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The Problem Statement in The Research Paper
The Problem Statement in The Research Paper
The problem provides the context for the research study and typically generates questions which
the research hopes to answer. In considering whether or not to move forward with a research
project, you will generally spend some time considering the problem.
In your paper, the statement of the problem is the first part of the paper to be read [we are
ignoring the title and the abstract]. The problem statement should "hook" the reader and establish
a persuasive context for what follows.
You need to be able to clearly answer the question: "what is the problem"? and "why is this
problem worth my attention"? At the same time, the problem statement limits scope by focusing
on some variables and not others. It also provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate why
these variables are important.
Problem Importance
The importance of the problem should receive considerable and persuasive attention [note that
importance is inevitably subjective and will vary from person to person and agency to agency].
Clearly indicate why your problem is an important one by answering questions such as these:
The problem statement should persuasively indicate that major variables can be measured in
some meaningful way. If you can identify likely objections to the study, identify and respond to
them here.
The problem statement should close with a question. Typically, the question contains two
variables, a measurable relationship, and some indication of population. The purpose of the
literature search that follows is to answer the research problem question. If the literature cannot
answer the question, the research is needed to do so. An example question might be: "What is the
relationship between the grade point average of UTK juniors and their use of the library"? The
information needed is (1) grade point average and (2) some measure of library use. A bad
example might be: "What is the best way to teach bibliographic instruction"? This is insufficient
because:
The title and the problem statement question are often nearly identical. For example, in the good
example above, the title of this research project would be something like this: "Library
Circulation Use by University of Tennessee Juniors and Their Grade Point Average"
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Identifying Broad Topics
Think of the BIG PICTURE
o What is the problem you are
trying to solve?
o Think of something you like to
your supervisor
Pick one based on:
o Interest and relevance
o Level of expertise
yours and your advisors
Research Proposal D
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