Keep It Consistent – Alignment Is Essential

Did you ever play the game “Broken Telephones” or “Chinese Whispers” as a child? In the game, a message is whispered from person to person, and by the end, it has morphed into something entirely different. It can be hilarious. Unfortunately,  in research, this kind of drift is far from amusing. It creates inconsistency among the research objectives, the design, and the outcome and undermines the original purpose of the research.

The Scenario: A proposal I recently reviewed began with a clear objective: to examine the impact of a specific intervention in the workplace. However, as the sections progressed, the focus gradually shifted. The project drifted away from assessing impact and ultimately became a survey of employees’ perceptions of the intervention. The central purpose—to evaluate impact—disappeared, replaced by questions about employee impressions without linking to measurable outcomes.

This shift reminded me of Broken Telephones as the research proposed at the outset had morphed into something entirely different.

The Issue: A proposal or dissertation that lacks alignment between its sections and consistency between its key components lacks coherence and cannot achieve its original objectives. Examiners and other readers are left questioning the purpose of the study, and it isn’t easy to draw meaningful conclusions. According to research standards, each section should build on the last, creating a cohesive and aligned progression from introduction to conclusion.

The Solution: Ensuring alignment among the sections and chapters is essential to maintain consistency. Here are some tips for you to do this:

1. Highlight and compare intentions: As you review your document, highlight every statement that refers to a purpose or objective (I use yellow) from start to finish. Then, review all highlighted sections, comparing them to ensure they are aligned and consistent with the original purpose and the knowledge gap stated in the problem statement. If not, rework them. This simple technique helps pinpoint areas where the objective may have drifted and signals where you need to re-focus.
2. Ensure alignment across sections: When writing, remember that every section—introduction, literature review, methodology, results, and discussion—should address the initial objective. Consistently linking each chapter to the primary purpose strengthens the work and keeps it on track.
3. Restate the study’s purpose or primary objective verbatim in the introductory paragraph of each chapter: This great tip is from Bloomberg (2023), who explains that this practice aligns the chapters and the writing. It also reminds the reader of the research’s purpose and every chapter’s role in achieving it.

The Key Takeaway: In research writing, clarity and alignment are crucial. Avoid the “Broken Telephone” effect by ensuring that every chapter supports the original objective, allowing your study to remain focused and impactful. Highlighting intentions and cross-checking them across sections is a simple but effective way to achieve a cohesive and well-structured dissertation. Repeating the research purpose verbatim at the start of each chapter is another helpful strategy.