What is the ultimate goal when initiating a research project?

The ultimate goal when initiating a research project is to explain and predict phenomena or outcomes within a specific area of interest. This emphasis on explanation and prediction is foundational to the scientific method, where researchers seek to understand relationships between variables and the underlying mechanisms that govern various behaviors or events.

By aiming to explain, researchers contribute to the body of knowledge, providing insights that can clarify why certain things happen or identify the factors involved in specific outcomes. Prediction allows researchers to apply their findings in practical ways, anticipating future events or responses based on established evidence.

Conducting a survey, gathering qualitative data, and forming a hypothesis are all important components of the research process, but they serve as tools or steps towards achieving the ultimate goal of understanding and forecasting through explanation. Surveys may collect data that aid in these efforts, qualitative data can enrich the understanding of complex issues, and hypotheses offer testable predictions that guide research design, but the endgame remains the broader objectives of explaining and predicting.