Use the following criteria to evaluate an author’s purpose statement. Look for indications of the following: • Does the statement begin with signaling words? • Does the statement identify the research approach (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed)? • Does the statement clearly state the intent of the study? • Does the statement mention the participants? • Does the statement mention the research site? • Is the statement framed in a way that is consistent with the identified problem? If the study is qualitative, does the purpose statement do as follows? • Focus on a single phenomenon • Use an action verb to convey how learning will take place • Use neutral, nondirectional language • Provide a general definition of the central phenomenon If the study is quantitative, does the purpose statement do as follows? • Identify the variables under study • Provide a general definition of each key variable • Use words that connect the variables • Identify a theory If the study is mixed methods, does the purpose statement do as follows? • Discuss the reason(s) for mixing both quantitative and qualitative data • Include the char