Objectives of Research

Research Objectives serve to keep the project on track. During the research process, employees may uncover interesting alternative routes or answers. These new findings should be considered in relation to the original objectives. If executives find these new findings compelling, they may initiate a new research project with updated objectives. Therefore, objectives are crucial for maintaining direction and focus in the research project.

Defining Research Objectives

Before conducting market research, it is essential to define the research objectives. These objectives answer the fundamental question: Why conduct this market research? The answer can be complex and lead to additional questions. Marketers must carefully define these objectives to set the study’s scope appropriately. Objectives that are too broad can lead to an overload of irrelevant information, while overly narrow objectives might not provide enough useful data. The challenge lies in finding the right balance.

Aims and Objectives of Research Methodology

• Exploratory Research Objectives:

These aim to gain familiarity with a phenomenon or achieve new insights (termed as exploratory or formulative research studies).

• Descriptive Research Objectives:

These aim to portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation, or group (known as descriptive research studies).

• Diagnostic Research Objectives:

These aim to determine the frequency of an occurrence or its association with something else.

• Hypothesis–Testing Research Objectives:

These aim to test a hypothesis regarding a causal relationship between variables.

Types of Research Objectives

• Exploratory Research Objectives:

The purpose is to explore the market. Research questions might include: How many brands are present in the market? What are the product numbers for each brand? How many dealers are there for each product? What are the average sales per dealer? Where are sales higher—urban or rural areas? What are the monthly purchase and sales quantities? These questions prepare for a quantitative market research process.

• Descriptive Research Objectives:

These objectives help understand why an action is taken, leading to qualitative research. Questions might include: Why do dealers promote a particular product locally? Why do customers prefer a certain product? What features attract customers? How is the product’s cost managed? These questions are more descriptive and complex, requiring specific and well-designed questionnaires to avoid clutter and obtain precise answers.

• Causal Research Objectives:

These objectives focus on cause and effect. Questions might include: What will happen if a new product is introduced? Will the market accept or reject it? If rejection is possible, what are the causes? Causal research seeks to identify all factors influencing success or failure, incorporating elements of cause and effect into the market research questionnaire.