What does it mean? The aim is like the GPS for your research. It's the precise, clear-cut objective that sets the direction for your entire investigation. So, be smart about your word choice!

Published papers Check out published research papers! They often state the aim outright. Since you're replicating a study, you only need to adjust it to fit your investigation's context.

Three key ingredients There are three main parts to the aim:

• IV - Independent Variable
• DV - Dependent Variable
• A statement of a cause-effect relationship.

Picture a scientific study. Let's use Loftus and Palmer's (1974) classic research on memory. Their IV was "post-event information" and the DV was "memory". But wait, what does that mean?

• IV and DV as Constructs In this context, constructs are the general idea or concept that we're interested in - they're a bit abstract.

For the Loftus and Palmer study, the construct for the IV ("post-event information") was practically translated, or operationalized, into the emotional intensity of the verb in the leading question. And the DV construct ("memory") was operationalized as a speed estimate.