Plan | Interactive tool

Do Your Research Question and Methods Actually Match?

Check whether your research question, objectives, design, population, measurement and analysis are pointing at the same study.

What this tool will help you decide
  • Whether your objectives deliver what the question asks for
  • Whether your design can produce that kind of evidence
  • Whether the analysis plan matches the objectives
  • Which parts of your methods a reviewer is likely to query
Step 1 of 7Research question

About the Research Alignment Checker

The Research Alignment Checker walks through your research question, objectives, study design, population, measurement and planned analysis, then shows where those pieces stop describing the same study.

Who it is for

Postgraduate students preparing a proposal, early-career researchers refining a concept note, and NGO or programme teams turning an idea into a study others can defend.

What it helps you decide

Whether your objectives can actually be answered by the design you chose, whether the population and sampling match the claim you want to make, and which section to rewrite first.

Limitations

It checks internal consistency, not substantive merit. It cannot judge whether your question matters in your field, assess data quality, or replace supervisor and ethics committee review.

Longer teaching on this sits in the research objectives guide. It covers how to write objectives your design can carry.

Category · Plan