remotely, hybrid, and fully on-site over a 6-month period.
• To analyze the relationship between remote work frequency and employee turnover intentions using survey data.
• To identify key factors (e.g., communication tools, manager support, home office setup) that predict higher productivity among remote employees.
• To examine differences in job satisfaction scores between employees with flexible work arrangements and those with fixed schedules.

Other business-focused examples include:

• To evaluate the impact of a new customer loyalty program on repeat purchase rates over a 9-month period.
• To assess the effect of personalized email marketing on click-through and conversion rates compared with generic email campaigns.

When you look at high-quality business research from schools like Harvard Business School, you’ll see similar structure: a clear population, a measurable outcome, and a time frame.

Technology & Data: Example of Objectives for AI and Digital Tools

Technology research in 2024–2025 is full of AI, automation, and data privacy topics. The best examples of research proposal objectives in this area are usually very specific about performance metrics.

Study topic: AI-based resume screening tool in HR hiring.

Sample objectives:

• To compare the time-to-hire (in days) for positions filled using an AI resume screening tool versus traditional manual screening in a large organization.
• To assess the accuracy of the AI tool in identifying qualified candidates by comparing its recommendations with human recruiter evaluations.
• To examine potential demographic differences in candidate selection outcomes before and after the implementation of the AI tool.
• To gather recruiter and hiring manager perceptions of fairness, transparency, and usefulness of the AI tool through surveys and interviews.

Another technology-focused example of research proposal objectives could be:

• To evaluate the impact of a data-visualization dashboard on decision-making speed and accuracy among mid-level managers in a logistics company.

These examples include both quantitative (time, accuracy, differences) and qualitative (perceptions, experiences) objectives, which is common in mixed-methods tech research.

Social Sciences: Real Examples of Objectives on Policy and Behavior

Social science proposals often investigate attitudes, behaviors, or policies. Clarity about the population and context matters a lot.

Study topic: Social media use and political participation among young adults.

Here are examples of research proposal objectives for that topic:

• To analyze the relationship between daily social media use (measured in hours) and self-reported political participation (e.g., voting, attending events, online activism) among adults aged 18–29.
• To identify which social media platforms are most strongly associated with offline political activities.
• To explore how young adults describe the influence of social media on their political opinions through in-depth interviews.
• To compare levels of political knowledge between heavy social media users and light users using a standardized knowledge test.

Another example of research proposal objectives in social policy might be:

• To evaluate the impact of a local housing subsidy program on housing stability (measured by number of moves per year) among low-income families over a 2-year period.

Government and nonprofit reports from sites like Urban Institute or federal agencies often show real examples of clearly stated research goals in social policy.

How to Write Your Own Objectives (Using These Examples Wisely)

Now that you’ve seen many examples of examples of research proposal objectives, let’s break down how to write your own without just copying and pasting.

You can think through three simple questions:

Who or what are you studying?
Define your population or dataset. For example: 9th-grade students, adults with type 2 diabetes, remote employees, small businesses, etc.

What exactly will change or be measured?
Test scores, anxiety levels, sales figures, hours of social media use, number of doctor visits—whatever outcome matters for your question.

Over what time and under what conditions?
An 8-week program, one semester, 6 months before and after a policy change, during a specific event.

Once you’ve answered those, you can plug your answers into patterns you’ve already seen in the best examples of research proposal objectives:

• To compare [Outcome] between [Group A] and [Group B] over [Time Period].
• To assess the relationship between [Variable 1] and [Variable 2] in [Population].
• To explore [Experience/Perception] of [Population] regarding [Topic].
• To evaluate the impact of [Intervention/Program] on [Outcome] among [Population].

You can scroll back up and see how almost every one of the examples of research proposal objectives above fits into one of these patterns.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Objectives

Looking at real examples of research proposal objectives also helps you see what not to do. Some frequent problems:

Objectives that are too vague
“To study stress in college students” is so broad that reviewers won’t know what you’re actually doing. Compare that to: “To measure changes in perceived stress scores among college freshmen after a 6-week peer-support program.”

Objectives that are not measurable
“To improve student engagement” sounds nice, but how will you measure it? Attendance? Participation? Time on task? Good examples of research proposal objectives always point to something you can actually record.

Objectives that are too ambitious for your time and resources
If you’re a master’s student with one semester, you probably can’t “track long-term career outcomes over 10 years.” The best examples fit the scope of the project.

Objectives that don’t match your methods
If your objective is “to compare” two groups, you need a design that actually includes two groups. If your objective is “to explore experiences,” you’ll need qualitative methods like interviews or focus groups. Strong examples of research proposal objectives always line up with the methods section.

For guidance on aligning objectives with methods, graduate writing centers at universities (for example, UNC Writing Center) often share helpful guides.

FAQ: Examples of Research Proposal Objectives

Q1. Can you give a simple example of a research proposal objective for a student project?
Yes. Here’s a very straightforward example of an objective for a high school science project: “To compare the growth rate (in centimeters per week) of tomato plants watered with tap water versus filtered water over a 6-week period.” It’s specific, measurable, and has a clear time frame.

Q2. How many objectives should I include in my proposal?
Most small projects work well with two to four objectives. When you look at examples of research proposal objectives in published theses, you’ll see that too many objectives can make the study feel scattered. It’s better to have a few clear, well-designed objectives than a long list you can’t realistically achieve.

Q3. What are good verbs to use when writing objectives?
If you scan the best examples of research proposal objectives, you’ll see verbs like: assess, compare, determine, evaluate, examine, explore, identify, analyze, measure. Avoid vague verbs like understand or learn about unless you pair them with something measurable.

Q4. Do my objectives need to mention specific tools or scales?
Not always, but it can help. For instance, in health research, you might say “to measure depression using the PHQ-9 scale,” a common tool referenced by organizations like Mayo Clinic. In early drafts, you can keep it simple and add the specific tools later as your methods section develops.

Q5. Are objectives the same as research questions?
They’re related but not identical. Research questions ask what you want to find out. Objectives explain what you will do to answer those questions. Many examples of research proposal objectives are written as action steps that directly respond to each research question.

If you’re stuck, go back to the examples above, pick the one closest to your topic, and rewrite it using your own population, variables, and time frame. That’s the fastest way to move from a blank page to a clear, confident objectives section.