PHD Discussions Logo

Ask, Learn and Accelerate in your PhD Research

Question Icon Post Your Answer

Question Icon

2 years ago in Research Objectives By Kushi Gupta

Should research objectives be written using specific action verbs?

I've seen objectives written with weak verbs like "understand" or "explore." My supervisor says to use stronger words like "design," "evaluate," or "critique." Does the choice of verb really matter that much?

All Answers (1 Answers In All)

By Tara Answered 1 year ago

The verb choice is critical—it signals the intellectual activity and rigor of your work. Vague verbs like "understand," "explore," or "investigate" are passive and hard to assess. Strong action verbs define what you will actually do and make objectives measurable. For theoretical work, use: analyze, compare, critique, synthesize, develop (a framework). For empirical work, use: design, construct, measure, test, evaluate, validate, simulate. For analytical work, use: identify, categorize, model, map, assess. An objective stating "To evaluate the performance of algorithm A under condition B" is clear and demonstrable. At your viva, you'll be asked if you met your objectives; strong verbs leave no ambiguity about what "meeting" them entails.

Your Answer