In which phase of research is the study's objectives defined and hypotheses formulated?

The phase of research where the study's objectives are defined and hypotheses are formulated is in the research design phase. This phase is crucial because it lays the foundation for the entire study. During research design, researchers clarify what they aim to investigate, establish the specific questions that guide the research, and articulate their hypotheses—those predictions about the expected outcomes based on theoretical frameworks or prior evidence.

In contrast, data collection occurs after objectives and hypotheses have already been established, focusing instead on gathering information according to the research design. The literature review is primarily a phase for synthesizing existing research and identifying gaps in knowledge, rather than formulating new objectives. Data analysis comes even later in the research process, dealing with interpreting the data collected to draw conclusions and assess the validity of the hypotheses. Therefore, defining objectives and formulating hypotheses are integral to the research design phase.