Purpose Statement Section
UW–Madison explains that a purpose statement announces a paper’s purpose, scope, and direction and tells readers what specific focus to expect. A purpose statement is not identical to a thesis conclusion or a list of measurable objectives; placement and wording vary by discipline and document type.
A Purpose Statement section tells readers what the paper or study is intended to do, its focus, and often its scope or direction.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
A purpose statement is not identical to a thesis conclusion or a list of measurable objectives; placement and wording vary by discipline and document type.
Further guidance
Content
Write the intended action or aim directly and specifically enough that readers can see what the project will examine, describe, compare, test, or otherwise accomplish.
Practical Application
Write a purpose statement so readers can identify what the paper, report, or study is intended to do and the focus or scope of that effort.
Purpose
A Purpose Statement section tells readers what the paper or study is intended to do, its focus, and often its scope or direction.
Reader Check
Check for a clear action or aim such as examine, compare, describe, or evaluate. Do not substitute a topic announcement, conclusion, or loose list of objectives for the purpose itself.
Worked Example
“The purpose of this report is to compare the two intake workflows and identify where approval delays occur.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Thesis and Purpose Statements (opens in a new tab)University of Wisconsin–Madison Writing Center · University writing-center guidance that a purpose statement announces the purpose, scope, and direction of a paper