The aim of a master's or bachelor's thesis states what you intend to establish, explain, compare or develop. To write it, identify the intended outcome, the issue being studied and the limits of the analysis. Then check whether the literature and available data will allow you to achieve that aim. A useful opening is “The aim of this thesis is…”, but the quality depends on what follows.
You have a topic, a few books and an idea for a survey. But your supervisor asks: “What exactly do you want to establish?” The answer “I want to describe this issue” turns out to be too broad. It is unclear what information you need, what to ask participants and what the conclusions should address.
This guide takes you from a general idea to an aim that is justified and feasible. You will see a sentence template, a detailed example with specific objectives and six suggestions for different fields of study. At the end, you will find a worksheet to complete before your consultation.
What is a thesis aim, and how does it differ from the topic?
The topic defines the area of the thesis. The aim states what outcome your work on that area should produce. If the topic concerns onboarding new employees, the aim might be to identify difficulties during the first months of employment, compare two onboarding programmes or develop a proposal to improve a particular process.
Each version requires different material. Interviews can help you explore employees’ experiences. To compare onboarding time, you need a clearly defined measure and data from comparable groups. To propose an improvement, you will need an assessment of the current process and criteria for evaluating the solution.
A practical test: after reading your aim, another person should be able to say what they will learn from the thesis. The topic title alone usually does not provide that answer.
In her article on research problems and hypotheses, Anna Maria Jeszka discusses the relationship between the aim, questions and the researcher’s predictions. She highlights the need to clarify these concepts in research projects. Return to this discussion if the elements of your outline sound similar but do not form a coherent concept. Jeszka’s publication.
If you cannot define the aim because the topic itself covers several different problems, revisit its scope first. You can choose the service “Choosing a bachelor’s or master’s thesis topic”. This lets you compare narrower options before refining the aim and outline.
How to write the aim of a bachelor's or master's thesis in 5 steps
1. Write down what you want to find out
Start with a plain question, without academic embellishment. For example: “What do new employees find most difficult during onboarding?” Then check the literature to see how this process is described and which elements can be examined. You can refine the aim and question alongside each other.
Avoid starting with an arbitrary instrument: “I’ll run a survey and see what comes out of it.” The instrument must allow you to collect the information you need. If you lack the theoretical foundations, use the guide to finding literature for a bachelor's or master's thesis.
2. Choose the type of outcome
Do you want to explore experiences, compare solutions, evaluate a particular process, examine an association between variables or develop a project? Choose an activity that fits the question. Do not replace the decision with a list of verbs: “presenting, discussing, investigating and analysing everything”.
If you are evaluating something, set the criteria straight away. “Evaluating employee onboarding” might concern the clarity of instructions, availability of help or time needed to work independently. Without criteria, it will be difficult to explain the basis on which you evaluate the process.
3. Define the scope of the thesis
Specify the phenomenon, group or material your work concerns. Add a place and period where needed. Instead of “employees in Poland”, you could identify people at a selected company who completed onboarding during a particular period.
You do not need to fit the entire study specification into one sentence. The main boundaries should be clear; details can go in the scope paragraph and methodology. The submission date belongs to the timetable. The period covered by your data belongs to the scope of the study.
4. Check access to the material
For each planned finding, add the source of information. If you want to assess order fulfilment time, you need timing data. Employees’ views on whether fulfilment is quick describe their assessment of the process, not its actual duration.
Before finalising the aim, check your access to interviewees, documents or the set of publications. Also agree with your supervisor on requirements for permissions and data protection. If you cannot obtain key material, change the scope before collecting data.
5. Plan how you will know whether the aim has been achieved
Ask yourself: “What finding from the analysis will allow me to answer the question in the first step?” It could be an organised account of experiences, a comparison using defined criteria, an estimate of an association or a project together with an assessment of its limitations.
Dhir and Gupta emphasise alignment between the question, aim and assessment of outcomes in their paper on research design. Their article concerns medical research, so its detailed designs should not automatically be transferred to every discipline. However, checking coherence is also useful when preparing an outline. A research article on study objectives and outcomes.
“The aim of this thesis is…” – a template and useful wording
A useful working template is:
The aim of this thesis is [type of result] concerning [the issue] in relation to [the group, material or case], within [the main limitation].
Example: “The aim of this thesis is to identify difficulties reported by new employees in the customer service department of company X during their first three months of employment.” X denotes a teaching example, not a real company described in this article.
Depending on your project, you could use the following openings:
- Exploration or identification: when you establish what experiences, problems or solutions occur in a selected area.
- Description or characterisation: when you present the characteristics of a particular phenomenon within a clearly defined scope.
- Comparison: when you compare at least two cases, solutions, periods or approaches using common criteria.
- Evaluation: when you have criteria for evaluating the object, process or solution under analysis.
- Examining an association: when you analyse the co-occurrence or covariation of particular characteristics.
- Developing and evaluating a proposal: when the thesis is intended to produce a project or recommendations based on earlier analysis.
The word “analysis” is acceptable, but it often needs qualification. “Analysis of marketing” leaves almost everything open. “Comparative analysis of how delivery information is presented in three selected online shops” defines particular material and a direction for the work.
Do not choose a more complicated verb just to make the aim sound academic. A clear sentence makes it easier to assess the project and later write the conclusion.
The main aim and specific objectives: a complete example
The example below illustrates a way of thinking. It is not a description of a completed study or a ready-made project to submit without adaptation.
Topic and main aim
Topic: “Difficulties in onboarding new employees in the customer service department of company X.”
Main aim: “To identify difficulties experienced by new employees in the customer service department of company X during their first three months of employment.”
In this version, your focus is employees’ experiences. You are not yet promising to measure the effect of onboarding on financial performance or establish which training programme is most effective.
Specific objectives
- Establish which tasks participants found least clear when they started work.
- Identify difficulties with accessing instructions and information needed for work.
- Describe how participants obtain help from managers and colleagues.
- Identify changes that participants suggest would help improve onboarding.
Each objective develops the main aim. None introduces a new, unrelated study. The last concerns participants’ suggestions, not evidence that the proposed changes will actually improve the process.
What data and analysis will you need?
You could consider interviews with people who have recently completed their first three months of work. The project must justify the participant selection criteria, number of participants and approach to analysing their accounts. The interview guide should cover specific situations, access to information and experiences of obtaining help.
The analysis would involve organising the accounts into categories that address the questions and considering experiences that do not fit the initial assumptions. Selecting a few statements that match the author’s expectations is not enough.
How will you know whether the aim has been achieved?
The conclusion should allow you to present the difficulties identified, explain to whom the findings apply and state the limitations. You do not have to find that onboarding was poor. A finding that participants reported few difficulties can also answer the question posed.
If you need a broader structure for the research part of your thesis, see the guide to methodology for your own research. This article focuses on refining the aim and checking its feasibility.
Aim, research subject, research problem and hypothesis: how do they connect?
These elements should concern the same project, but each serves a different purpose. A short example of a study on digital library use makes this easier to see:
- Research subject: use of a digital library and its perceived usefulness among final-year students on a selected degree programme.
- Aim: to examine the association between frequency of digital library use and ratings of its usefulness for preparing a thesis.
- Research problem: what association exists between frequency of digital library use and ratings of its usefulness in the study group?
- Working hypothesis: more frequent digital library use is associated with higher ratings of its usefulness.
The hypothesis must be justified using the literature and written before the analysis that tests it. In this example, you would also need to specify how frequency and usefulness are measured. An appealing sentence alone is not enough.
Not every thesis requires hypotheses. A study aimed at exploring previously undescribed experiences can work primarily with research questions. Agree with your supervisor on a structure that suits the chosen approach. Do not add a hypothesis just because someone else’s template includes one.
The aim can be achieved even when the findings do not support the hypothesis. If the association analysis was properly planned and conducted, not finding the expected relationship is a result to report. It is not a reason to change the data or hide the findings.
Master's versus bachelor's thesis aims: what actually changes?
Both require a clear, justified and feasible aim. There is no universal division under which a bachelor's thesis only describes and a master's thesis must always prove that one phenomenon affects another.
Differences may concern the level of independence, scope of analysis, use of theory and methodological requirements. They depend on the degree programme, type of thesis and graduation rules. Do not artificially raise the project’s ambitions by promising what cannot be delivered.
For example, a bachelor's thesis could compare how a particular process is organised in two cases. A master's thesis in a similar area could additionally interpret the differences using a chosen theoretical model. These are possible options, not mandatory levels of difficulty.
Before finalising the aim, establish what your supervisor will regard as a sufficient outcome on your programme. A working outline makes this discussion easier. See how to prepare your thesis outline and get ready for a supervisor meeting.
Examples of thesis aims for different fields of study
These are original teaching examples. Before using them, check the literature, access to material and the requirements for your particular thesis.
Management: an interview-based thesis aim
Suggested wording: “The aim of this thesis is to identify ways of giving feedback in hybrid-working teams from the perspective of managers of selected departments at company X.”
This wording focuses on managers’ accounts. If you want to compare them with employees’ experiences, include the second perspective in the aim, participant selection and analysis. Interviewing managers alone does not automatically show how the whole team views the situation.
Education: a bachelor's thesis aim on teachers' experiences
Suggested wording: “The aim of this thesis is to identify difficulties reported by teachers of early primary classes when working with parents in selected schools.”
In this version, you explore teachers’ perspectives. You are not objectively evaluating the entire cooperation or establishing why parents behave as they do. Questions should encourage accounts of situations and experiences rather than suggest from the outset that parents are the source of the problem.
Psychology: a master's thesis aim on an association between variables
Suggested wording: “The aim of this thesis is to examine the association between levels of academic procrastination and levels of perceived stress among final-year students.”
You need to select and justify how both variables will be measured. A single assessment of their association is not enough to establish that procrastination causes stress or vice versa. If you use existing instruments, check their conditions of use and suitability for the group and language of the study.
Nursing: an aim based on students’ assessment of their preparation
Suggested wording: “The aim of this thesis is to explore nursing students’ self-assessed preparedness for communicating with patients before their first clinical placements.”
Self-assessment lets you describe participants’ beliefs about their own preparation. It is not the same as measuring actual skills. If the aim is to assess competence in practice, the project requires different material, suitable criteria and an agreed procedure.
Logistics: an aim for analysis of existing data
Suggested wording: “The aim of this thesis is to compare the timeliness of online order fulfilment across two delivery channels at company X in the first half of 2026.”
Define timeliness, the rules for including orders and how cancellations will be treated. Check whether the two channels handle comparable orders. A difference in on-time delivery percentages alone does not prove that the delivery channel is the sole cause.
A literature-based thesis: an aim without your own survey
Suggested wording: “The aim of this thesis is to organise and compare definitions of employee engagement in selected academic publications from 2015-2025 and identify the implications of these differences for measuring the phenomenon.”
Here, the material consists of publications. Explain how you selected them and which comparison criteria you use. The review should go beyond summaries of successive authors. Do not call it systematic if you are not following an appropriate, documented search and selection procedure.
How can you improve a poorly formulated aim? Four situations
The aim is too general
Version to improve: “The aim of this thesis is to discuss remote education.”
More precise wording: “The aim of this thesis is to identify difficulties reported by students on a selected degree programme when using recorded lectures.”
The change defines the group, a particular form of teaching and the intended outcome. It does not require you to describe all of remote education.
The aim describes only an activity
Version to improve: “The aim of this thesis is to conduct a survey among students.”
More precise wording: “The aim of this thesis is to explore the criteria that the students in the study use when selecting sources for their bachelor’s theses.”
Conducting a survey is a research activity. The aim explains what the collected responses are intended to establish. Once it is defined, it is easier to assess whether a survey is a suitable way to collect material. You may find it helpful to read the guide on preparing a questionnaire for your own research.
The aim presupposes the result
Version to improve: “The aim of this thesis is to prove that online training is more effective than face-to-face training.”
More precise wording: “The aim of this thesis is to compare the outcomes of two forms of training within the scope defined in the research design.”
The next step is to specify the outcome: knowledge, task performance or participants’ assessments. Merely replacing “prove” with “compare” will not remedy a lack of measurement or incomparable groups.
The aim promises a causal effect, but the data describe opinions
Version to improve: “The aim of this thesis is to examine the effect of a study app on students’ results.” The planned material consists only of responses to a question asking whether the app helps with studying.
A version that matches these data: “The aim of this thesis is to explore the views of the students in the study on the usefulness of an app for organising their studies.”
Assessing a causal effect requires a design that supports credible causal inference and considers alternative explanations. Statements about usefulness do not provide that basis on their own.
Where should you state the aim, and how does it connect to the conclusion?
The aim is usually stated in the introduction and, in an empirical thesis, developed further in the methodology section. Some degree programmes require a separate chapter or subsection called “Thesis aim”. Follow the guidelines you have received.
The meaning must remain the same wherever it appears. If the introduction announces a comparison of two groups, the methodology cannot describe only one of them. Similarly, the conclusion should not answer a different question from the one posed at the beginning.
Put three working sentences side by side:
- “The aim of this thesis is to establish…”.
- “To establish this, I am analysing…”.
- “On the basis of this analysis, I can draw a conclusion about…”.
If they are difficult to connect, check the scope, data and chapter structure. For help, read the guide on organising your thesis structure. At a later stage, also check how you analyse and report the research findings.
If the aim changed during your work, discuss the change with your supervisor and update every related passage. Do not present questions that arose after you saw the results as if they had been planned in advance. You can report additional analyses, explaining when and why you undertook them.
A thesis-aim worksheet for your supervisor meeting
Copy the points below into your own notes and answer each briefly. Unclear answers will identify issues to discuss.
- My topic: what is the thesis about?
- The question I want to answer: what exactly remains to be established?
- Main aim: what outcome should the analysis produce?
- Specific objectives: which parts of this outcome do I need to develop?
- Scope: who or what am I covering, and from which place and period, if relevant?
- Material: which publications, accounts, observations or data will I use?
- Access: can I actually obtain this material?
- Approach to analysis: what will I do with the information collected?
- Limits of the conclusions: what will I not be able to establish on this basis?
- Issue for consultation: what decision do I need from my supervisor now?
At the meeting, you could say: “I want to establish…, in relation to…, on the basis of…. I would like to check whether this scope meets the thesis requirements.” This gives your supervisor something concrete to assess.
Frequently asked questions about the thesis aim
How many sentences should the thesis objective have?
The main objective can often be stated in one or two sentences. Justification, scope, and specific objectives may require separate elaboration. There is no single length required for all fields of study. A longer description will not fix an unclear objective.
How many specific objectives must be formulated?
As many as you need to logically develop the main objective within the thesis requirements. Each specific objective should have a justification and be reflected in the analysis. There is no mandatory number for all theses.
Can the thesis objective start with 'presentation'?
Yes, if you specify what result is to be achieved. 'Presentation of management issues' is too broad. Indicating a specific process, material, and perspective allows for assessing what you actually plan to do. Sometimes 'comparison', 'identification', or 'evaluation' may be more appropriate.
Are the thesis objective and the research objective always the same?
They can be very similar, but do not have to be. The objective of the entire thesis may include literature analysis, empirical research, and the development of recommendations. The objective of original research then refers to the empirical part. Agree on the terminology and division with your supervisor.
Can the objective be changed after the survey is prepared?
Yes, but you must check the consistency of the new objective with the questions and planned analysis. Before starting the research, this may mean improving the tool. After collecting data, possibilities are limited by what was actually measured. Do not add findings that the data does not allow you to obtain.
What if the results do not support the hypothesis?
I describe this in line with the analysis. A lack of support for the hypothesis is a research finding, not a reason to change the respondents' answers.
It also does not automatically mean the aim was not achieved: the aim may have been to check a specific relationship. I explain what follows from the data and what limitations must be considered. A lack of support for the hypothesis does not by itself prove that the relationship definitely does not exist.
Have a topic but find it difficult to define your thesis aim?
Send your draft aim and explain which material or data you can access. I can help check whether the intended outcome is feasible and addresses the research questions.
As part of the service “Help with your thesis methodology chapter” we can refine the aim, research questions and data collection approach. If the aim is already defined but is not reflected in the chapter structure, consider the service “Help with your thesis outline and structure”.
- Include your topic, draft aim and preliminary table of contents.
- Send the requirements and your supervisor’s comments.
- Describe the available data, intended participant group and deadline.
Sources and literature
The publications below offer a deeper understanding of aims, research problems and research design. The examples, suggested revisions and aim worksheet in this guide are teaching material developed by Student Support. Check the specific thesis requirements on your own degree programme.
- Jeszka, A. M. (2013). Problemy badawcze i hipotezy w naukach o zarządzaniu. “Organizacja i Kierowanie”, 5(158), 31-39. Publication on the Polish Academy of Sciences journals website.
- Nowak, S. (2007). Metodologia badań społecznych. 2nd edition. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. Bibliographic record and table of contents.
- Apanowicz, J. (2002). Metodologia ogólna. Gdynia. Book text.
- Dhir, S. K., Gupta, P. (2021). Formulation of Research Question and Composing Study Outcomes and Objectives. “Indian Pediatrics”, 58(6), 584-588. Full article text.
