What are research goals intended to clarify?

Research goals are fundamentally intended to clarify the specific ideas that the team aims to learn from the research, as well as the desired outcomes of the study. When setting clear research goals, designers and researchers focus their efforts around particular questions or hypotheses, which guide the depth and scope of the investigation. This clarity helps in defining the direction of the research, ensuring that the findings will be relevant and actionable for design decisions. By having well-defined goals, teams can align their research efforts with the overarching objectives of the project, making it easier to evaluate success after gathering data.

While other options address important aspects of a research project, they do not specifically relate to the "why" or purpose of conducting the research, which is fundamentally about learning and gaining insights into user needs and expectations. Thus, the focus of research goals is inherently linked to the outcomes and knowledge that the research intends to achieve.