Problem statement

What Is A Research Problem Statement And What Ingredients Can Cook Up The Perfect Problem Statement for You?

Are you having trouble writing the problem statement of your research?

Before you go off writing your problem statement, let us first tell you the main ingredients that can cook up the perfect problem statement for your research.

What is a problem statement?

Generally speaking, it is a set of questions that need answering or logical reasoning. It provides the circumstance and scope for conducting the research and the outcome that is desired. A problem statement in research is its focal point and is the true essence on the basis of which research is conducted.

Important Note: What your research problem statement should not have?

But before we tell you what makes up a delicious problem statement of a research, let’s look at two common mistakes that people make when writing it:

• It is not vague and does not have a broad meaning
• It is not a value question or a question that requires an answer in ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

The Three Main Components:

1. The problem and its context:

This part defines the actual existing problem and generates the questions that your research would later answer. This part is as important as salt for a meal. The simplest way to write the problem is to answer to the five basic Ws.

1. Who is the target audience or who is affected by the problem? Here you will specify the particular group of individuals or organizations etc that is facing the problem
2. What is the problem? This is where you specifically describe the problem that is being faced
3. When does the problem occur? In this part, you will mention the cycle or frequency of the problem
4. Where does the problem occur? Here you will mention the particular location or the processes or the product where the problem occurs.
5. Why does the problem need addressing? Here you will mention the reason why this issue needs to be addressed to

Example: Start your problem with the following statement and then carry off by answering the 5Ws in a sequence:

The purpose of this study is to…

2. The methodology that will be used in the research:

In this part of the research, you will define the process through which the problem will be addressed or resolved. This is also called the claim or working of a thesis.

Example: You can start the methodology by:

In our current project, we will use the following methods to address the problem…

3. The scope of your study:

This is also referred to as the extent or the scale of your study. Here, you will mention the significance of the study and how it will help overcome the problem that is being investigated in the research. It should answer to the two following questions:

• • What is the desired outcome of the study?
  • What changes would you like to see because of your research?