Purpose Statement

Developing the Purpose Statement

At the beginning of a research project, it is helpful for the researcher to use a declarative sentence to state the main goal or goals of the project in specific terms. Statements that begin with the phrase “I wish to learn …” or “I plan to examine …” can be helpful insofar as they can move the topic's abstract notions to a concrete research question, which is the springboard for the resultant research design. Furthermore, a purpose statement can ground the researcher, providing a point of reference to which the researcher may return, particularly as the study increases in complexity. However, this does not imply that the purpose statement is final, because the researcher may revise the statement as needed. If external factors such as unavailability of relevant data force the researcher to make substantial changes to his or her research design, he or she may want to update the purpose statement to reflect those changes.

Using the Purpose Statement

In addition to serving as a catalyst for the underlying research project, a purpose statement can be worked into subsequent papers or dissertation chapters derived from the project. Always near the end of the introduction, a purpose statement states the paper's intent, scope, and direction. Specifically, it provides for an abbreviated preview of the paper's main topic, while avoiding a discussion of the author's specific conclusions.

In research papers, purpose statements often start with phrases such as “This paper examines …,” [Page 1143]“The main purpose of this study is to …” or “The aim of this article is to Purpose statements should be specific and precise, and should avoid vague, ambiguous, or confusing language. This ensures that there is no doubt in the reader's mind as to the research project's intended direction.

Introductions: Purpose Statements versus Thesis Statements

A purpose statement also serves as the foundation for a thesis statement, which provides assertions about the topic at hand and summarizes the author's conclusions. Unlike a purpose statement, a thesis statement provides a cursory answer to the question and is developed after the researcher has gathered evidence, which is presented in the body of the research paper.

The decision to use a thesis statement in the introduction is determined by the underlying norms of the specific discipline, as well as the author's preferences. In some cases, the author may simply state the paper's intended purpose at the outset, delaying the discussion of any results until the end of the paper. At the very least, a research paper introduction should provide a discussion of the research question and some information about how the author intends to explore the question, even if the answers are not presented until the conclusion.

Examples of Thesis and Purpose Statements

Ineffective purpose statement #1: “This paper examines the impact of elites upon elections.” It is unclear about what types of elites, what types of elections, or even which potential electoral effects the researcher intends to examine.

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