research training objectives

• Learning & Development

Objectives for training: a guide to writing clear and effective goals

• Posted by by Jack Woodworth
• April 27, 2023
• 5 minute read

Learning and professional development is an essential part of any business, and it’s crucial to ensure that the training your company provides is effective and achieves its intended purpose. This is where setting clear and measurable training objectives comes in.  Objectives for training are specific goals that define what learners are expected to achieve by the time they’ve completed their training . Read on to explore what training objectives are, how they differ from training goals, the purpose of setting training objectives, how to write them, and examples of both objectives and goals.

Training objectives vs training goals

What is the purpose of setting training objectives, examples of training objectives, examples of training goals, key takeaways, what is a training objective.

A training objective is a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) statement that defines what learners are expected to achieve by the end of a training program . It is a clear description of the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that the learners should acquire or be able to demonstrate at the end of training. The training objectives you create should be aligned with the overall goals and objectives of your company or organization, and they should be relevant to your learners’ job roles.

While the terms “training objectives” and “training goals” are often used interchangeably, and are similar in nature, they are not identical. 

Training objectives are specific, measurable, and time-bound statements that describe what learners are expected to achieve as a result of participating in a training program. Objectives are usually written from the learner’s perspective and focus on the desired outcomes of the training. You are able to measure results by numbers, percentages, or pass/fail outcomes.  Training goals, on the other hand, are broader statements that describe what the organization hopes to achieve through the training program. Goals are often written from the company or organization’s perspective, and focus on the big-picture outcomes that the training is intended to support. Goals can also be measured numerically or through pass/fail outcomes. Both training objectives and training goals are essential for designing and implementing effective training programs.

The purpose of setting training objectives is to provide clarity both for learners and managers. Clear training objectives inform learners what skills and knowledge they’re expected to gain from the training program, as well as what metrics will be used to evaluate if they gained that knowledge. In turn, managers have a clear direction on how to evaluate if the objective has been achieved or not. Key reasons why it’s important to set training objectives:

• Clarify expectations Training objectives help to clarify what is expected of learners and what they need to achieve to complete the training program successfully. This clarity allows learners to stay focused on the desired outcomes and understand how the training will help them to develop new skills and knowledge.
• Measure progress Training objectives provide a measurable way to track learners’ progress throughout the training program. By setting specific, measurable, and time-bound objectives, you can easily assess whether learners are achieving the desired outcomes and make any necessary adjustments to the training program to ensure that learners are on track.
• Improve learning outcomes By taking time to write clear objectives for training before that training is rolled out, you’re compelled to evaluate if the program you’ve created matches the objective it’s supposed to achieve. This will help you identify any gaps in the training program before you initiate it, instead of after the fact.

How do you write training objectives?

Writing effective training objectives is critical to designing and implementing an effective training program. Here are some clear, actionable tips to creating training objectives:

• Define the desired outcomes The first step in writing training objectives is to clearly define the desired outcomes of the training program. This involves identifying what learners need to know or be able to do by the end of the training program.
• Use the SMART criteria The SMART criteria is a framework for setting effective objectives. SMART stands for S pecific, M easurable, A chievable, R elevant, and T ime-bound. Use this framework to ensure that your objectives are clear, actionable, and achievable within a specified time frame.
• Write from the learner’s perspective When writing training objectives, it’s important to write from the learner’s perspective. Objectives should focus on what learners will be able to do or know by the end of the training program.
• Use action verbs Use action verbs in your objectives to clearly describe what learners are expected to do. For example, use verbs like “identify,” “analyze,” “demonstrate,” or “evaluate.”
• Keep it concise Training objectives should be concise and easy to understand. Use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms that learners may not understand.
• Prioritize objectives Prioritize your objectives based on their importance to the overall success of the training program. This will help to ensure that learners are focused on the most critical skills and knowledge.
• Test your objectives Ask yourself if the objectives you’ve written align with your company’s overall goals, if the training they correspond to is enough for them to be achieved, and if they’re easy to understand by someone other than you.

Here are some examples of training objectives that are specific to learners in your company:

• Recognize and respond to the 5 most common customer questions As a customer support specialist you will be trained on the most common customer questions and memorize the correct responses to them to be able to assist customers faster and more efficiently.
• Double the number of upsell opportunities proposed during customer consultations As a sales representative in the field you will learn how to identify upsell opportunities when consulting with customers, and how to effectively communicate the value of our products and services to increase your average deal size.
• Learn and implement techniques for securing your electronically stored data You will improve the overall security of your company laptop and/or phone by learning how to properly secure your electronically stored data and minimize the risk of breaches.
• Identify workplace hazards and report them correctly You will learn to spot hazards in the workplace, and how to correctly document and report them to decrease the overall risk of workplace injury to yourself and others.

Here are some examples of training goals. Each goal corresponds to the example training objectives above, and shows how those objectives contribute to the overall company training goal:

• Improve customer satisfaction rating By training all employees on the most common questions and complaints, the company’s overall rating should reach at least 4 stars by the end of the year.
• Increase upsell revenue by 25% By training sales representatives on how to identify and approach upsell opportunities with customers, the overall company revenue from upsells should increase.
• Improve overall company security By delivering cybersecurity training to all employees the security of the company’s data should improve and lead to fewer breaches.
• Decrease the number of workplace accidents By training all employees on workplace hazards and how to prevent them, the overall number of accidents on job sites should decrease.

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What are the 3 objectives of training?

The three objectives of training in an organization are:

• Help each member of your team perform their job roles effectively
• Improve overall performance
• Increase the organization’s ability to achieve its goals and targets

What are SMART objectives of training?

SMART objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives that define what learners are expected to achieve by the end of a training program. SMART objectives help to ensure that the objectives are clear, measurable, and achievable.

From training objectives, to goals, to success

Setting clear training objectives is essential for any training program’s success. They provide learners with direction and focus, measure training effectiveness, and motivate learners to take ownership of their learning. Using the SMART framework will help you provide clarity and ensure that your objectives are aligned with your company’s overall goals. By setting clear and measurable objectives, you’ll improve the effectiveness of your training programs and help your whole team reach their fullest potential.

• Training objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound statements that define what learners are expected to achieve by the end of a training program.
• Training goals describe the overall purpose or aim of the training program, while objectives are specific and measurable outcomes.
• The purpose of setting training objectives is to provide direction and focus, measure training effectiveness, and motivate learners.
• Effective training objectives should be aligned with your organization’s overall goals and objectives, use the SMART framework, and be simple and easy to understand.
• Clear and measurable training objectives are essential for improving the effectiveness of training programs and achieving desired outcomes.

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• Research Objectives | Definition & Examples

Research Objectives | Definition & Examples

Published on July 12, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on November 20, 2023.

Research objectives describe what your research is trying to achieve and explain why you are pursuing it. They summarize the approach and purpose of your project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement . They should:

• Establish the scope and depth of your project
• Contribute to your research design
• Indicate how your project will contribute to existing knowledge

Table of contents

What is a research objective, why are research objectives important, how to write research aims and objectives, smart research objectives, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research objectives.

Research objectives describe what your research project intends to accomplish. They should guide every step of the research process , including how you collect data , build your argument , and develop your conclusions .

Your research objectives may evolve slightly as your research progresses, but they should always line up with the research carried out and the actual content of your paper.

Research aims

A distinction is often made between research objectives and research aims.

A research aim typically refers to a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear at the end of your problem statement, before your research objectives.

Your research objectives are more specific than your research aim and indicate the particular focus and approach of your project. Though you will only have one research aim, you will likely have several research objectives.

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Research objectives are important because they:

• Establish the scope and depth of your project: This helps you avoid unnecessary research. It also means that your research methods and conclusions can easily be evaluated .
• Contribute to your research design: When you know what your objectives are, you have a clearer idea of what methods are most appropriate for your research.
• Indicate how your project will contribute to extant research: They allow you to display your knowledge of up-to-date research, employ or build on current research methods, and attempt to contribute to recent debates.

Once you’ve established a research problem you want to address, you need to decide how you will address it. This is where your research aim and objectives come in.

Step 1: Decide on a general aim

Your research aim should reflect your research problem and should be relatively broad.

Step 2: Decide on specific objectives

Break down your aim into a limited number of steps that will help you resolve your research problem. What specific aspects of the problem do you want to examine or understand?

Step 3: Formulate your aims and objectives

Once you’ve established your research aim and objectives, you need to explain them clearly and concisely to the reader.

You’ll lay out your aims and objectives at the end of your problem statement, which appears in your introduction. Frame them as clear declarative statements, and use appropriate verbs to accurately characterize the work that you will carry out.

The acronym “SMART” is commonly used in relation to research objectives. It states that your objectives should be:

• Specific: Make sure your objectives aren’t overly vague. Your research needs to be clearly defined in order to get useful results.
• Measurable: Know how you’ll measure whether your objectives have been achieved.
• Achievable: Your objectives may be challenging, but they should be feasible. Make sure that relevant groundwork has been done on your topic or that relevant primary or secondary sources exist. Also ensure that you have access to relevant research facilities (labs, library resources , research databases , etc.).
• Relevant: Make sure that they directly address the research problem you want to work on and that they contribute to the current state of research in your field.
• Time-based: Set clear deadlines for objectives to ensure that the project stays on track.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

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Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

Your research objectives indicate how you’ll try to address your research problem and should be specific:

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

• Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
• Your proposed timeline and duration
• Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
• Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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• Defining Research Objectives: How To  Write Them

Almost all industries use research for growth and development. Research objectives are how researchers ensure that their study has direction and makes a significant contribution to growing an industry or niche.

Research objectives provide a clear and concise statement of what the researcher wants to find out. As a researcher, you need to clearly outline and define research objectives to guide the research process and ensure that the study is relevant and generates the impact you want.

In this article, we will explore research objectives and how to leverage them to achieve successful research studies.

What Are Research Objectives?

Research objectives are what you want to achieve through your research study. They guide your research process and help you focus on the most important aspects of your topic.

You can also define the scope of your study and set realistic and attainable study goals with research objectives. For example, with clear research objectives, your study focuses on the specific goals you want to achieve and prevents you from spending time and resources collecting unnecessary data.

However, sticking to research objectives isn’t always easy, especially in broad or unconventional research. This is why most researchers follow the SMART criteria when defining their research objectives.

Understanding SMART Criteria in Research

Think of research objectives as a roadmap to achieving your research goals, with the SMART criteria as your navigator on the map.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you ensure that your research objectives are clear, specific, realistic, meaningful, and time-bound.

Here’s a breakdown of the SMART Criteria:

Specific : Your research objectives should be clear: what do you want to achieve, why do you want to achieve it, and how do you plan to achieve it? Avoid vague or broad statements that don’t provide enough direction for your research.

Measurable : Your research objectives should have metrics that help you track your progress and measure your results. Also, ensure the metrics are measurable with data to verify them.

Achievable : Your research objectives should be within your research scope, timeframe, and budget. Also, set goals that are challenging but not impossible.

Relevant: Your research objectives should be in line with the goal and significance of your study. Also, ensure that the objectives address a specific issue or knowledge gap that is interesting and relevant to your industry or niche.

Time-bound : Your research objectives should have a specific deadline or timeframe for completion. This will help you carefully set a schedule for your research activities and milestones and monitor your study progress.

Characteristics of Effective Research Objectives

Clarity : Your objectives should be clear and unambiguous so that anyone who reads them can understand what you intend to do. Avoid vague or general terms that could be taken out of context.

Specificity : Your objectives should be specific and address the research questions that you have formulated. Do not use broad or narrow objectives as they may restrict your field of research or make your research irrelevant.

Measurability : Define your metrics with indicators or metrics that help you determine if you’ve accomplished your goals or not. This will ensure you are tracking the research progress and making interventions when needed.

Also, do use objectives that are subjective or based on personal opinions, as they may be difficult to accurately verify and measure.

Achievability : Your objectives should be realistic and attainable, given the resources and time available for your research project. You should set objectives that match your skills and capabilities, they can be difficult but not so hard that they are realistically unachievable.

For example, setting very difficult make you lose confidence, and abandon your research. Also, setting very simple objectives could demotivate you and prevent you from closing the knowledge gap or making significant contributions to your field with your research.

Relevance : Your objectives should be relevant to your research topic and contribute to the existing knowledge in your field. Avoid objectives that are unrelated or insignificant, as they may waste your time or resources.

Time-bound : Your objectives should be time-bound and specify when you will complete them. Have a realistic and flexible timeframe for achieving your objectives, and track your progress with it. 

Steps to Writing Research Objectives

Identify the research questions.

The first step in writing effective research objectives is to identify the research questions that you are trying to answer. Research questions help you narrow down your topic and identify the gaps or problems that you want to address with your research.

For example, if you are interested in the impact of technology on children’s development, your research questions could be:

• What is the relationship between technology use and academic performance among children?
• Are children who use technology more likely to do better in school than those who do not?
• What is the social and psychological impact of technology use on children?

Brainstorm Objectives

Once you have your research questions, you can brainstorm possible objectives that relate to them. Objectives are more specific than research questions, and they tell you what you want to achieve or learn in your research.

You can use verbs such as analyze, compare, evaluate, explore, investigate, etc. to express your objectives. Also, try to generate as many objectives as possible, without worrying about their quality or feasibility at this stage.

Prioritize Objectives

Once you’ve brainstormed your objectives, you’ll need to prioritize them based on their relevance and feasibility. Relevance is how relevant the objective is to your research topic and how well it fits into your overall research objective.

Feasibility is how realistic and feasible the objective is compared to the time, money, and expertise you have. You can create a matrix or ranking system to organize your objectives and pick the ones that matter the most.

Refine Objectives

The next step is to refine and revise your objectives to ensure clarity and specificity. Start by ensuring that your objectives are consistent and coherent with each other and with your research questions. 

Make Objectives SMART

A useful way to refine your objectives is to make them SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 

• Specific : Objectives should clearly state what you hope to achieve.
• Measurable : They should be able to be quantified or evaluated.
• Achievable : realistic and within the scope of the research study.
• Relevant : They should be directly related to the research questions.
• Time-bound : specific timeframe for research completion.

Review and Finalize Objectives

The final step is to review your objectives for coherence and alignment with your research questions and aim. Ensure your objectives are logically connected and consistent with each other and with the purpose of your study.

You also need to check that your objectives are not too broad or too narrow, too easy or too hard, too many or too few. You can use a checklist or a rubric to evaluate your objectives and make modifications.

Examples of Well-Written Research Objectives

Example 1- Psychology

Research question: What are the effects of social media use on teenagers’ mental health?

Objective : To determine the relationship between the amount of time teenagers in the US spend on social media and their levels of anxiety and depression before and after using social media.

What Makes the Research Objective SMART?

The research objective is specific because it clearly states what the researcher hopes to achieve. It is measurable because it can be quantified by measuring the levels of anxiety and depression in teenagers. 

Also, the objective is achievable because the researcher can collect enough data to answer the research question. It is relevant because it is directly related to the research question. It is time-bound because it has a specific deadline for completion.

Example 2- Marketing

Research question : How can a company increase its brand awareness by 10%?

Objective : To develop a marketing strategy that will increase the company’s sales by 10% within the next quarter.

How Is this Research Objective SMART?

The research states what the researcher hopes to achieve ( Specific ). You can also measure the company’s reach before and after the marketing plan is implemented ( Measurable ).

The research objective is also achievable because you can develop a marketing plan that will increase awareness by 10% within the timeframe. The objective is directly related to the research question ( Relevant ). It is also time-bound because it has a specific deadline for completion.

Research objectives are a well-designed roadmap to completing and achieving your overall research goal. 

However, research goals are only effective if they are well-defined and backed up with the best practices such as the SMART criteria. Properly defining research objectives will help you plan and conduct your research project effectively and efficiently.

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Home » Research Objectives – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Research Objectives – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Research Objectives

Research objectives refer to the specific goals or aims of a research study. They provide a clear and concise description of what the researcher hopes to achieve by conducting the research . The objectives are typically based on the research questions and hypotheses formulated at the beginning of the study and are used to guide the research process.

Types of Research Objectives

Here are the different types of research objectives in research:

• Exploratory Objectives: These objectives are used to explore a topic, issue, or phenomenon that has not been studied in-depth before. The aim of exploratory research is to gain a better understanding of the subject matter and generate new ideas and hypotheses .
• Descriptive Objectives: These objectives aim to describe the characteristics, features, or attributes of a particular population, group, or phenomenon. Descriptive research answers the “what” questions and provides a snapshot of the subject matter.
• Explanatory Objectives : These objectives aim to explain the relationships between variables or factors. Explanatory research seeks to identify the cause-and-effect relationships between different phenomena.
• Predictive Objectives: These objectives aim to predict future events or outcomes based on existing data or trends. Predictive research uses statistical models to forecast future trends or outcomes.
• Evaluative Objectives : These objectives aim to evaluate the effectiveness or impact of a program, intervention, or policy. Evaluative research seeks to assess the outcomes or results of a particular intervention or program.
• Prescriptive Objectives: These objectives aim to provide recommendations or solutions to a particular problem or issue. Prescriptive research identifies the best course of action based on the results of the study.
• Diagnostic Objectives : These objectives aim to identify the causes or factors contributing to a particular problem or issue. Diagnostic research seeks to uncover the underlying reasons for a particular phenomenon.
• Comparative Objectives: These objectives aim to compare two or more groups, populations, or phenomena to identify similarities and differences. Comparative research is used to determine which group or approach is more effective or has better outcomes.
• Historical Objectives: These objectives aim to examine past events, trends, or phenomena to gain a better understanding of their significance and impact. Historical research uses archival data, documents, and records to study past events.
• Ethnographic Objectives : These objectives aim to understand the culture, beliefs, and practices of a particular group or community. Ethnographic research involves immersive fieldwork and observation to gain an insider’s perspective of the group being studied.
• Action-oriented Objectives: These objectives aim to bring about social or organizational change. Action-oriented research seeks to identify practical solutions to social problems and to promote positive change in society.
• Conceptual Objectives: These objectives aim to develop new theories, models, or frameworks to explain a particular phenomenon or set of phenomena. Conceptual research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the subject matter by developing new theoretical perspectives.
• Methodological Objectives: These objectives aim to develop and improve research methods and techniques. Methodological research seeks to advance the field of research by improving the validity, reliability, and accuracy of research methods and tools.
• Theoretical Objectives : These objectives aim to test and refine existing theories or to develop new theoretical perspectives. Theoretical research seeks to advance the field of knowledge by testing and refining existing theories or by developing new theoretical frameworks.
• Measurement Objectives : These objectives aim to develop and validate measurement instruments, such as surveys, questionnaires, and tests. Measurement research seeks to improve the quality and reliability of data collection and analysis by developing and testing new measurement tools.
• Design Objectives : These objectives aim to develop and refine research designs, such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational designs. Design research seeks to improve the quality and validity of research by developing and testing new research designs.
• Sampling Objectives: These objectives aim to develop and refine sampling techniques, such as probability and non-probability sampling methods. Sampling research seeks to improve the representativeness and generalizability of research findings by developing and testing new sampling techniques.

How to Write Research Objectives

Writing clear and concise research objectives is an important part of any research project, as it helps to guide the study and ensure that it is focused and relevant. Here are some steps to follow when writing research objectives:

• Identify the research problem : Before you can write research objectives, you need to identify the research problem you are trying to address. This should be a clear and specific problem that can be addressed through research.
• Define the research questions : Based on the research problem, define the research questions you want to answer. These questions should be specific and should guide the research process.
• Identify the variables : Identify the key variables that you will be studying in your research. These are the factors that you will be measuring, manipulating, or analyzing to answer your research questions.
• Write specific objectives: Write specific, measurable objectives that will help you answer your research questions. These objectives should be clear and concise and should indicate what you hope to achieve through your research.
• Use the SMART criteria: To ensure that your research objectives are well-defined and achievable, use the SMART criteria. This means that your objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
• Revise and refine: Once you have written your research objectives, revise and refine them to ensure that they are clear, concise, and achievable. Make sure that they align with your research questions and variables, and that they will help you answer your research problem.

Example of Research Objectives

Examples of research objectives Could be:

Research Objectives for the topic of “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment”:

• To investigate the effects of the adoption of AI on employment trends across various industries and occupations.
• To explore the potential for AI to create new job opportunities and transform existing roles in the workforce.
• To examine the social and economic implications of the widespread use of AI for employment, including issues such as income inequality and access to education and training.
• To identify the skills and competencies that will be required for individuals to thrive in an AI-driven workplace, and to explore the role of education and training in developing these skills.
• To evaluate the ethical and legal considerations surrounding the use of AI for employment, including issues such as bias, privacy, and the responsibility of employers and policymakers to protect workers’ rights.

When to Write Research Objectives

• At the beginning of a research project : Research objectives should be identified and written down before starting a research project. This helps to ensure that the project is focused and that data collection and analysis efforts are aligned with the intended purpose of the research.
• When refining research questions: Writing research objectives can help to clarify and refine research questions. Objectives provide a more concrete and specific framework for addressing research questions, which can improve the overall quality and direction of a research project.
• After conducting a literature review : Conducting a literature review can help to identify gaps in knowledge and areas that require further research. Writing research objectives can help to define and focus the research effort in these areas.
• When developing a research proposal: Research objectives are an important component of a research proposal. They help to articulate the purpose and scope of the research, and provide a clear and concise summary of the expected outcomes and contributions of the research.
• When seeking funding for research: Funding agencies often require a detailed description of research objectives as part of a funding proposal. Writing clear and specific research objectives can help to demonstrate the significance and potential impact of a research project, and increase the chances of securing funding.
• When designing a research study : Research objectives guide the design and implementation of a research study. They help to identify the appropriate research methods, sampling strategies, data collection and analysis techniques, and other relevant aspects of the study design.
• When communicating research findings: Research objectives provide a clear and concise summary of the main research questions and outcomes. They are often included in research reports and publications, and can help to ensure that the research findings are communicated effectively and accurately to a wide range of audiences.
• When evaluating research outcomes : Research objectives provide a basis for evaluating the success of a research project. They help to measure the degree to which research questions have been answered and the extent to which research outcomes have been achieved.
• When conducting research in a team : Writing research objectives can facilitate communication and collaboration within a research team. Objectives provide a shared understanding of the research purpose and goals, and can help to ensure that team members are working towards a common objective.

Purpose of Research Objectives

Some of the main purposes of research objectives include:

• To clarify the research question or problem : Research objectives help to define the specific aspects of the research question or problem that the study aims to address. This makes it easier to design a study that is focused and relevant.
• To guide the research design: Research objectives help to determine the research design, including the research methods, data collection techniques, and sampling strategy. This ensures that the study is structured and efficient.
• To measure progress : Research objectives provide a way to measure progress throughout the research process. They help the researcher to evaluate whether they are on track and meeting their goals.
• To communicate the research goals : Research objectives provide a clear and concise description of the research goals. This helps to communicate the purpose of the study to other researchers, stakeholders, and the general public.

Advantages of Research Objectives

Here are some advantages of having well-defined research objectives:

• Focus : Research objectives help to focus the research effort on specific areas of inquiry. By identifying clear research questions, the researcher can narrow down the scope of the study and avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant information.
• Clarity : Clearly stated research objectives provide a roadmap for the research study. They provide a clear direction for the research, making it easier for the researcher to stay on track and achieve their goals.
• Measurability : Well-defined research objectives provide measurable outcomes that can be used to evaluate the success of the research project. This helps to ensure that the research is effective and that the research goals are achieved.
• Feasibility : Research objectives help to ensure that the research project is feasible. By clearly defining the research goals, the researcher can identify the resources required to achieve those goals and determine whether those resources are available.
• Relevance : Research objectives help to ensure that the research study is relevant and meaningful. By identifying specific research questions, the researcher can ensure that the study addresses important issues and contributes to the existing body of knowledge.

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• LMS for Telecommunication
• LMS for Healthcare
• LMS for Pharmaceutical
• LMS for Call Center
• Case Studies
• Knowledge base

In order to stay up to date, organizations are constantly seeking effective ways to enhance learning outcomes. The Learning Management System is a powerful tool that can impact the success of training programs. This article explores the importance of defining goals that promote effective learning, tracking progress, and ensuring skill mastery while harnessing the power of goal-oriented training with an LMS.

The significance of clear training objectives

Objectives of training are specific and measurable goals that outline what learners are expected to achieve by the end of a training program or course. These objectives serve as a guide for designing and delivering training content and assessing learner progress and performance. Training objectives are typically created to develop or improve specific knowledge, skills, or competencies. Therefore, they should be clear, concise, and aligned with the organization’s goals. They should also provide a roadmap for learners and instructors, ensuring the training program remains focused and purposeful . Well-defined training objectives help learners understand what they need to accomplish, set personal goals, and track their progress.

Setting clear objectives for training is essential for guiding learners and instructors toward a common purpose. When goals are well-defined, learners clearly understand what they need to achieve, enabling them to focus their efforts efficiently. Clear objectives also provide instructors a roadmap for designing and delivering training content. Training programs become more purposeful and impactful when aligning the learning objectives with the organization’s goals.

Promoting effective learning

Clear training objectives lay the foundation for effective learning experiences . When learners precisely understand what they are expected to accomplish, they can actively engage with the material, set personal goals, and take ownership of their learning journey. Objectives also enable learners to prioritize their efforts, ensuring they focus on acquiring the most relevant knowledge and skills. Clear goals enhance learning engagement and retention by promoting active participation and relevance.

Promoting effective learning through setting clear goals involves creating an environment that motivates learners, provides direction, and enables them to take ownership of their learning journey. Here are some strategies to promote effective learning through clear goals:

• Clearly communicate learning objectives: Clearly articulate and communicate the learning objectives to learners. Ensure the goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 
• Connect goals to learners’ aspirations: Help learners see the relevance and value of the goals to their personal and professional ambitions. By demonstrating how achieving the goals can enhance their skills, career prospects, or personal development, learners are more likely to be motivated and actively engaged in learning.
• Involve learners in goal-setting: Encourage learners to participate in the goal-setting process. By involving them in defining their own learning goals or tailoring objectives to their specific needs, learners gain a sense of ownership and responsibility for their learning.
• Break down goals into smaller milestones: Break down the overall goals into smaller, manageable milestones. This helps learners see their progress, stay motivated, and experience a sense of accomplishment as they achieve each milestone. 
• Provide feedback and progress tracking: Regularly provide feedback to learners on their progress toward the goals. This feedback can be in assessments, quizzes, discussions, or performance evaluations. Additionally, utilize the features of a Learning Management System (LMS) to track learners’ progress and provide them with visual indicators of their achievements. 

Tracking progress and feedback

An LMS offers robust tracking and assessment capabilities, making monitoring learner progress seamless. Organizations can track learners’ achievements, identify knowledge gaps, and provide timely feedback by incorporating measurable and time-bound objectives into the LMS. This real-time feedback loop enables learners to adapt their learning strategies, address weaknesses, and reinforce strengths . Moreover, it empowers instructors to assess the effectiveness of their training programs, make data-driven adjustments, and continuously improve the learning experience. Progress tracking is crucial for training objectives and effective learning. It provides measurable data on learners’ progress, enhances motivation and engagement , helps identify knowledge gaps, enables personalized learning experiences, facilitates evaluation of training effectiveness, and supports a feedback-driven and continuous improvement approach to learning.

Ensuring skill mastery

Training objectives serve as milestones for skill mastery. Learners can systematically build their proficiency by breaking down complex skills into measurable and achievable objectives. An LMS enables organizations to design training programs with progressive ideals, allowing learners to advance at their own pace while ensuring mastery of essential skills. By mapping objectives to specific competencies, organizations can evaluate overall skill development and identify areas for targeted improvement.

Unlock the goal-oriented training with an LMS

An LMS provides the infrastructure necessary for effective goal-oriented training. It allows organizations to create, communicate, and track training objectives seamlessly. Learners can access the objectives, understand their significance, and monitor their progress conveniently. Instructors can align the learning materials and assessments with the objectives, ensuring a coherent and goal-focused training experience. The LMS’s analytics capabilities enable organizations to measure the impact of training objectives and make data-driven decisions to refine their learning strategies continually.

Setting clear training objectives within an LMS is crucial in maximizing learning outcomes. By defining goals that promote effective learning, organizations empower learners to take control of their development while providing instructors with a roadmap for designing targeted training programs. Tracking progress and ensuring skill mastery become seamless with an LMS , enabling organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives and continuously improve the learning experience. By unlocking the power of goal-oriented training with an LMS, organizations can enhance the impact of their training programs and propel their learners toward success.

Do you want to learn more?

Related articles.

Grow Your Business

How training objectives help students reach their goals, share this article.

Maybe you’ve built a course, or maybe you’re considering offering one. Recently, you started talking to students to encourage signups, but students aren’t sure if the course is for them. So now you’re looking for a way to show them what they can get out of the course.

Introducing, training objectives! 

Setting these ideal outcomes for your course can help a student see if it’s aligned with their experience and area of learning interest, and also help you both keep track of learning progress.

Jump ahead:

• What are training objectives ?

Benefits of using training objectives

• Tips for integrating training objectives into your training program

6 types of training objectives

15 examples of learning outcomes, what are training objectives.

Training objectives (also called learning objectives) are measurable goals that the trainee should aim to achieve from the development program. Often, training objectives are short statements that reflect a specific learning outcome that can be obtained. Therefore, most programs or courses will offer a handful of training objectives that are expected to be earned by the end of the course.

Demonstrates the end goal

Ultimately, training objectives offer the end goals that participants in the course can hope to learn. When a student is measuring if a course is a great fit for them, they likely already have an understanding of what they already know vs. what they are still hoping to learn. Including training objectives on course outlines will help ensure that the right students participate in the course. 

Enables you to track progress

Training objectives are often very concise, specific, and measurable. Being able to measure if an objective has already been learned or not (and to what extent) enables a student to self-assess their success in the course. For educators, this is also helpful to measure areas where students may need extra support or what topics are left to be taught.

Guides lesson planning

Educators can reference the training objectives of the course to determine what type of content should be taught when building course materials. It can also help teachers to prioritize topics, find deeper insights on specific knowledge areas, or organize sessions to present topics in a specific order that would improve student learning. 

Read more: How to Build a Lesson Plan

Tips for integrating objectives into your training program

Use smart goals.

When setting goals for the learning material, it’s important to provide some structure so that you can accurately assess whether you are making progress on the goals or not. As well, it can help measure overall learning success or areas for improvement. SMART goals are those that are:

• Specific . Each goal only relates to one element of the course.
• Measurable . The goal has a quantitative metric by which to measure success or failure.
• Achievable . The goal is able to be earned given the resources available and the current starting point.
• Relevant. The goal actually relates to the topics or development program at hand. 
• Time-based. There is a finite period that the goal needs to be completed in, so there is a point when you can measure success. 

Set expectations early

While most educators provide the training objectives on their course outlines, many students may overlook them. Be sure to spend some time in the early part of your training program explaining the expected learning outcomes to students. In doing so, you can also discuss any SMART goals that you have set for students in the course, and any other measures of their success. Setting this expectation early ensures that both you and your students are on the same page about what is to come from participation in the development program.

Use a digital tracking tool

Utilizing a digital tracking tool, such as Thinkific’s online course platform , allows you to easily monitor and track student progress automatically. Through quizzes, video progress, and more, you can quickly see if students are meeting their learning objectives and actually understanding the course material. Having this information instantly available ensures that you can keep up to date with students’ learning progress and be able to connect with students right away if you see someone falling behind on their training objectives. 

Create individual and team objectives

While many projects assess an individual’s learning objectives, there are also many times when it is important to consider the learning goals of the wider team. Group projects and cooperative learning strategies both enforce team learning, so they should also come with learning objectives that are specific to the team activities. 

Continuously adapt the objectives

As students continue to learn, you may find that they take on some subjects better than others. This may mean a need to adjust training objectives to better suit the learning progress of your class (which aligns with the “achievable” part of SMART goals). Whether you choose to break up a difficult learning objective into smaller, more feasible components or you choose to add a more difficult, “stretch” objective, continuously measuring and adapting to suit your class’ capabilities will ensure they get the best learning experience.

Related: How To Craft Magnetic & Compelling Learning Outcomes

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a pyramid model that demonstrates 6 types of training objectives, each based on action verbs. For educators or employers that are just starting out with building training programs, you can use this taxonomy as a guide for identifying key learning goals. 

• Remembering:  Being able to “remember” is at the bottom of the pyramid, as it is the first step in learning a topic. It means just being able to recall facts and basic concepts as a starting point on a new topic.
• Understanding:  At this level, students should be able to explain the learned idea or concept in their own words. Doing so shows that they know more than just the definition of the topic, but also other ways that it could be described.
• Applying:  Here, students should be able to take the concepts that they understand and put it to practical use. This may be taking a theoretical idea and applying it in real-life, or doing another theory-based exercise where they’d have to use the information in new theoretical settings. 
• Analyzing:  Now students should be able to assess elements of the topic within itself. They can connect themes within the concept, differentiate, organize, compare, or question elements of the topic.
• Evaluating: Second from the top, this level measures whether a student can justify a decision. Opinion papers, appraisals, critiques, and debates can demonstrate a student’s ability to evaluate one option across many others.
• Creating: At the top of the pyramid, being able to “create” demonstrates that students have a deep and solid understanding of the topic to be able to produce new or original work.

For elementary learners

• Identify, name, and locate each capital city across each province of Canada on an unlabelled map
• Master independent multiplication and division skills without the use of a calculator
• Write full sentences using correct grammar and punctuation
• Practice working in a team environment to improve social communication and negotiation skills
• Throw a ball back and forth 20 times with a partner to showcase coordination and communication abilities

For high school learners

• Perform detailed peer editing including the ability to review opinion papers and provide constructive feedback
• Develop general analytical skills in structuring and analyzing financial risk and returns
• Practice strategic thinking and the development of skills to support strategic decision-making
• Develop business-writing skills, including the writing of executive summaries
• Understand the foundations of micro- and macro economics for applications in further studies

For learners at the college-level and above

• Critique and present appraisals for figurative, abstract, geometric, and portraiture art styles
• Evaluate concepts of gender and identity with regards to historical politics in North America
• Conduct independent primary research on international law theories and practice
• Ideate solutions to business management cases and present findings to a panel
• Communicate change management plans across an international organization

Parting Advice

Identifying what you want to use as a measure of your training can feel overwhelming. Especially when you are creating a course from scratch, it may feel like you have limitless options for training objectives to select from.

To ensure that your students get the most out of your course or training program, consider selecting training objectives that are very specific and focus on the most important topics related to your course. If you find that there are a lot of learning outcomes that you would like to provide for your students, consider breaking up the topics into smaller, more focused courses. This also enables your students to get a deeper understanding on these topics without feeling overwhelmed to meet too many learning requirements at once.  

With 4+ years of experience leading brands in the tech & security industry, Alexandria loves to write about making the day-to-day more efficient. In her free time, she enjoys biking and traveling to find hidden gems around the world!

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Research Aims, Objectives & Questions

The “Golden Thread” Explained Simply (+ Examples)

By: David Phair (PhD) and Alexandra Shaeffer (PhD) | June 2022

The research aims , objectives and research questions (collectively called the “golden thread”) are arguably the most important thing you need to get right when you’re crafting a research proposal , dissertation or thesis . We receive questions almost every day about this “holy trinity” of research and there’s certainly a lot of confusion out there, so we’ve crafted this post to help you navigate your way through the fog.

Overview: The Golden Thread

• What is the golden thread
• What are research aims ( examples )
• What are research objectives ( examples )
• What are research questions ( examples )
• The importance of alignment in the golden thread

What is the “golden thread”?  

The golden thread simply refers to the collective research aims , research objectives , and research questions for any given project (i.e., a dissertation, thesis, or research paper ). These three elements are bundled together because it’s extremely important that they align with each other, and that the entire research project aligns with them.

Importantly, the golden thread needs to weave its way through the entirety of any research project , from start to end. In other words, it needs to be very clearly defined right at the beginning of the project (the topic ideation and proposal stage) and it needs to inform almost every decision throughout the rest of the project. For example, your research design and methodology will be heavily influenced by the golden thread (we’ll explain this in more detail later), as well as your literature review.

The research aims, objectives and research questions (the golden thread) define the focus and scope ( the delimitations ) of your research project. In other words, they help ringfence your dissertation or thesis to a relatively narrow domain, so that you can “go deep” and really dig into a specific problem or opportunity. They also help keep you on track , as they act as a litmus test for relevance. In other words, if you’re ever unsure whether to include something in your document, simply ask yourself the question, “does this contribute toward my research aims, objectives or questions?”. If it doesn’t, chances are you can drop it.

Alright, enough of the fluffy, conceptual stuff. Let’s get down to business and look at what exactly the research aims, objectives and questions are and outline a few examples to bring these concepts to life.

Research Aims: What are they?

Simply put, the research aim(s) is a statement that reflects the broad overarching goal (s) of the research project. Research aims are fairly high-level (low resolution) as they outline the general direction of the research and what it’s trying to achieve .

Research Aims: Examples  

True to the name, research aims usually start with the wording “this research aims to…”, “this research seeks to…”, and so on. For example:

“This research aims to explore employee experiences of digital transformation in retail HR.”   “This study sets out to assess the interaction between student support and self-care on well-being in engineering graduate students”  

As you can see, these research aims provide a high-level description of what the study is about and what it seeks to achieve. They’re not hyper-specific or action-oriented, but they’re clear about what the study’s focus is and what is being investigated.

Need a helping hand?

Research Objectives: What are they?

The research objectives take the research aims and make them more practical and actionable . In other words, the research objectives showcase the steps that the researcher will take to achieve the research aims.

The research objectives need to be far more specific (higher resolution) and actionable than the research aims. In fact, it’s always a good idea to craft your research objectives using the “SMART” criteria. In other words, they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound”.

Research Objectives: Examples  

Let’s look at two examples of research objectives. We’ll stick with the topic and research aims we mentioned previously.  

For the digital transformation topic:

To observe the retail HR employees throughout the digital transformation. To assess employee perceptions of digital transformation in retail HR. To identify the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR.

And for the student wellness topic:

To determine whether student self-care predicts the well-being score of engineering graduate students. To determine whether student support predicts the well-being score of engineering students. To assess the interaction between student self-care and student support when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students.

  As you can see, these research objectives clearly align with the previously mentioned research aims and effectively translate the low-resolution aims into (comparatively) higher-resolution objectives and action points . They give the research project a clear focus and present something that resembles a research-based “to-do” list.

Research Questions: What are they?

Finally, we arrive at the all-important research questions. The research questions are, as the name suggests, the key questions that your study will seek to answer . Simply put, they are the core purpose of your dissertation, thesis, or research project. You’ll present them at the beginning of your document (either in the introduction chapter or literature review chapter) and you’ll answer them at the end of your document (typically in the discussion and conclusion chapters).  

The research questions will be the driving force throughout the research process. For example, in the literature review chapter, you’ll assess the relevance of any given resource based on whether it helps you move towards answering your research questions. Similarly, your methodology and research design will be heavily influenced by the nature of your research questions. For instance, research questions that are exploratory in nature will usually make use of a qualitative approach, whereas questions that relate to measurement or relationship testing will make use of a quantitative approach.  

Let’s look at some examples of research questions to make this more tangible.

Research Questions: Examples  

Again, we’ll stick with the research aims and research objectives we mentioned previously.  

For the digital transformation topic (which would be qualitative in nature):

How do employees perceive digital transformation in retail HR? What are the barriers and facilitators of digital transformation in retail HR?  

And for the student wellness topic (which would be quantitative in nature):

Does student self-care predict the well-being scores of engineering graduate students? Does student support predict the well-being scores of engineering students? Do student self-care and student support interact when predicting well-being in engineering graduate students?  

You’ll probably notice that there’s quite a formulaic approach to this. In other words, the research questions are basically the research objectives “converted” into question format. While that is true most of the time, it’s not always the case. For example, the first research objective for the digital transformation topic was more or less a step on the path toward the other objectives, and as such, it didn’t warrant its own research question.  

So, don’t rush your research questions and sloppily reword your objectives as questions. Carefully think about what exactly you’re trying to achieve (i.e. your research aim) and the objectives you’ve set out, then craft a set of well-aligned research questions . Also, keep in mind that this can be a somewhat iterative process , where you go back and tweak research objectives and aims to ensure tight alignment throughout the golden thread.

The importance of strong alignment 

Alignment is the keyword here and we have to stress its importance . Simply put, you need to make sure that there is a very tight alignment between all three pieces of the golden thread. If your research aims and research questions don’t align, for example, your project will be pulling in different directions and will lack focus . This is a common problem students face and can cause many headaches (and tears), so be warned.

Take the time to carefully craft your research aims, objectives and research questions before you run off down the research path. Ideally, get your research supervisor/advisor to review and comment on your golden thread before you invest significant time into your project, and certainly before you start collecting data .  

Recap: The golden thread

In this post, we unpacked the golden thread of research, consisting of the research aims , research objectives and research questions . You can jump back to any section using the links below.

As always, feel free to leave a comment below – we always love to hear from you. Also, if you’re interested in 1-on-1 support, take a look at our private coaching service here.

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

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38 Comments

Thank you very much for your great effort put. As an Undergraduate taking Demographic Research & Methodology, I’ve been trying so hard to understand clearly what is a Research Question, Research Aim and the Objectives in a research and the relationship between them etc. But as for now I’m thankful that you’ve solved my problem.

Well appreciated. This has helped me greatly in doing my dissertation.

An so delighted with this wonderful information thank you a lot.

so impressive i have benefited a lot looking forward to learn more on research.

I am very happy to have carefully gone through this well researched article.

Infact,I used to be phobia about anything research, because of my poor understanding of the concepts.

Now,I get to know that my research question is the same as my research objective(s) rephrased in question format.

I please I would need a follow up on the subject,as I intends to join the team of researchers. Thanks once again.

Thanks so much. This was really helpful.

I know you pepole have tried to break things into more understandable and easy format. And God bless you. Keep it up

i found this document so useful towards my study in research methods. thanks so much.

This is my 2nd read topic in your course and I should commend the simplified explanations of each part. I’m beginning to understand and absorb the use of each part of a dissertation/thesis. I’ll keep on reading your free course and might be able to avail the training course! Kudos!

Thank you! Better put that my lecture and helped to easily understand the basics which I feel often get brushed over when beginning dissertation work.

This is quite helpful. I like how the Golden thread has been explained and the needed alignment.

This is quite helpful. I really appreciate!

The article made it simple for researcher students to differentiate between three concepts.

Very innovative and educational in approach to conducting research.

I am very impressed with all these terminology, as I am a fresh student for post graduate, I am highly guided and I promised to continue making consultation when the need arise. Thanks a lot.

A very helpful piece. thanks, I really appreciate it .

Very well explained, and it might be helpful to many people like me.

Wish i had found this (and other) resource(s) at the beginning of my PhD journey… not in my writing up year… 😩 Anyways… just a quick question as i’m having some issues ordering my “golden thread”…. does it matter in what order you mention them? i.e., is it always first aims, then objectives, and finally the questions? or can you first mention the research questions and then the aims and objectives?

Thank you for a very simple explanation that builds upon the concepts in a very logical manner. Just prior to this, I read the research hypothesis article, which was equally very good. This met my primary objective.

My secondary objective was to understand the difference between research questions and research hypothesis, and in which context to use which one. However, I am still not clear on this. Can you kindly please guide?

In research, a research question is a clear and specific inquiry that the researcher wants to answer, while a research hypothesis is a tentative statement or prediction about the relationship between variables or the expected outcome of the study. Research questions are broader and guide the overall study, while hypotheses are specific and testable statements used in quantitative research. Research questions identify the problem, while hypotheses provide a focus for testing in the study.

Exactly what I need in this research journey, I look forward to more of your coaching videos.

This helped a lot. Thanks so much for the effort put into explaining it.

What data source in writing dissertation/Thesis requires?

What is data source covers when writing dessertation/thesis

This is quite useful thanks

I’m excited and thankful. I got so much value which will help me progress in my thesis.

where are the locations of the reserch statement, research objective and research question in a reserach paper? Can you write an ouline that defines their places in the researh paper?

Very helpful and important tips on Aims, Objectives and Questions.

Thank you so much for making research aim, research objectives and research question so clear. This will be helpful to me as i continue with my thesis.

Thanks much for this content. I learned a lot. And I am inspired to learn more. I am still struggling with my preparation for dissertation outline/proposal. But I consistently follow contents and tutorials and the new FB of GRAD Coach. Hope to really become confident in writing my dissertation and successfully defend it.

As a researcher and lecturer, I find splitting research goals into research aims, objectives, and questions is unnecessarily bureaucratic and confusing for students. For most biomedical research projects, including ‘real research’, 1-3 research questions will suffice (numbers may differ by discipline).

Awesome! Very important resources and presented in an informative way to easily understand the golden thread. Indeed, thank you so much.

Well explained

The blog article on research aims, objectives, and questions by Grad Coach is a clear and insightful guide that aligns with my experiences in academic research. The article effectively breaks down the often complex concepts of research aims and objectives, providing a straightforward and accessible explanation. Drawing from my own research endeavors, I appreciate the practical tips offered, such as the need for specificity and clarity when formulating research questions. The article serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers, offering a concise roadmap for crafting well-defined research goals and objectives. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced researcher, this article provides practical insights that contribute to the foundational aspects of a successful research endeavor.

A great thanks for you. it is really amazing explanation. I grasp a lot and one step up to research knowledge.

I really found these tips helpful. Thank you very much Grad Coach.

I found this article helpful. Thanks for sharing this.

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21 Research Objectives Examples (Copy and Paste)

Research objectives refer to the definitive statements made by researchers at the beginning of a research project detailing exactly what a research project aims to achieve.

These objectives are explicit goals clearly and concisely projected by the researcher to present a clear intention or course of action for his or her qualitative or quantitative study. 

Research objectives are typically nested under one overarching research aim. The objectives are the steps you’ll need to take in order to achieve the aim (see the examples below, for example, which demonstrate an aim followed by 3 objectives, which is what I recommend to my research students).

Research Objectives vs Research Aims

Research aim and research objectives are fundamental constituents of any study, fitting together like two pieces of the same puzzle.

The ‘research aim’ describes the overarching goal or purpose of the study (Kumar, 2019). This is usually a broad, high-level purpose statement, summing up the central question that the research intends to answer.

Example of an Overarching Research Aim:

“The aim of this study is to explore the impact of climate change on crop productivity.” 

Comparatively, ‘research objectives’ are concrete goals that underpin the research aim, providing stepwise actions to achieve the aim.

Objectives break the primary aim into manageable, focused pieces, and are usually characterized as being more specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Examples of Specific Research Objectives:

1. “To examine the effects of rising temperatures on the yield of rice crops during the upcoming growth season.” 2. “To assess changes in rainfall patterns in major agricultural regions over the first decade of the twenty-first century (2000-2010).” 3. “To analyze the impact of changing weather patterns on crop diseases within the same timeframe.”

The distinction between these two terms, though subtle, is significant for successfully conducting a study. The research aim provides the study with direction, while the research objectives set the path to achieving this aim, thereby ensuring the study’s efficiency and effectiveness.

How to Write Research Objectives

I usually recommend to my students that they use the SMART framework to create their research objectives.

SMART is an acronym standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It provides a clear method of defining solid research objectives and helps students know where to start in writing their objectives (Locke & Latham, 2013).

Each element of this acronym adds a distinct dimension to the framework, aiding in the creation of comprehensive, well-delineated objectives.

Here is each step:

• Specific : We need to avoid ambiguity in our objectives. They need to be clear and precise (Doran, 1981). For instance, rather than stating the objective as “to study the effects of social media,” a more focused detail would be “to examine the effects of social media use (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) on the academic performance of college students.”
• Measurable: The measurable attribute provides a clear criterion to determine if the objective has been met (Locke & Latham, 2013). A quantifiable element, such as a percentage or a number, adds a measurable quality. For example, “to increase response rate to the annual customer survey by 10%,” makes it easier to ascertain achievement.
• Achievable: The achievable aspect encourages researchers to craft realistic objectives, resembling a self-check mechanism to ensure the objectives align with the scope and resources at disposal (Doran, 1981). For example, “to interview 25 participants selected randomly from a population of 100” is an attainable objective as long as the researcher has access to these participants.
• Relevance : Relevance, the fourth element, compels the researcher to tailor the objectives in alignment with overarching goals of the study (Locke & Latham, 2013). This is extremely important – each objective must help you meet your overall one-sentence ‘aim’ in your study.
• Time-Bound: Lastly, the time-bound element fosters a sense of urgency and prioritization, preventing procrastination and enhancing productivity (Doran, 1981). “To analyze the effect of laptop use in lectures on student engagement over the course of two semesters this year” expresses a clear deadline, thus serving as a motivator for timely completion.

You’re not expected to fit every single element of the SMART framework in one objective, but across your objectives, try to touch on each of the five components.

Research Objectives Examples

1. Field: Psychology

Aim: To explore the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in college students.

• Objective 1: To compare cognitive test scores of students with less than six hours of sleep and those with 8 or more hours of sleep.
• Objective 2: To investigate the relationship between class grades and reported sleep duration.
• Objective 3: To survey student perceptions and experiences on how sleep deprivation affects their cognitive capabilities.

2. Field: Environmental Science

Aim: To understand the effects of urban green spaces on human well-being in a metropolitan city.

• Objective 1: To assess the physical and mental health benefits of regular exposure to urban green spaces.
• Objective 2: To evaluate the social impacts of urban green spaces on community interactions.
• Objective 3: To examine patterns of use for different types of urban green spaces. 

3. Field: Technology

Aim: To investigate the influence of using social media on productivity in the workplace.

• Objective 1: To measure the amount of time spent on social media during work hours.
• Objective 2: To evaluate the perceived impact of social media use on task completion and work efficiency.
• Objective 3: To explore whether company policies on social media usage correlate with different patterns of productivity.

4. Field: Education

Aim: To examine the effectiveness of online vs traditional face-to-face learning on student engagement and achievement.

• Objective 1: To compare student grades between the groups exposed to online and traditional face-to-face learning.
• Objective 2: To assess student engagement levels in both learning environments.
• Objective 3: To collate student perceptions and preferences regarding both learning methods.

5. Field: Health

Aim: To determine the impact of a Mediterranean diet on cardiac health among adults over 50.

• Objective 1: To assess changes in cardiovascular health metrics after following a Mediterranean diet for six months.
• Objective 2: To compare these health metrics with a similar group who follow their regular diet.
• Objective 3: To document participants’ experiences and adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

6. Field: Environmental Science

Aim: To analyze the impact of urban farming on community sustainability.

• Objective 1: To document the types and quantity of food produced through urban farming initiatives.
• Objective 2: To assess the effect of urban farming on local communities’ access to fresh produce.
• Objective 3: To examine the social dynamics and cooperative relationships in the creating and maintaining of urban farms.

7. Field: Sociology

Aim: To investigate the influence of home offices on work-life balance during remote work.

• Objective 1: To survey remote workers on their perceptions of work-life balance since setting up home offices.
• Objective 2: To conduct an observational study of daily work routines and family interactions in a home office setting.
• Objective 3: To assess the correlation, if any, between physical boundaries of workspaces and mental boundaries for work in the home setting.

8. Field: Economics

Aim: To evaluate the effects of minimum wage increases on small businesses.

• Objective 1: To analyze cost structures, pricing changes, and profitability of small businesses before and after minimum wage increases.
• Objective 2: To survey small business owners on the strategies they employ to navigate minimum wage increases.
• Objective 3: To examine employment trends in small businesses in response to wage increase legislation.

9. Field: Education

Aim: To explore the role of extracurricular activities in promoting soft skills among high school students.

• Objective 1: To assess the variety of soft skills developed through different types of extracurricular activities.
• Objective 2: To compare self-reported soft skills between students who participate in extracurricular activities and those who do not.
• Objective 3: To investigate the teachers’ perspectives on the contribution of extracurricular activities to students’ skill development.

10. Field: Technology

Aim: To assess the impact of virtual reality (VR) technology on the tourism industry.

• Objective 1: To document the types and popularity of VR experiences available in the tourism market.
• Objective 2: To survey tourists on their interest levels and satisfaction rates with VR tourism experiences.
• Objective 3: To determine whether VR tourism experiences correlate with increased interest in real-life travel to the simulated destinations.

11. Field: Biochemistry

Aim: To examine the role of antioxidants in preventing cellular damage.

• Objective 1: To identify the types and quantities of antioxidants in common fruits and vegetables.
• Objective 2: To determine the effects of various antioxidants on free radical neutralization in controlled lab tests.
• Objective 3: To investigate potential beneficial impacts of antioxidant-rich diets on long-term cellular health.

12. Field: Linguistics

Aim: To determine the influence of early exposure to multiple languages on cognitive development in children.

• Objective 1: To assess cognitive development milestones in monolingual and multilingual children.
• Objective 2: To document the number and intensity of language exposures for each group in the study.
• Objective 3: To investigate the specific cognitive advantages, if any, enjoyed by multilingual children.

13. Field: Art History

Aim: To explore the impact of the Renaissance period on modern-day art trends.

• Objective 1: To identify key characteristics and styles of Renaissance art.
• Objective 2: To analyze modern art pieces for the influence of the Renaissance style.
• Objective 3: To survey modern-day artists for their inspirations and the influence of historical art movements on their work.

14. Field: Cybersecurity

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of two-factor authentication (2FA) in preventing unauthorized system access.

• Objective 1: To measure the frequency of unauthorized access attempts before and after the introduction of 2FA.
• Objective 2: To survey users about their experiences and challenges with 2FA implementation.
• Objective 3: To evaluate the efficacy of different types of 2FA (SMS-based, authenticator apps, biometrics, etc.).

15. Field: Cultural Studies

Aim: To analyze the role of music in cultural identity formation among ethnic minorities.

• Objective 1: To document the types and frequency of traditional music practices within selected ethnic minority communities.
• Objective 2: To survey community members on the role of music in their personal and communal identity.
• Objective 3: To explore the resilience and transmission of traditional music practices in contemporary society.

16. Field: Astronomy

Aim: To explore the impact of solar activity on satellite communication.

• Objective 1: To categorize different types of solar activities and their frequencies of occurrence.
• Objective 2: To ascertain how variations in solar activity may influence satellite communication.
• Objective 3: To investigate preventative and damage-control measures currently in place during periods of high solar activity.

17. Field: Literature

Aim: To examine narrative techniques in contemporary graphic novels.

• Objective 1: To identify a range of narrative techniques employed in this genre.
• Objective 2: To analyze the ways in which these narrative techniques engage readers and affect story interpretation.
• Objective 3: To compare narrative techniques in graphic novels to those found in traditional printed novels.

18. Field: Renewable Energy

Aim: To investigate the feasibility of solar energy as a primary renewable resource within urban areas.

• Objective 1: To quantify the average sunlight hours across urban areas in different climatic zones. 
• Objective 2: To calculate the potential solar energy that could be harnessed within these areas.
• Objective 3: To identify barriers or challenges to widespread solar energy implementation in urban settings and potential solutions.

19. Field: Sports Science

Aim: To evaluate the role of pre-game rituals in athlete performance.

• Objective 1: To identify the variety and frequency of pre-game rituals among professional athletes in several sports.
• Objective 2: To measure the impact of pre-game rituals on individual athletes’ performance metrics.
• Objective 3: To examine the psychological mechanisms that might explain the effects (if any) of pre-game ritual on performance.

20. Field: Ecology

Aim: To investigate the effects of urban noise pollution on bird populations.

• Objective 1: To record and quantify urban noise levels in various bird habitats.
• Objective 2: To measure bird population densities in relation to noise levels.
• Objective 3: To determine any changes in bird behavior or vocalization linked to noise levels.

21. Field: Food Science

Aim: To examine the influence of cooking methods on the nutritional value of vegetables.

• Objective 1: To identify the nutrient content of various vegetables both raw and after different cooking processes.
• Objective 2: To compare the effect of various cooking methods on the nutrient retention of these vegetables.
• Objective 3: To propose cooking strategies that optimize nutrient retention.

The Importance of Research Objectives

The importance of research objectives cannot be overstated. In essence, these guideposts articulate what the researcher aims to discover, understand, or examine (Kothari, 2014).

When drafting research objectives, it’s essential to make them simple and comprehensible, specific to the point of being quantifiable where possible, achievable in a practical sense, relevant to the chosen research question, and time-constrained to ensure efficient progress (Kumar, 2019). 

Remember that a good research objective is integral to the success of your project, offering a clear path forward for setting out a research design , and serving as the bedrock of your study plan. Each objective must distinctly address a different dimension of your research question or problem (Kothari, 2014). Always bear in mind that the ultimate purpose of your research objectives is to succinctly encapsulate your aims in the clearest way possible, facilitating a coherent, comprehensive and rational approach to your planned study, and furnishing a scientific roadmap for your journey into the depths of knowledge and research (Kumar, 2019). 

Kothari, C.R (2014). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques . New Delhi: New Age International.

Kumar, R. (2019). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners .New York: SAGE Publications.

Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management review, 70 (11), 35-36.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2013). New Developments in Goal Setting and Task Performance . New York: Routledge.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
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Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change on HIV Response in India

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Searching for novel and diverse molecular candidates is a critical undertaking in drug and material discovery. Existing approaches have successfully adapted the diffusion model, the most effective generative model in image generation, to create 1D SMILES strings, 2D chemical graphs, or 3D molecular conformers. However, these methods are not efficient and flexible enough to generate 3D molecules with multiple desired properties, as they require additional training for the models for each new property or even a new combination of existing properties. Moreover, some properties may potentially conflict, making it impossible to find a molecule that satisfies all of them simultaneously. To address these challenges, we present a training-free conditional 3D molecular generation algorithm based on off-the-shelf unconditional diffusion models and property prediction models. The key techniques include modeling the loss of property prediction models as energy functions, considering the property relation between multiple conditions as a probabilistic graph, and developing a stable posterior estimation for computing the conditional score function. We conducted experiments on both single-objective and multi-objective 3D molecule generation, focusing on quantum properties, and compared our approach with the trained or fine-tuned diffusion models. Our proposed model achieves superior performance in generating molecules that meet the conditions, without any additional training cost.

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This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

Published on 17.4.2024 in Vol 26 (2024)

This is a member publication of University College London (Jisc)

Twitter Analysis of Health Care Workers’ Sentiment and Discourse Regarding Post–COVID-19 Condition in Children and Young People: Mixed Methods Study

Authors of this article:

Original Paper

• Macarena Chepo 1 * , RN, BSN, MPH, PhD   ; 
• Sam Martin 2, 3 * , MSc, PhD   ; 
• Noémie Déom 2 , MSc   ; 
• Ahmad Firas Khalid 4 , MD, PhD   ; 
• Cecilia Vindrola-Padros 2 , BA, MA, PhD  

1 School of Nursing, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile

2 Department of Targeted Intervention, University College London, London, United Kingdom

3 Oxford Vaccine Group, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

4 Canadian Institutes of Health Research Health System Impact Fellowship, Centre for Implementation Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Otawa, ON, Canada

*these authors contributed equally

Corresponding Author:

Sam Martin, MSc, PhD

Department of Targeted Intervention

University College London

Charles Bell House 43-45

Foley Street

London, W1W 7TY

United Kingdom

Phone: 44 (0)20 3108 3232

Email: [email protected]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant global impact, with millions of cases and deaths. Research highlights the persistence of symptoms over time (post–COVID-19 condition), a situation of particular concern in children and young people with symptoms. Social media such as Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X) could provide valuable information on the impact of the post–COVID-19 condition on this demographic.

Objective: With a social media analysis of the discourse surrounding the prevalence of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, we aimed to explore the perceptions of health care workers (HCWs) concerning post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people in the United Kingdom between January 2021 and January 2022. This will allow us to contribute to the emerging knowledge on post–COVID-19 condition and identify critical areas and future directions for researchers and policy makers.

Methods: From a pragmatic paradigm, we used a mixed methods approach. Through discourse, keyword, sentiment, and image analyses, using Pulsar and InfraNodus, we analyzed the discourse about the experience of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people in the United Kingdom shared on Twitter between January 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, from a sample of HCWs with Twitter accounts whose biography identifies them as HCWs.

Results: We obtained 300,000 tweets, out of which (after filtering for relevant tweets) we performed an in-depth qualitative sample analysis of 2588 tweets. The HCWs were responsive to announcements issued by the authorities regarding the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The most frequent sentiment expressed was negative. The main themes were uncertainty about the future, policies and regulations, managing and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, vaccination, using Twitter to share scientific literature and management strategies, and clinical and personal experiences.

Conclusions: The perceptions described on Twitter by HCWs concerning the presence of the post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people appear to be a relevant and timely issue and responsive to the declarations and guidelines issued by health authorities over time. We recommend further support and training strategies for health workers and school staff regarding the manifestations and treatment of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition.

Introduction

More than 3 years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 1 ], the social, political, and economic impact of this phenomenon has been more than significant, considering >700 million worldwide cases and nearly 7 million people’s deaths [ 2 ]. Given the scale of the phenomenon, it is imperative for all countries to thoroughly examine the lessons gleaned from the pandemic, particularly regarding a matter that has raised significant concern among the populace: the long-term effects experienced by individuals who have had COVID-19, spanning weeks, months, or even years after their initial infection [ 3 ]. This phenomenon, referred to as post–COVID-19 condition (or more commonly “long COVID”), warrants careful consideration and analysis [ 4 ].

There is increasing information regarding the clinical manifestation of this condition, particularly in the adult population. The worldwide prevalence has been estimated at approximately 50% to 70% in individuals hospitalized during acute COVID-19 infection and 10% to 12% in vaccinated cases [ 5 ]. While children and young people have a low likelihood of severe COVID-19 infection [ 6 ], the information available to date indicates that the presence of post–COVID-19 condition in this group may be as disabling as in adults, reaching a prevalence rate of 23.4% (range 3.7%-66.5%) [ 7 ].

An agreed definition by the World Health Organization indicates that post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people is a condition that occurs “in individuals with a history of confirmed or probable SARS-CoV-2 infection when experiencing symptoms lasting at least two months which initially occurred within three months of acute COVID-19” [ 8 ]. Post–COVID-19 condition strongly impacts daily functioning and can develop or continue after COVID-19 infection and may fluctuate or relapse over time [ 4 , 8 , 9 ].

Among the symptoms most frequently attributable to post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people are fatigue, altered smell or anosmia, and anxiety [ 8 ]. However, other symptoms have also been reported, such as sleep disturbances, difficulty in concentrating, abdominal pain, myalgia or arthralgia, earache or ringing in ears, mood swings, persistent chest pain, stomach pain, light sensitivity, diarrhea, heart palpitations, and skin lesions [ 8 , 10 ]. One of England’s most significant studies is the Children and Young People With Long COVID study by Stephenson et al [ 11 ]. This national research matched longitudinal and cohort studies in adolescent individuals aged 11 to 17 years and found the presence of symptoms in 35.4% of the adolescent individuals who tested positive at baseline and 8.3% who of the adolescent individuals who tested negative at baseline. A total of 3 months after testing, 66.5% of those who tested positive and 53.3% of those who tested negative had any symptoms [ 11 ]. However, Stephenson et al [ 12 ] recently indicated that in a 6-month follow-up, the prevalence of specific symptoms reported at the time of the polymerase chain reaction testing decreased over time, where, for example, the prevalence of chills, fever, myalgia, cough, and sore throat among those who tested positive decreased from 10% to 25% to <3%.

As research on the symptoms, prevalence, and treatment of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people continues, it is essential to add to the literature by developing studies that determine the condition’s impact on this group, considering that they are experiencing a range of unwanted symptoms that disrupt their quality of life and that of their families.

Considering that listening to the voices of families and health workers could be helpful to broaden the knowledge achieved in post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, a powerful tool could be social media, such as Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X). With >3729 million daily active users, Twitter has become one of the most important social platforms in the world [ 13 ]. People used Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic for different purposes, such as world leaders communicating with citizens [ 14 , 15 ], organizations monitoring movement [ 16 ], scientists studying public discourse around the pandemic [ 17 , 18 ], and researchers performing sentiment analysis [ 19 - 21 ]. In the case of physicians and health care workers (HCWs), Twitter has been used to share and evaluate scientific evidence, guidelines, and technical advice [ 22 - 24 ] and track the course and burden of disease [ 25 ].

Using the social media monitoring platform Pulsar [ 26 ], we aimed to explore HCWs’ perceptions concerning post–COVID condition in children and young people in the United Kingdom between January 2021 and January 2022. We aimed to contribute to the emerging knowledge on post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people and identify critical areas and future directions for researchers and policy makers.

We considered a mixed methods approach to be a pragmatic research paradigm. We analyzed data by conducting a Collaborative and Digital Analysis of Big Qualitative Data in Time Sensitive Contexts (LISTEN) [ 27 ]. This mixed methods analysis consisted of iterative cycles intercalating team discussion and using digital text and discourse analytics tools to analyze related social media data [ 27 ]. We used the LISTEN method to perform quantitative and qualitative analyses of Twitter posts, extracted through the Pulsar platform [ 26 ], related to the experience of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people in the United Kingdom (eg, phrases, words, hashtags, videos, and images), published between January 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022. We created an advanced Boolean search for keywords mentioning “long COVID” and corelated words, hashtags, and symptoms; furthermore, we filtered for user accounts who identified as HCWs in their Twitter biography description ( Multimedia Appendix 1 ).

Quantitative analysis of all tweets included the following: (1) engagement analysis, where we specifically measured reactions to posts, for example, a retweet, a share, or a comment or quote made toward a tweet; (2) sentiment and emotion analysis, where we measured the positive or negative sentiment in the words and tone of each post within the context of post–COVID-19 condition and HCW’s roles ( Multimedia Appendix 2 ); (3) emotion analysis, where we measured the emotions expressed in the tweets, classified as sadness, anger, disgust, fear, and joy; (4) frequency analysis, where we observed the frequency of keywords and themes in the data set; (5) segmentation analysis, where we measured the key connections or relationships between keywords and their frequent use in the same context; (6) demographic analysis, where we measured the occupation, gender (man or woman or nonbinary or unknown), and city of origin related to the users posting tweets; and (7) analyses, where we evaluated the most influential accounts and the most mentioned websites.

Big qualitative analysis was carried out through thematic discourse analysis of the data sample, using InfraNodus [ 28 ], specifically analyzing the key themes and topics of concern expressed throughout the data set. A codebook was constructed based on the mapping of themes agreed upon by 3 researchers (ND, SM, and MC; Multimedia Appendix 3 ).

The principal investigators (ND, AFK, SM, and MC) interpreted and analyzed the data collected, following the recommendations for rigorous research provided by Creswell and Poth [ 29 ]. Using the LISTEN method [ 27 ], we aimed to show that the integration of qualitative insights through thematic analysis with the quantitative backing of topic modeling can offer a comprehensive view of the discourse. This mixed methods approach allows us to capture the richness of qualitative data while leveraging the objectivity of quantitative measures. Our initial data harvest of the larger corpus data from the Pulsar platform captured 300,000 tweets; this data harvest helped to underpin the software’s sentiment analysis modeling of this specific data set, providing a robust quantitative foundation. The addition of further qualitative data analyses from a smaller qualitative sample allowed for an in-depth understanding of nuanced conversations, particularly when exploring new or complex phenomena such as post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, with the provision of insights into the context, subtext, and sentiment behind the tweets offering valuable snapshots of public perception and discourse. We used an iterative mixed methods approach, iterating between team discussions and using digital analytics tools to discern relevant themes from the Twitter data corpus. Specifically, we used InfraNodus for thematic analysis, which incorporates a topic modeling script for analyzing and identifying key topics of concern with a data set and provides a structured and objective interpretation of the data. The coding process involved 3 independent researchers (MC, SM, and ND), each with expertise in health care, social network analysis, and digital global health. When initial coding disagreements arose, we meticulously tagged any queries and discussed the posts in question. These instances led to 3 structured meetings wherein the research team deliberated collaboratively to resolve conflicting interpretations. This approach resulted in an 81.99% (2122/2588) initial intercoder agreement rate for the tweets analyzed. For the remaining instances where consensus was not initially reached, the majority rule was applied to finalize theme codings. To quantify the reliability of our coding procedure, with 81.99% (2122/2588) of the tweets coded identically, we used the Cohen κ score, which provides a measure of interrater agreement adjusted for chance. Including the calculation of all variations, this score was calculated to be approximately κ=0.70, indicating good agreement among the coders.

Ethical Considerations

The study only collected data from publicly accessible social networks that have been anonymized by various means, particularly by replacing all usernames and links with anonymous text and summaries of tweets that have been edited, retaining the original message, avoiding direct quotations being identifiable, and ensuring that no information is provided on the identity of the individuals who posted the content studied on the platform.

Internet research requires researchers to carefully consider guidelines to determine whether ethics approval and informed consent are needed [ 30 ]. On the basis of the terms set out by the Research Ethics Committee at the University College London [ 31 ], the study was considered exempt from formal ethics approval for the following reasons: (1) study involving information freely available in the public domain, such as published biographies, newspaper accounts of an individual’s activities, and published minutes of a meeting, that although is considered personal under the Data Protection Act, would not require ethics review; and (2) study involving anonymized records and data sets in the public domain, such as data sets available through the Office for National Statistics or the UK Data Archive where appropriate permissions have already been obtained and it is not possible to identify individuals from the information provided.

Therefore, we anonymized all records and data sets collected during the study to make identification impossible. We removed social media usernames from the data samples. No direct or easily traceable quotes have been included. These measures align with best practices [ 32 - 35 ]. While this study was beyond the scope of the human ethics committee, we adhered to the principles of ethics: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice [ 36 ]. We collected and analyzed data through secure encrypted servers via the Meltwater and InfraNodus platforms.

Audience Analysis

During the period from January 2021 to January 2022, we obtained 300,000 tweets from 936 accounts. After filtering for relevant posts (refer to inclusion and exclusion criteria in Multimedia Appendix 1 ), we analyzed a sample of 2588 tweets using mixed methods analysis. In terms of gender (man, woman, nonbinary, or unknown), 32.88% (851/2588) were female individuals, 23.49% (608/2588) were male individuals, and 43.59% (1128/2588) were unknown. According to the description given in the user’s biography, the most frequently self-reported terms were “NHS” (582/2588, 22.49%), “health” (230/2588, 8.89%), “medical” (168/2588, 6.49%), “nurse” (166/2588, 6.41%), “clinical” (160/2588, 6.18%), “mum” (158/2588, 6.11%), “doctor” (145/2588, 5.6%), and “GP” (145/2588, 5.6%). In terms of city, tweets came mainly from London (958/2588, 37.02%), Newcastle upon Tyne (326/2588, 12.6%), Redcar (160/2588, 6.18%), Manchester (140/2588, 5.41%), and Bradford (111/2588, 4.29%).

Regarding profession described in the user’s biography, the most frequently mentioned roles were nurses (176/2588, 6.8%); medical roles, for example, paramedic and nursing assistant (173/2588, 6.68%); clinical roles, for example, surgeon, physiotherapist, and anesthesiologist (160/2588, 6.18%); general practitioners (GPs), for example, hospital GP or local surgery GP (142/2588, 5.49%); and physician (140/2588, 5.41%). The most frequent organization affiliated with was the National Health Service (587/2588, 22.68%).

Most Influential Accounts

One of the accounts that generated the highest number of mentions and, therefore, some of the most influence, as they were the ones that talked the most about post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, was the account for @longcovidkids (593/2588, 22.91% tweets), related to the most shared website longcovidkids.org [ 37 ] , an international UK-based charity for families and children living with post–COVID-19 condition. Although the account was created in October 2020, it was first mentioned in our data collection timeline on January 1, 2021. It offers web support services, funding, and research participation and represents children and young people living with post–COVID-19 condition in expert forums, research panels, health organizations, and parliamentary groups. The other most shared web pages were theguardian.com (the United Kingdom) [ 38 ], bbc.co.uk (the United Kingdom) [ 39 ], peoplewith.com (the United States) [ 40 ], and ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (the United States) [ 41 ]. This shows that in the United Kingdom, there was a mixed influence of UK and US link resources linked to HCW Twitter users in the United Kingdom.

Keyword Analysis

The volume of social media engagement in the discussion about the post–COVID-19 condition experience in children and young people in the United Kingdom reached 1400 posts, 1550 engagements, and 1.9 million impressions. Overall, comments were very responsive to government decisions regarding the vaccination program and school closures ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ). During the first peak of comments in January 2021, the amount of discourse expanded leading up to March 2021, when there were different announcements of school closures, and the guidelines were delivered regarding the priority groups of the vaccination program (frontline HCW and people aged >80 years first). The highest engagement was between June and July 2021, which coincides with the government announcement regarding the availability of vaccines for people aged >18 years. The third peak of comments occurred in September 2021, the same month the authorities announced the extension of the vaccination program to children aged 12 to 15 years.

Top Keywords Analysis

The top words in posts associated with children and young people’s experience of post–COVID-19 condition in the United Kingdom were “Children” (352/2588, 13.6%), “kids” (160/2588, 6.18%), “people” (158/2588, 6.11%), “Young” (148/2588, 5.72%), and “schools” (83/2588, 3.21%). The top hashtags were #longcovid (1387/2588, 53.59%), #longcovidkids (448/2588, 17.31%), #covid19 (370/2588, 14.3%), and #covid (176/2588, 6.8%).

Sentiment and Emotions Analysis

According to sentiment analysis, 99.38% (2572/2588) of the posts reflected negative sentiments and 0.62% (16/2588) reflected positive sentiments. Negative sentiments were mainly associated with comments on hospitalization figures related to the COVID-19 pandemic, criticism of pandemic mitigation policies, and vaccination of children and young people. Furthermore, positive sentiments mainly concerned acknowledgments around decreasing numbers of community support groups.

The primary emotions identified were as follows:

• Sadness (1752/2588, 67.7%), such as in the following tweet:

@[Username] Really upset, after my tough on-call last night. Hospitalisations are still going up, and Gov announcement minismises the effect of long-COVID in adults and children. It’s so hard to keep spirits up today. But we’ll try and continue doing our best in the NHS.

• Joy (367/2588, 14.18%), such as in the following tweet:

@[Username] It’s been an amazing day! [...] I’ve been able to share the experience I’ve gained treating children and adolescents with Long COVID over the last year.

• Fear (233/2588, 9%), as seen in the following tweet:

@[Username] It’s really urgent that young people get the message that they need to get vaccinated. Long COVID is ruining many people’s lives! It’s not a lie or hypochondria, there are real, physiological changes, please understand!

Segmentation Analysis

This analysis revealed the critical clusters of conversation around the main topics of concern within the discourse network around post–COVID-19 condition. Comments were distributed in 4 key conversation segments as follows:

• People, schools, and prevention (1734/2588, 67%): Most of the comments related to measures taken in terms of COVID-19 prevention in schools, concern about the risk of exposure, and sharing experiences of infection in schools.
• Health, adults, and impact (401/2588, 15.49%): Comments mainly reflected concerns and uncertainty about the long-term effect of post–COVID-19 condition on both children and young people and adults.
• Cases, virus, and risk (326/2588, 12.6%): Comments reflected worries about the associated risks and long-term consequences attributable to post–COVID-19 condition (in both adults and children and young people) and the constant mutation of the virus, which will create a permanent risk in the population.
• Months, distress, and symptoms (106/2588, 4.1%): Some HCWs used Twitter to share how children and young people experience post–COVID-19 condition and the extent of these symptoms. Some HCWs exemplified certain typical manifestations, such as fatigue.

Discourse Analysis by Theme

To better understand the topics discussed from the segmentation analysis, we performed a discourse analysis of the key co-occurring themes and topics of concern shared within discussions regarding post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people. The following themes emerged ( Textbox 1 ): concern or uncertainty for the future, school attendance, mask protection from COVID-19, vaccine uptake, infection rates, policy (support or skepticism), understanding and visualizing symptoms, child mental health, access to care, community support, and research ( Figures 1 and 2 ).

• Concern for the future or uncertainty (615/2588, 23.76% tweets): Most comments showed a concern for the future, focusing on shared statistics regarding the rate and spread of infection in children and young people and how this would affect future health outcomes. Furthermore, this group expressed concern regarding political decisions; the presence of illness in loved ones; the eventual overload and response capacity of the health system in the face of an increase in post–COVID-19 condition cases; and the need for training of health care workers (HCWs) to deal with comorbid, potentially long-term symptoms ( Figure 1 A).
• Schools (460/2588, 17.77% tweets): Comments aimed to promote vaccination policies for schoolchildren and flexible measures regarding teachers’ work and attendance, considering cases of people with prolonged symptoms. In addition, several tweets expressed dissatisfaction with school risk mitigation measures, such as the use of face masks and air filters ( Figure 1 B).
• Vaccine (386/2588, 14.9% tweets): Most tweets from this group showed their disapproval of the constant changes in the government’s decisions regarding schools and priority groups for vaccination. Between March and June 2021, the first set of tweets criticized the lack of priority in the vaccination program for schoolchildren and other at-risk groups (such as teachers). Once the authorities announced a vaccination program for schoolchildren aged 12 to 15 years ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ), most comments promoted vaccination for this group. A few comments (78/2588, 3.01%) shared concerns about the vaccine’s efficacy for children, based on the experiences of COVID-19 reinfection in adults despite having received the recommended initial doses. However, to a lesser extent (26/2588, 1%), there was a refusal to vaccinate children, citing fear of possible adverse effects. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the community frequently refuted such comments ( Figure 1 C).
• Share statistics (334/2588, 12.91% tweets): Frequently, HCWs shared statistical data, such as the number of affected children and young people, the number of post–COVID-19 condition cases, and hospital admissions and deaths. Some of these data were used to validate the existence of the post–COVID-19 phenomenon or to express concern about it ( Figure 1 D).
• Policy (316/2588, 12.21% tweets): The comments were responsive to the policies emanating from the authorities over time ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ). There were 5 main criticisms, including changes in school closure or opening policies; HCWs question why the authorities ignore the evidence of post–COVID-19 cases in children and young people, leading them to question whether decision makers have sufficient training to control the pandemic adequately; the failure to include teachers and school workers in the COVID-19 vaccination program as well as the younger population; the lack of mitigation measures in schools, such as improvements in ventilation systems and mandatory use of masks; and the herd immunity as a plan in the government’s hidden agenda , that is, to promote work and activate the economy ( Figure 1 E).
• “Proof” (280/2588, 10.82% tweets): Most tweets in this group argued regarding the existence of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition through pictures; statistics; scientific papers; and personal, family, and professional experiences ( Figure 1 F).
• Signs and symptoms (189/2588, 7.3% tweets): Among the symptoms described, chronic fatigue and exhaustion were the most frequent symptoms, which prevent normal activities. Other symptoms were respiratory: dyspnea, chronic cough, and shortness of breath; gastrointestinal: acute or intense abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, gastroparesis, and change in smell or taste; muscular: severe joint pain, “painful foot” and difficulty with physical activity; mental health: anxiety and low mood; topical: rash, skin rashes, and redness and pain in the eyes; and nonspecific symptoms, such as chest pain, heart palpitations, constant high body temperature, precocious puberty, hormonal changes, and erectile dysfunction ( Figure 2 A).
• Face masks (119/2588, 4.6% tweets): Face masks were widely promoted, especially in schools, because HCWs considered them as a practical and straightforward strategy to control the pandemic ( Figure 2 B).
• Skepticism (101/2588, 3.9% tweets): Comments showed reticence toward post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people. Some of the arguments focused on a perceived lack of clarity in the clinical manifestations and stressed the need to better differentiate the post–COVID-19 condition from other related symptomatologies, such as mood disorders (eg, depression and anxiety due to confinement). In contrast, several arguments agreed on the need for more scientific evidence, arguing that post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people are isolated. Other users claimed not to know of such cases instead of calling post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people SMS text message an exaggeration. In addition, several arguments favored releasing restrictions for children and young people, particularly arguments related to the use of masks, because of possible associated risks, for example, hypoxia ( Figure 2 C).
• Mental health (54/2588, 2.09% tweets): Symptoms attributable to mental health problems in children and young people were also a concern. For instance, HCWs mentioned sadness, fear of infecting their family, anxiety regarding sick parents, stress, night terrors, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, users discussed a perceived lack of specific support for children and young people and their families in situations such as hospitalization; prolonged COVID-19 condition; admission to intensive care; and death of a family member, schoolmate, or teacher, all situations that triggered permanent stress in these groups ( Figure 2 D).
• Community support or asking for advice (93/2588, 3.59% tweets): Some HCWs used Twitter to ask for guidance on a specific issue or share experiences of having post–COVID-19 condition or caring for children and young people or family members. Furthermore, they shared informative infographics provided by experts regarding post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people ( Figure 2 E).
• Access to health care or treatment (72/2588, 2.78% tweets): Some HCWs mentioned the lack of specialist (cardiology) support, concerns regarding prolonged National Health Service burnout, and criticisms regarding how follow-up was carried out concerning the relative symptomatology of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition. At the same time, opening new centers for children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition generated different reactions. On the one hand, some HCWs recognized it as a substantial development, but on the other hand, some HCWs recognized it as proof of the existence of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, which raised concerns for the future ( Figure 2 F).
• Research (52/2588, 2% tweets): Under this theme, tweets largely promoted study on post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people or highlighted the need for further study on the subject ( Figure 2 G).
• Images (57/2588, 2.2% tweets): Images shared were primarily from scientific studies, including infographics (from organizations such as National Health Service or @LongCovidKids) and visualization of children and young people’s symptoms, such as rashes, COVID-19 toe, and joint pain. Most infographics shared by organizations (and not individuals), such as the organization LongCovidKids, were related to statistics, such as the number of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition or the quantification of the type of symptoms experienced. Shared photographs tended to show the more “visually recognizable” symptoms of post–COVID-19 condition, such as skin lesions, rashes, or inflammation. The less visible symptoms, such as chronic fatigue and neurological issues, were represented with photographs of children and young people lying, sleeping under blankets, or duvets or on hospital beds ( Figure 2 H).

Principal Findings

Our primary objective was to explore HCWs’ perceptions concerning post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people in the United Kingdom between January 2021 and January 2022. Our findings indicated that comments made by HCWs on Twitter were responsive to announcements issued by authorities regarding the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and associated regulations on the operation of schools. The most frequent feelings and emotions were negative, mainly sadness. In turn, we identified relevant themes for HCWs, such as uncertainty or concern about the future; policies; and regulations for the prevention, management, and addressing both COVID-19 and post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people; vaccination; and the use of Twitter as a strategy to share scientific literature, management strategies, and clinical and personal experiences.

Concern from HCWs regarding the policies for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in the children and young people in the United Kingdom (including vaccination and schools) was a recurring theme in our findings. Furthermore, concern regarding the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine and how the vaccine might interact with preexisting physiological symptoms of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people was a topic of discussion. Similarly, the constant change in policy making in the United Kingdom, as public health bodies and governments have tried to understand and adapt to the emergence of post–COVID-19 condition, have added to the strength of this ongoing debate [ 42 ]. The lack of up-to-date evidence on post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people prompted HCWs to rely on Twitter during the pandemic to communicate relevant information. Twitter has a broad audience reach; is used as a communication tool by politicians, health bodies, and other key influences; and facilitates real-time updates [ 43 ]. During the pandemic, HCWs, primarily those in frontline roles and local response coordination, have often been challenged to become credible spokespersons for pandemic information [ 44 ]. Such credibility directly influences public confidence and decision-making, ultimately determining the success or failure of a public health intervention [ 43 ].

Furthermore, failures in risk communication could explain the presence of uncertainty and negative feelings associated with school regulations. When people are upset, distressed, or fearful, they often do not trust the authority, decrease the perceived validity of the communication received, and find information processing difficult [ 45 ]. In this regard, Fotheringham et al [ 46 ] indicated that during 2020, school leaders in the United Kingdom faced pressures and challenges related to translating and enacting school policies, particularly with the perceived lack of agency shared by the government concerning being able to translate centrally issued guidelines. In turn, Tomson et al [ 47 ] reported that the pandemic has negatively impacted the well-being of leaders in all types of schools and across all demographic groups, affecting their ability to think clearly and solve work-related problems. Given that the protection and care of children and young people health during the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately rests with school leaders, the search for support strategies that focus on the needs of these groups becomes an urgent necessity.

Findings in Relation to Other Studies

Using Twitter’s information, this is one of the first studies to capture health professionals’ perceptions of prolonged COVID-19 in the children and young people in the United Kingdom. However, other studies have addressed post–COVID-19 condition on this social network. Callard and Peregov [ 48 ] reviewed how, through social platforms such as Twitter, patients made the persistence and heterogeneity of COVID-19 symptoms visible, thus catapulting the inclusion of post–COVID-19 condition as a relevant phenomenon in clinical and policy debates. In contrast, other authors in the last 2 years have explored on various platforms (including Twitter) the persistence of symptoms and emotional impact after months of suspected and confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 [ 49 - 55 ], including the period of vaccination. Furthermore, others have explored web discussions regarding this phenomenon [ 56 ]. Several of these authors agree on a perceived lack of support and specific resources from governmental bodies, a lack of information or clarity in the instructions given, and the absence of formal mechanisms to allow the voices of patients and the community to be heard. The above point is critical as it highlights the gap between the needs of the population and the response provided by policy makers, which not only translates into a gap in access to health services but also limits citizen participation in decision-making on the issues that affect their own health and increases distrust toward regulations and instructions issued by the government.

Implications for Policy and Practice

Several policy recommendations and implications are targeted at various stakeholders to consider while implementing future policy guidelines to address post–COVID-19 health care delivery. First, policy makers should consider investing appropriate resources to collect data regarding post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, specifically on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of children and young people. This implies working closely with researchers to streamline data collection and reporting on post–COVID-19 condition. Second, policy makers should consider providing a basic level of psychosocial support with access to quality mental health and psychosocial support services for HCWs, school staff, parents, and children and young people experiencing post–COVID-19 condition. This implies strengthening health systems, community-based programming, and mobilization. Policies must include documenting the impact of mental health and psychosocial support interventions and innovative approaches to be more widely disseminated and scaled up across different contexts and target population groups. Third, to address the criticism around frequent changes in school closure and opening policies, decision makers should develop clear, easy-to-understand school mitigation plans informed by the best available evidence. The plans should incorporate teachers, school workers, and parents to ensure all voices are included in the policy plan. Fourth, policy makers should adopt a shared decision-making approach incorporating HCWs in the decision-making process for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, government decision makers should set post–COVID-19 pandemic recovery policies informed from a health equity perspective and how this affects children and young people living with post–COVID-19 condition, factoring in childhood, family income, housing, domestic violence, access to health care, and racism.

In terms of the needed clearer road map for recommendations to support training strategies for HCWs and school staff regarding post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, we have outlined the following 10 steps.

Step 1: Data Collection and Analysis

Our study underlines the critical need for comprehensive data on post–COVID-19 condition’s impact on the mental health of children and young people. As a first step, it is recommended that policy makers should allocate resources for the systematic collection and analysis of data on post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people, particularly focusing on mental health outcomes. These data should be used to identify the most prevalent symptoms and the most effective treatment strategies. In this context, it is recommended that experts emphasize the importance of early detection and medical consultation for mental health issues in children and young people diagnosed with post–COVID-19 condition, including mood changes, irritability, social withdrawal, memory problems, difficulty in concentrating, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, school absenteeism, and suicidal ideation [ 57 , 58 ]. This entails working closely with researchers to streamline data collection and reporting on post–COVID-19 condition.

Step 2: Psychosocial Support Framework

It has been noted that globally, programs for managing post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people are heterogeneous, ranging from the use of physiotherapy, pediatric occupational therapy, and psychological support to interventions aimed at lifestyle modifications [ 59 ]. This diversity could impact differential outcomes in the treatment, recovery, and timely and effective rehabilitation of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition. Upon analyzing the wider literature and the social media data in this study, it is recommended that a basic level of psychosocial support should be established. This would involve ensuring access to quality mental health services for HCWs, school staff, parents, and children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition. This framework should be integrated into the health system and community-based programming, emphasizing the mobilization of resources and strengthening of support networks. It is suggested that the psychosocial support framework should facilitate access to quality mental health services and support networks that are robust and responsive. Community engagement gleaned from further Twitter discourse analysis should be a helpful guide in the development of these services to ensure they meet the real and expressed needs of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition. Practical examples of basic psychosocial support include using web support services; individual or group therapy sessions; school-based emotional support programs; and counseling sessions aimed at parents, family members, or school staff.

Step 3: Educational Mitigation Plans

The frequent policy changes around school closures highlight the necessity for stable and clear educational mitigation plans. It is recommended that these plans should be directly informed by the evidence collected and further analysis of sentiments and emotions surrounding post–COVID-19 condition in schools. Incorporating the viewpoints of teachers, parents, and school staff, as identified in our thematic analysis, will ensure that the mitigation strategies are comprehensive, feasible, and sensitive to the psychosocial impact on children and young people. School staff and policy makers should collaborate to develop clear, evidence-informed educational mitigation plans. These plans should be straightforward and involve teachers, school workers, and parents in their creation, ensuring a unified approach that considers the voices of all stakeholders.

Step 4: Shared Decision-Making in Health Care

In health care settings, the adoption of a shared decision-making model is crucial, enabling HCWs to actively contribute to the formulation of COVID-19 and post–COVID-19 policies. This inclusive approach ensures that frontline workers can provide valuable insights toward policy development. To facilitate this, the establishment of advisory committees composed of representatives from HCWs is recommended. This committee can convene regularly to deliberate on key decisions pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic management, including prevention measures, resource distribution, and vaccination strategies. Such collaborative groups have demonstrated effectiveness in identifying priority needs within the context of a pandemic [ 60 ].

Step 5: Health Equity in Policy Setting

Post–COVID-19 recovery policies should be set with a health equity lens. This means considering factors such as family income, housing, domestic violence, access to health care, and racism and how these factors affect children and young people living with post–COVID-19 condition. Our findings emphasize the importance of framing post–COVID-19 recovery policies through a lens of health equity. The concerns raised by HCWs regarding the socioeconomic impacts, such as family income and access to health care, underline the need for policies that address not just the medical aspects of post–COVID-19 condition but also the social determinants of health. An equitable approach will ensure that children and young people from diverse backgrounds receive appropriate support.

Step 6: Documenting and Disseminating Interventions

It is vital to document the impact of mental health and psychosocial support interventions. In this context, it is crucial to implement innovative strategies to disseminate unbiased information about post–COVID-19 condition among health care professionals and educators working with children and young people, ensuring it reaches different contexts and populations. These strategies may include creating interactive multimedia resources, such as videos and mobile apps; organizing webinars; actively using social media; and forming web support groups. These groups will provide a space where patients, health care professionals, and educators can share their experiences and knowledge regarding post–COVID-19 condition. These actions will not only help reduce isolation and social stigma but also strengthen support for these groups considered vulnerable [ 61 ].

Step 7: Developing a Clear Communication Strategy

Policy makers must develop a clear communication strategy to address frequent policy changes and mitigate confusion. This strategy should be informed by the data collected and analysis conducted in Step 1. The data reveal a palpable sense of uncertainty and frustration due to frequent policy shifts, underscoring the need for a clear and consistent communication strategy. This strategy should be grounded in the evidence gathered from the health care community’s discourse and aim to minimize confusion by providing timely, transparent, and reliable information regarding post–COVID-19 policies and support services.

Step 8: Training and Support Strategies

On the basis of the findings of the comprehensive data analysis, specific training and support strategies should be developed for HCWs and school staff. These strategies should be focused on the practical aspects of identifying and managing post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people. For instance, training sessions could include practical workshops on recognizing post–COVID-19 symptoms in children and adolescents, conducting diagnostic assessments, and implementing appropriate treatment and support interventions.

Step 9: Continuous Feedback and Policy Adaptation

The continuous evolution of the post–COVID-19 phenomenon demands an iterative approach to policy making. On the basis of our study, we recommend establishing feedback mechanisms with HCWs and school staff to monitor the reception and effectiveness of implemented policies. This feedback, coupled with ongoing research, should inform policy adaptations to ensure they remain aligned with the evolving landscape of post–COVID-19 condition and its impact on children and young people.

Step 10: Evaluation and Research

Finally, there should be a commitment to ongoing evaluation and research. This will involve not only monitoring the implementation of the abovementioned steps but also supporting new research to fill any remaining gaps in understanding the long-term effects of COVID-19 on children and young people.

This sequence of steps is designed to be iterative and responsive, ensuring that the recommendations from the study are translated into concrete actions that adapt to emerging data and research findings.

Strengths and Limitations

A key strength of this study is that our social media analysis of post–COVID-19 condition contributes toward an emerging understanding of reported experiential, emotional, and practical dimensions of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people specifically and questions of vaccine hesitancy in children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition. This is one of the few studies to collect HCWs’ perceptions regarding post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people in the United Kingdom using information from Twitter. We identify key areas that need considering attention and focus, such as the provision of psychosocial support with access to quality mental health resources to alleviate the impact of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people and the development of clear post–COVID-19 pandemic recovery guidelines that are informed by health equity perspective, and how this affects children and young people living with post–COVID-19 condition.

One of the limitations this study acknowledges is the definition of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people. When data were collected, the lack of consensus on the definition of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people forced us to formulate a definition of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people based on the available literature. Furthermore, this study is limited to the perceptions of people who used descriptors in their web biography attributable to HCWs; therefore, our results only represent some HCWs in the United Kingdom and those in other countries. In turn, this research collected data from Twitter only; therefore, further inquiry into HCWs’ perceptions of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people required expanding to other data sources or social networks and including languages other than English. We acknowledge that demographic factors, geographic location, and individual daily activities of social media users can significantly influence language use and word choice, introducing potential biases in tweet-based data. Such biases are inherent in any analysis of social media content and can affect the generalizability of findings. For instance, our study relies on Twitter data, which do not encompass the full spectrum of global or the UK public opinion on post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people. While Twitter serves as a valuable platform for capturing real-time sentiments and experiences, it is not fully representative of all demographics and geographic regions. Our results may reflect the perspectives of more vocal or active social media users, which may not correspond to the silent majority or those without access to social media. In addition, the absence of geotagged information for many users limits our ability to conduct a more nuanced spatial analysis of the sentiments expressed.

Furthermore, our study is built upon the recognition that social media data may overrepresent certain demographic groups while underrepresenting others, such as the older population or those without reliable internet access. This skew can influence the apparent prevalence of certain views or experiences of post–COVID-19 condition. Moreover, individuals’ patterns of daily life, reflected in their social media use and content, contribute additional layers of complexity and potential bias to the discourse analyzed.

Consistent with scholarly precedents on the subject [ 62 , 63 ], our study acknowledges these biases as intrinsic limitations of social media–based research. Although our analysis did not control for these factors, we recognize their potential impact on our results. Future studies would benefit from incorporating a broader array of data sources, including interviews or focus groups, to provide a more representative and comprehensive understanding of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people. This approach would complement our Twitter-based findings and help mitigate the biases inherent in social media data.

Conclusions

More than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the perceptions described on Twitter by HCWs concerning the presence of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people appear to be a relevant and timely issue as well as very responsive to the declarations and guidelines issued by the health authorities over time. The most prominent group within the discourse studied was the activist or lobbying organization @LongCovidKids, which shared the most tweets and images over the period studied. We recommend that future research focus on how web health activism is organized and carried out for children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition. Such a strategy would allow for a better understanding of the scope and impact of this phenomenon and how it can influence decision-making. Furthermore, we suggest different mitigation strategies, support, and training of HCWs and school staff regarding manifestations and treatment of post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people across all demographic areas.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Rapid Research Evaluation and Assessment Lab, Department of Targeted Intervention, University College London, London, United Kingdom, whose support has been essential for developing this project.

Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

Filters used for the search strategy on Twitter.

Sentiment analysis framework: attitudes toward post–COVID-19 condition in children and young people.

Theme codebook: examples of tweets that fit into main themes tagged for mention of children and young people with post–COVID-19 condition.

Timeline of national governmental policies and guidelines regarding children and young people.

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Abbreviations

Edited by A Mavragani; submitted 20.06.23; peer-reviewed by R Gore, A Wahbeh; comments to author 02.11.23; revised version received 14.02.24; accepted 08.03.24; published 17.04.24.

©Macarena Chepo, Sam Martin, Noémie Déom, Ahmad Firas Khalid, Cecilia Vindrola-Padros. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 17.04.2024.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.