💪 How to Write a Problem Statement for Your Research: A Step-by-Step Guide 🎓

Summary

This video tutorial outlines a structured approach to crafting a compelling problem statement for academic research. It emphasizes the importance of a clear, concise summary that sets the stage for the research, defines the issue, and proposes a solution. The method is broken down into four key components: establishing known information, identifying research gaps, articulating the study's significance, and briefly introducing the methodology. By addressing these elements, researchers can impress examiners and reviewers with a strong foundation for their work.

Takeaways

• 📝 A problem statement is a concise, clear, and concrete summary of the research problem to be addressed.
• 🔍 It should establish context, define a problem within that context, and propose a solution.
• 📚 The problem statement consists of four parts to address four main questions: known information, unknown information, necessity of the unknown, and the research approach.
• 🌟 Part one involves explaining what is known about the problem from real-world evidence and academic literature.
• 🔑 Part two highlights research gaps and the contributions your research aims to make, such as theoretical, practical, and methodological contributions.
• 🤔 Part three emphasizes the importance of the study, including the consequences of not solving the problem and its impact on society.
• 🛠️ Part four briefly outlines the methodology and methods to achieve the research objectives.
• 📈 To support the known information, cite recent studies and review papers to show a good literature review.
• 💡 The problem statement should be straightforward, easy to read, and quickly explain the problem, the need for research, and the intended approach.
• 👍 Encourage viewer engagement by asking for comments and likes, as they help with YouTube algorithm visibility.
• 🔔 Subscribe and enable notifications for updates on future videos about research and publications.

Q & A

What is the purpose of a problem statement in research?

A problem statement is a concise, clear, and concrete summary of the research problem that the study seeks to address. It establishes a context for the audience, defines a problem within that context, and proposes a solution to the problem.

What are the four main components of a problem statement?

The four main components of a problem statement are: 1) What do we know about the problem, 2) What we don't know about the problem, 3) Why do we need to know what we don't know about the problem, and 4) How do we want to know what we don't know about the problem.

How should one approach writing the first part of the problem statement, which is about what is known about the problem?

In the first part, one should explain what is known in the real world and from academic literature. This can include referring to reports, government reports, statistics, newspaper articles, and any evidence that explains what the problem is, and citing recent research papers and review papers.

What should be included in the second part of the problem statement, which addresses what is not known about the problem?

In the second part, one should highlight the research gaps and the aims of the research. This includes explaining the theoretical, practical, and methodological contributions of the study, which should be briefly discussed depending on the topic and style of the research.

Why is it important to discuss the significance of the study in the problem statement?

Discussing the significance of the study in the problem statement is important because it highlights the importance of the research. It explains why it is worth investing resources, such as time or money, to find out what is not known about the problem and what the consequences or benefits of solving the problem might be.

How should the third part of the problem statement be structured?

The third part should clearly address the importance of the study by asking questions such as why it is necessary to solve the problem, what the consequences of not solving it are, and how solving the problem will benefit society, a community, or people's lives.

What does the fourth part of the problem statement entail?

The fourth part of the problem statement briefly explains how the objectives of the study will be achieved. It involves discussing the process, methodology, and methods that will be used in the research without repeating the entire methodology section.

What is the recommended length for the sections of the problem statement?

The problem statement should be concise, clear, and concrete. The length of each section can vary from two to three sentences to one to two paragraphs, depending on the topic, field, and style of the research.

Why should viewers like and comment on the video?

Viewers are encouraged to like and comment on the video to support the creator and to boost the video's visibility in the YouTube algorithm, which favors videos with high engagement.

What does the creator of the video offer to do for viewers who leave comments?

The creator offers to read all comments and reply to them, showing a commitment to engaging with the audience and providing further clarification or assistance as needed.

How can viewers stay updated with the creator's future videos on research and publications?

Viewers can stay updated by subscribing to the channel and hitting the notification bell, ensuring they receive alerts when new videos on research and publications are posted.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Writing a Strong Problem Statement

This video provides a step-by-step guide on crafting a compelling problem statement for academic research. The presenter emphasizes the importance of impressing examiners with a clear and concise summary of the research issue. The problem statement serves as a foundation, setting the context, defining the problem, and proposing a solution. It should be straightforward, easy to read, and quickly convey the necessity for research and the intended methodology.

🔍 Components of a Problem Statement

The problem statement is broken down into four key components that address specific questions. The first part establishes what is currently known about the problem through real-world evidence and academic literature. The second part identifies research gaps and the study's contributions, which may include theoretical, practical, and methodological advancements. The third part discusses the significance of addressing the unknown aspects of the problem, including potential consequences and societal impacts. The fourth and final part briefly outlines the research methodology without delving into extensive detail.

📈 Importance and Methodology

The presenter stresses the importance of the study, explaining why it is worth the investment of time and resources. This section should answer why the problem needs to be solved and what benefits solving it would bring. The video also touches on the importance of a researchable, feasible, and clear problem statement that addresses a relevant issue within the field. Lastly, the presenter provides a brief overview of how the research objectives will be achieved, suggesting a methodology that will be expanded upon in later sections.

👍 Engaging with the Video Content

The video concludes with a call to action, encouraging viewers to support the content by commenting and liking the video. This engagement is said to boost the video's visibility on the YouTube algorithm. The presenter promises to read and reply to all comments and reminds viewers to subscribe and enable notifications for future videos on research and publications.

Keywords

💡Problem Statement

A 'Problem Statement' is a concise, clear, and concrete summary of the research problem that an individual seeks to address. It sets the stage for the audience by defining the issue and proposing a solution. In the context of the video, the problem statement is crucial as it impresses examiners and reviewers and is the foundation of any research paper, project, thesis, or dissertation.

💡Research

Research in this video refers to the systematic investigation and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions. It is the core activity that the problem statement supports, and the script emphasizes the need for a strong research foundation to effectively address the problem statement.

💡Methodology

Methodology pertains to the systematic principles and procedures used in a particular branch of knowledge or activity, in this case, research. The video script briefly touches on the methodology as part of the problem statement, indicating that it should be outlined to show how the research objectives will be achieved without going into exhaustive detail.

💡Research Gaps

Research gaps are areas in the existing body of knowledge where further investigation is needed. The script highlights the importance of identifying these gaps in the problem statement section to demonstrate what the research aims to achieve and how it will contribute to the field.

💡Theoretical Contribution

A theoretical contribution refers to the addition of new concepts, theories, or frameworks that enhance understanding within a particular academic field. The video mentions that the problem statement should briefly discuss how the research will contribute theoretically, which could involve proposing new theories or expanding on existing ones.

💡Practical Contribution

A practical contribution is the application of research findings to real-world situations, offering solutions or improvements to current practices. The script suggests that the problem statement should outline how the research will have practical implications, which may include direct benefits to society or industry.

💡Methodological Contribution

Methodological contribution refers to the introduction of new research methods or techniques that can be applied to study a problem. The video script implies that the problem statement should touch upon any novel approaches or methods that the research will use to address the identified gaps.

💡Significance

The significance of a study refers to its importance or relevance in a particular field or to society at large. The video emphasizes the need to articulate why the research is necessary, what the consequences of not addressing the problem are, and the benefits of solving it.

💡YouTube Algorithm

The YouTube algorithm is the system that YouTube uses to recommend videos to users based on various factors such as watch time, likes, and comments. The script mentions the algorithm to encourage viewers to like and comment on the video to boost its visibility and reach on the platform.

💡Academic Literature

Academic literature encompasses scholarly articles, papers, and books that contribute to a field of study. In the context of the video, the problem statement should reference academic literature to establish the current state of knowledge and to support the claims made about the problem being studied.

Highlights

The video provides a step-by-step method for writing a strong problem statement for various research projects.

A problem statement is a concise, clear, and concrete summary of the research problem.

It explains the issue that needs to be studied and proposes a solution.

The problem statement should be straightforward, easy to read, and quickly explain the problem, its need for research, and the intended approach.

The problem statement consists of four parts addressing four main questions.

The first part is about what we know about the problem from the real world and academic literature.

Citing recent studies and review papers is crucial for establishing the current state of knowledge.

The second part highlights research gaps and the contribution of the research.

Theoretical, practical, and methodological contributions should be briefly discussed in the problem statement.

The third part emphasizes the importance of the study and its significance.

It discusses the consequences of not solving the problem and the benefits of addressing it.

The fourth part briefly explains the methodology and methods to achieve the research objectives.

A strong problem statement shows that the researcher has done a good literature review and is aware of the current body of knowledge.

It also highlights the research gaps and the significance of conducting the study.

The video encourages viewers to support it by commenting and liking to boost visibility on YouTube.

The presenter offers to read and reply to all comments and encourages subscribing and notification for future videos.

Transcripts

in this video I'm going to share my

step-by-step method to write a strong

problem statement for your research

paper research project thesis or

dissertation problem statement is

usually one of those areas that you get

comments from your examiners or

reviewers but following my Approach you

can write a strong problem statement

that would impress your examiners and

reviewers

[Music]

a problem statement is a concise clear

and concrete summary of your research

problem you seek to address put it

simply a problem statement explains the

issue that needs to be studied a problem

statement should establish a context for

your audience Define a problem within

these context and propose a solution to

the problem it should be straightforward

and easy to read and quickly explain

what the problem is why there is a need

for research and how you intend to do it

foreign

let me share my step-by-step method for

writing strong problem statement problem

statement consists of four parts to

address four main questions question

number one what do we know about the

problem question number two what we

don't know about the problem question

number three why do we need what we

don't know about the problem and

question number four how do we want to

know what we don't know about the

problem now I want to explain the

details that you need to provide in each

of these four parts in the meantime

please show your support for this video

by writing a comment on this video and

like the video because YouTube algorithm

loves comments and likes number one what

do we know about the problem in this

part you need to explain what we know in

the real world and what we know from the

academic literature to support what we

know in the real world you can refer to

in those reports government reports

statistics newspaper articles and any

evidence that explains what the problem

is then you need to briefly explain what

the current state of knowledge in the

literature is and what research has

found about this problem for this part

you need to cite research papers and

particularly recent studies and review

papers number two what we don't know

about the problem in this part you need

to highlight the research gaps and what

your research aims to achieve in other

words what's the contribution of your

research you may explain the

contributions of your study by

addressing theoretical practical and

methodological contributions I posted

the link to my video on Research

contributions in the description below

in that video I've covered all three

main contributions in detail I

understand that you may address the

research contributions in detail in

another section but you need to briefly

discuss them in problem statement as

well depending on the topic of your

study your field and the style that you

are following this part can be from two

to three sentences to one to two

paragraphs please keep this in mind that

problem statement should be concise

clear and concrete number three why do

we need to know what we don't know in

this part of the problem statement you

should highlight the importance of this

study once a significant of this study

why do you need to spend for example

hundred thousand dollars or a few years

of your life to know what we don't know

about this problem what will happen if

the problem is not solved what are the

consequences of not solving the problem

what are the future benefits of solving

the problem does the problem have a

direct or indirect impact on society

Community or people's lives these are

helpful questions that you should ask

yourself to be able to write this part

of the problem statement depending on

the format that you are following you

may combine this part with other parts

of the problem statement just ensure

that you clearly address them in your

problem statement by the way when we

talk about the importance of the study

it doesn't mean that we need to do

something world changing your research

problem might be something simple but it

needs to be researchable feasible and

clearly address a relevant issue in your

field and finally number four how do we

want to know it in this part briefly

explain how you want to achieve the

objectives of this study so it's about

the process methodology and methods of

your study hey again this needs to be

very brief we don't want to repeat the

whole methodology section here so in

summary strong problem statement

consists of four sections number one

what do we know about the problem it

means you need to show that you have

done a very good literature review and

you are aware of the current body of

knowledge number two what we don't know

about the problem and here you need to

highlight the research gaps and

contributions of your study and number

three why do we need to know what we

don't know here you will discuss the

significance of your study and why

conducting this study is important and

number four how do we want to know it in

this part very briefly explain your

methodology and methods to achieve the

research objectives thank you for

watching this video to support me and

boost this video in the YouTube

algorithm please leave a comment on this

video and like it I'll read all comments

and reply to all of them if you have not

subscribed to this Channel please hit

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my future videos on research and

publications