Purpose

Overview

Purpose in research refers to the reason why a source or document was created. Understanding purpose helps you evaluate how a source fits into your own writing and whether it’s useful, trustworthy, or biased. Whether the source aims to inform, persuade, entertain, or sell something can impact how you interpret and use the information.

Identify the author’s goal

The first step in evaluating purpose is figuring out what the author or publisher wants to achieve. Academic articles usually aim to inform or explain, while opinion pieces and advertisements may try to persuade or sell.

Examples:

• Informative purpose: A peer-reviewed journal article describing a study on teen sleep habits.

• Persuasive purpose: An editorial arguing that schools should start later based on that study.

Knowing the purpose helps you decide how to use the information in your paper.

Look at tone and language

Tone and word choice can help you spot the source’s intent. Neutral and objective language usually signals an informational or academic purpose. Emotional or one-sided language often points to a persuasive or biased goal.

Examples:

• Objective tone: The study found a correlation between screen time and lower sleep quality.

• Emotional tone: Too much screen time is ruining our kids’ health and must be stopped now!

Understanding tone helps you judge how balanced or trustworthy a source is.

Consider the intended audience

Who a source is written for often reveals its purpose. A scientific paper for other researchers will have a very different purpose than a blog post for the general public.

Examples:

• Academic audience: A study written for educators and psychologists analyzing learning outcomes.

• General audience: A news article summarizing that study in simple language for parents.

Sources aimed at experts are usually more detailed and data-driven; others may simplify or generalize the findings.

Use purpose to evaluate bias

Even accurate sources can be shaped by the author’s purpose. Recognizing whether a source is trying to inform, persuade, or promote something helps you detect bias.

Examples:

• Biased source: A company website that says its energy drink boosts focus and performance.

• More balanced source: A scientific review comparing the effects of different caffeinated beverages on cognitive performance.

Knowing the source’s goal helps you decide how much to trust its claims.

Match source purpose to your research needs

You can use different types of sources for different reasons, but you should always know what you’re working with. If you’re building an argument, you might include a mix of factual sources and persuasive ones—but you’ll want to rely more heavily on sources that inform rather than sell or promote.

Examples:

• Informational source: A CDC report on teen mental health trends.

• Persuasive source: A nonprofit campaign calling for more mental health funding in schools.

Both could be useful, but you’ll need to treat them differently in your analysis.

Summary

Understanding the purpose behind a source helps you evaluate how to use it in your research. Whether a source is written to inform, persuade, entertain, or promote affects its tone, reliability, and relevance. By identifying the purpose, you make better decisions about what to include in your paper and how to use it effectively.