Objectives must always be set after having formulated a good research question. After all, they are to explain the way in which such question is going to be answered. Objectives are usually headed by infinitive verbs such as:

• To identify
• To establish
• To describe
• To determine
• To estimate
• To develop
• To compare
• To analyse
• To collect
• …

Returning to the example given in the previous post about Unemployment in European Union and considering the two research questions posed: (1) What has been the unemployment rate in European Union over the last decade? and (2) Why have northern European countries registered a lower unemployment rate than southern countries?; the objectives could be as follow:

1º To compare the unemployment rate among all European countries.

2º To analyse the unemployment rate evolution from 2002 to 2012.

3º To identify the factors associated with high unemployment rates.

4º To develop an explanatory theory that associates unemployment rate with other indicators such as Growth Domestic Product (GDP).

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References

Camino, J. R. (2011). Cómo escribir y publicar una tesis doctoral. ESIC Editorial.

Saunders, Mark NK, et al. Research methods for business students , 5/e. Pearson Education India, 2011. Pearson.