Free tool · Writing & publishing
Research question sharpener
Find vague objectives, check them against SMART, and see sharper versions to consider.
Paste up to five research objectives or research questions, one per line, and this tool shows which ones are vague and gives a sharper version of each. For every line the tool gives mark against SMART also. SMART is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
One of the most common reasons a synopsis comes back from the Research Advisory Committee is vague objectives. Take “To study the impact of social media on students”. As written, nobody can test it. Mostly the correction is small. Put a measurable verb, name the population, give the setting and add a time frame, and the objective can be tested.
Method
How this tool works
Your lines go to OpenAI’s gpt-4o-mini model along with our instructions. The model takes the lines in order and lists what is wrong in each one. First it looks at the verb. “Study”, “understand” and “explore” get marked if a measurable verb can go there. Then it checks whether the population, setting, variable or time frame is missing. Two aims stuffed in one line get marked too. Same with a scope too wide for one PhD. For every line it marks each SMART criterion as met or not, and gives one sharper version. We told the model not to add any variable you didn’t give or make up facts about your field.
Our server first checks the format of the model’s reply. Only if it is correct, you see the result. If the reply is malformed, you get a plain message and the check is not used up. Each visitor gets 3 free AI checks a day, counted across our AI tools. Send the same text on the same day and you get the saved result free. The answer repeats your objectives, so we keep it for up to two days only. We lock it with a key made from your own text, and without that text nobody can open it. The text you pasted is never stored as it is.
Take each sharper version as a suggestion only. The verb you pick decides your design. If you write “to measure”, you need a measure. “To compare” needs groups. And “to examine the effect” needs a design that can support a claim about effects. Our guide to research objectives and questions explain how objectives, questions and hypotheses fit together in a synopsis.
Limits
What this tool can’t do
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is my text stored?
No. Your objectives are sent to OpenAI only to make the feedback, and our server does not save them. Suppose you paste the same lines again. We still have that answer for up to two days, so no new check gets used. Since that answer has your objectives inside it, it is locked with a key made from your text. Nobody can read it without the text itself.
Why only 3 a day?
Every check costs us a little, and we keep the tools free without any sign-up, that is why there is a limit per day for each person. If you repeat the same text on the same day, or a check fails, it is not counted. So put all your objectives, up to five, in one check.
Is using this allowed by my university?
Here the tool only shows what is weak and gives some options. Choosing your objectives, changing them and defending them is your own work, and the committee expects that. Do check your university’s AI policy once. Our guide on using AI tools in your PhD also discusses about this.
What is the difference between an objective and a research question?
An objective says what you will do, for example “to measure…”. A research question asks what you want to find out, like “what is the effect of…?”. Many synopses carry both, and then every objective should match with a question.
How many objectives should a PhD have?
Most synopses have three to five objectives. With only one or two, the synopsis may look thin. When there are more, usually the scope has become too wide. Your supervisor and your department’s past synopses are the best guide for your case.
Why does it say my objective isn’t time-bound?
Your objective does not say when. That may be the study period, the year of your data, or the time frame of the change you are measuring. Many times it is just one phrase, such as “between 2020 and 2025”.
Keep reading
Related guides and services
Writing research objectives and questions
From gap to question to measurable objectives, with weak and strong examples.
Research Topic and Gap Selection
A shortlist of topics with a documented gap, checked for feasibility before you commit years to one.
Writing a research gap statement
The kinds of gap, a sentence pattern that works, and weak-versus-strong examples.
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