• The aim refers to what you want to achieve, state in one sentence
  • The aim of this research proposal is to …
  • The aim of this research project is to …..
  • To explore…
• Always number your objective, outcomes and success criteria
• The objective is how you are going to achieve it
• The deliverables are objects which you will produce along the way
• These are not hypotheses and are often used as key components within the action plan
• The outcomes (or success criteria) are what the artefact will allow us to achieve:
  • Increase in processing speed will give a quicker response time
  • A load balance across multiple nodes will reduce the risk of server crashing
• Some universities and students like to divide the objectives into different groups, but this is dependent on your report as you may not have business objectives.
  • Report objectives
  • Personal objectives
  • Technical objectives
  • Business objectives
• They can be highlighted in a table, written in bullet points or within-text
• I have highlighted two of the most common approaches below
  • Ask your supervisor which method they require\ want

Computer Science tend to prefer this approach 

• Aim
  • The aim of this research project is to explore the relationship between customers and website interaction leading to a confirmed sale
• Objectives
  1. To investigate (alternative solution or software)
  2. To design (an artefact to overcome problem)
  3. To explore (potential software requirements)
  4. To examine (how users interact with the software)
  5. To compare (performance or features)
  6. To document (the system using technical drawings)
• Deliverables
  1. Write (a literature review on ‘topic’)
  2. Create (a project plan in the form of a Gantt chart)
  3. Produce (design documentation)
  4. Manufacture (a prototype of the ‘software’)
  5. Test (the function of the prototype)
  6. Demonstrate (the ‘software’ solving the problem)
  7. See deliverables
• Outcome (Success Criteria)
  1. The number of website sales will increase, identified through sales comparison
  2. Promotions and reminders (call to action) will lead to website sales, identified through web metrics
  3. The speed to find an item will increase (time to target), identified through web metrics
  4. Customer satisfaction level will increase, identified through web metrics

Social Sciences tend to prefer this approach