A problem statement is just as it sounds; revealing the problem in the form of a statement. Your problem statement is the issue you wish to resolve and fill the gap in the literature of your field. It is the building block of your research, solely responsible to hold the whole process. You should cover your statement in a maximum of 300 words in an area of your interest. The area in which you are supposed to work is usually known beforehand and that is how you find your problem statement. The process to find a problem statement is as follows :
- The first step is the thinking process. You have to think of a number of ideas out of which one can be turned into a topic for the research. You should not focus on what you should write in your paper rather the focus should be on what you should know in your field. The question of what you should know will build up your interest in the area and you will not lose throughout the research course. While thinking of the topic, you have to be open-minded as what may come with the idea. The process includes a broader perspective to ponder upon.
- The next step is to make a list of all the ideas that pop up in your head to narrow them down and see how far the idea can take you in your research. Read the recent researches and journals or browse through the internet to filter your ideas. You must examine all the jotted ideas to work on and refine them. Choose the best-suited topic for your research out of your filtered ideas.
- Now, you should identify your chosen concept or the topic that will make up the problem statement. You should simplify the variables of your topic to develop it. You should focus on identifying nouns and phrases out of the topic.
- After you are done with phrasing the variables out of your topic and research issue, you should start studying the literature of the topic. Reviewing the literature on the chosen topic will broaden your idea to refine and reframe your research problem. As a researcher, you need to have a profound knowledge on the topic you are working on. This step may take a long time as you study and review the history of your topic.
- After you are clear about the history of the topic you should start with searching for the sources to broaden, modify or strengthen your argument. The data should be a source of criticism, new ideas and historical context. You should be able to broaden your concept with the collected data and lighten up the topic. The search for the sources serves as exploring the topic as well. This takes you in-depth of your topic.
- The final step is to outline your paper. Considering the hypothetical resolution in your mind, outline your paper and see if it leads you towards the end. If it does takes you to the desired results you should propose your research question and if it doesn’t then you need to further research for your problem statement.
The process of finding the problem statement is itself a tiring job and it comes with a set of conditions with it.
- The hunt for the problem should begin early and you should take the help of your advisor/supervisor while selecting the problem statement.
- Your problem statement should have a resolution, it should have a planned method to be resolved and bridge the gap in the history.
- Your resolution of the issue should bring a change in the literature of your field.
- Your problem statement should lead you to further research. It should bring more questions for either you to resolve or for another researcher to research on. If it doesn’t lead you more queries then it would be a waste of time since the resolution of the problem would not bring a huge change and impact on the academic society.
- The selected problem statement should be worth spending time on as it lays the foundation of the research. Also, the statement decides the maturity of the candidate towards his study on the subject.
Therefore, to build your whole research one must choose the best topic no matter how much time it takes.