Research Theory, Design, and Methods Walden University
© 2016 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 1 of 2
Purpose Statement Checklist Use the following criteria to evaluate an authors purpose statement.
Look for indications of the following:
Does the statement begin with signaling words?
Does the statement identify the research approach (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed)?
Does the statement clearly state the intent of the study?
Does the statement mention the participants?
Does the statement mention the research site?
Is the statement framed in a way that is consistent with the identified problem?
If the study is qualitative, does the purpose statement do as follows?
Focus on a single phenomenon
Use an action verb to convey how learning will take place
Use neutral, nondirectional language
Provide a general definition of the central phenomenon
If the study is quantitative, does the purpose statement do as follows?
Identify the variables under study
Provide a general definition of each key variable
Use words that connect the variables
Identify a theory
If the study is mixed methods, does the purpose statement do as follows?
Discuss the reason(s) for mixing both quantitative and qualitative data
Include the characteristics of a good qualitative purpose statement (as listed above)
Research Theory, Design, and Methods Walden University
© 2016 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 2 of 2
Include the characteristics of a good quantitative purpose statement (as listed above)
Indicate the specific method of collecting both quantitative and qualitative data
