How to write a problem statement
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers essential tips for crafting a persuasive problem statement, a critical component of any thesis, research article, or technical report. It defines a problem statement as a declaration of a current issue needing action, emphasizing the importance of identifying gaps or negative aspects in the current situation. The script outlines the three key parts of a compelling problem statement: the ideal scenario, the reality with its shortcomings, and the proposed improvements. Additionally, it suggests incorporating the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why) for a more engaging statement and advises focusing on a single problem for clarity. The video also touches on two common approaches to writing problem statements: directly addressing the issue or first establishing context for complex topics. These insights aim to guide students and researchers in effectively articulating the problem at hand.
Takeaways
- 📝 A problem statement is a declaration of a current issue needing timely action to improve the situation.
- 🔍 It is related to the current issue or problem that your research will explore and should outline the negative aspects of the current situation.
- 🚀 A good research problem should identify a gap in knowledge in the field and pave the way for further research.
- 📚 The problem statement can be one paragraph or more, depending on the nature of the problem and the objectives of the research.
- 🎯 It should include three parts: the ideal situation, the reality of the situation, and the consequences or proposed improvements.
- 🌟 The 'ideal' part describes the goal or how things should be, highlighting the positive aspects of the research topic.
- 👎 The 'reality' part discusses the current situation's shortcomings and how it falls short of the ideal.
- 🛠️ The 'consequences' part suggests ways to improve the current situation and move it closer to the ideal.
- ❗ Incorporating the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why) can make the problem statement more persuasive.
- 📉 The problem statement should focus on one problem and be precise, without suggesting a solution at this stage.
- 📈 If the problem is technical, it's recommended to first establish the context or background before detailing the problem statement parts.
Q & A
What is the primary purpose of a problem statement in a thesis or research article?
-The primary purpose of a problem statement is to outline a current issue or problem that requires timely action to improve the situation, highlighting gaps or negative points in the scenario being explored.
Why is it important to address an existing gap in knowledge in a problem statement?
-Addressing an existing gap in knowledge ensures that the research is contributing new insights to the field, justifying the need for further investigation.
What are the three main parts of a persuasive problem statement according to the script?
-The three main parts of a persuasive problem statement are the ideal situation, the reality of the current situation, and the consequences or the proposed improvements to bridge the gap between the ideal and reality.
What should be included in the 'ideal' part of a problem statement?
-The 'ideal' part of a problem statement should describe the goal or the ideal situation of the phenomena being investigated, explaining how things should be and highlighting the positive aspects or the significance of the research problem.
What is the purpose of the 'reality' part in a problem statement?
-The 'reality' part is meant to contrast the ideal situation with the actual current state of affairs, identifying the negative points and gaps that exist, and explaining how the current situation falls short of the ideal.
What should be the focus of the 'consequences' part of a problem statement?
-The 'consequences' part should propose ways to improve the current situation, moving it closer to the ideal situation, without necessarily providing a solution, as the problem statement is not the place for solution suggestions.
Why is it suggested to use the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why) in writing a problem statement?
-Incorporating the five W's helps to generate a comprehensive and persuasive problem statement by ensuring all relevant aspects of the issue are covered, making it easier for readers to understand the scope and context of the research.
Why should a problem statement focus on only one problem?
-Focusing on one problem ensures that the problem statement remains clear, precise, and targeted, avoiding confusion and allowing for a more in-depth exploration of the specific issue at hand.
Is it necessary to suggest a solution in the problem statement?
-No, the problem statement should not suggest a solution. Its purpose is to identify the ideal situation, the current gaps, and propose improvements, leaving the solution for later stages of the research or thesis.
What is the suggested approach if the problem being researched is technical or difficult for a layperson to understand?
-If the problem is technical or complex, it is recommended to first establish the context or background of the problem before presenting the ideal situation and the other parts of the problem statement, to aid understanding for the reader.
How can the tips provided in the script help a student or researcher in writing their thesis or research paper?
-The tips provided can guide a student or researcher in structuring a clear and persuasive problem statement, which is crucial for setting the stage for their research and engaging readers, ultimately contributing to the overall quality of their thesis or research paper.
Outlines
📝 Crafting a Persuasive Problem Statement
This paragraph introduces the importance of a problem statement in academic and research writing. It defines a problem statement as a declaration of a current issue needing action to improve the situation. The paragraph emphasizes the need to outline the negative aspects of the current situation and to highlight gaps or deficiencies that the research aims to address. It also suggests that a good research problem should fill a knowledge gap in the field. The speaker outlines the three main components of a persuasive problem statement: the ideal situation, the current reality, and the proposed improvements. Additionally, the paragraph mentions the use of the five W's (who, what, where, when, and why) to create a compelling problem statement and advises focusing on a single problem for clarity and precision.
🔍 Writing Techniques for Problem Statements
The second paragraph discusses two common methods for writing a problem statement. The first method is a direct approach where the writer jumps straight into describing the ideal situation, identifying gaps, and proposing consequences. The second method, recommended for technical or complex topics, suggests establishing the context or background of the problem before detailing the ideal situation and other elements of the problem statement. The speaker advises that the problem statement should not include a solution, as its purpose is to identify the gap between the current situation and the ideal state. The paragraph concludes by expressing hope that the video provides valuable guidance for writing a problem statement in theses or research papers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Problem Statement
💡Thesis
💡Research Article
💡Technical Report
💡Ideal Situation
💡Reality
💡Consequences
💡Five W's
💡Gap in Knowledge
💡Context or Background
Highlights
Writing a problem statement is crucial for a thesis, research article, or technical report.
A problem statement outlines a current issue that requires timely action for improvement.
It is related to the current issue, problem, or phenomena to be explored through research.
The problem statement should outline the negative points of the current situation and explain why they matter.
A good research problem should address an existing gap in knowledge in the field.
A persuasive problem statement can consist of one or more paragraphs.
The first part of a problem statement is the 'ideal', describing the goal or ideal situation.
The second part is the 'reality', mentioning the current situation's negative points and gaps.
The third part, 'consequences', identifies proposed improvements to close the gap between reality and the ideal.
Problem statements should apply the five W's: who, what, where, when, and why.
Focus on one problem in the problem statement to maintain focus and precision.
The problem statement should not suggest a solution, as it is meant to identify gaps and propose improvements.
If the problem is technical, establish the context or background before stating the ideal situation.
Two common ways to write a problem statement are directly stating it or first establishing context for technical problems.
This video aims to provide significant tips for writing a problem statement for theses or research papers.
Transcripts
hello viewers writing problem statement
for your thesis for your research
article or maybe for your technical
report is very very important
or significant part of your write-up
so today i'm going to give you few tips
how you can write persuasive
statement problem for your thesis or
your research
article first of all what is
problem statement a problem statement
is a statement of a current issue
or problem that requires timely action
to improve the situation so if we
interpret
this definition so problem statement is
related to the current
issue or the problem or the researched
phenomena you are going to explore
through your
research in general a problem statement
will outline the negative points of the
current situation
and explain why this matters
so this means that while writing or
stating
a problem statement basically you need
to mention
the gaps or the negative points
of the situation you are exploring you
need to mention
what are the basic gaps what are the
negativity prevailing
in that situation or in that scenario
you need to highlight those negative
points
or gaps a good research problem should
address
an existing gap in knowledge in the
field
and let the further research now i'm
going to tell you
that what are the most significant parts
of a persuasive
problem statement dear students the
problem statement can be
of one paragraph or it can consist of
more than
one maybe two or three paragraphs
depending
upon the objectives or the nature of the
problem you
are exploring however if you are writing
in one pair or maybe more than one pera
you need to include these three parts in
a problem statement
so the first part of a problem statement
is called
the ideal where you need to describe the
goal
or the idle situation of the phenomena
you
are investigating or you need to explain
how things should be this means here you
need to write
the overall ideal situation of the
research problem you are
exploring here you can mention all the
positivity
or the significance or the importance of
your phenomena
or you need to write how the situation
should be
in a real ideal phenomena in the second
part
which is called the reality part here
you need to mention
the reality of the situation or the
phenomena you are researching
definitely here you will write some of
the negative points
and some of the gaps you will identify
through literature so basically here you
value
the part a from being achieved or
realized
at this time you will also explain how
the current situation
falls short of goal or idea
here you need to really mention that how
the situation
is different from the ideal situation
you already mentioned
in part a or in paragraph one now the
third para
which is called the consequences here
you need to
identify the way you propose to improve
the situation which has shortfalls
and move it closer to the goal or the
ideal situation
dear students here you will really
mention that
what are your proposal to improve
the current situation or you can make it
to the ideal situation
or maybe closer to the ideal situation
so these
are the three basic parts of any problem
statement
you are writing for your thesis or maybe
for your research
article according to some of the books
the problem statements should apply
the five w's those are who
what where when and why
so author suggested that if a researcher
while writing a problem statement
incorporate all these five w's
that can generate a really persuasive
problem statement
secondly dear students you also need to
focus
only on one problem while writing
problem statement
do not confuse or mention the two or
maybe three problems
in one problem statement the one problem
statement should look
focused and precise it is also suggested
by researchers
and books that problem statement should
not suggest a solution
because here you are mentioning the
ideal situation of the phenomena you are
you are researching so because here you
are mentioning the ideal situation you
are determining the gaps
and you are proposing that what can be
best
to make that situation to the reality or
the real situation
so here the solution is not very much
needed
this is not the appropriate place to
mention the solution
of the study viewers there could be many
ways of writing
problem statement however i'm mentioning
the two significant or the most used
ways of writing problem statement the
first one
is you can directly jump onto your
problem statement
and you can write you what is the ideal
situation
what are the gaps and then what are the
consequences
however some of the books suggested that
if your problem
is really technical or maybe difficult
for the layman to understand so first
establish the context or the background
of your problem or your phenomena you
are going to research
and then write down the ideal situation
or the other part of the problem
statement
i just mentioned so i would suggest you
that if
your problem or your under-researched
area is very much technical
and it's difficult for the layman to
understand or to read so for the better
quality
you must mention first the context or
the background
and the rest of the three parts later on
so viewers i hope that this brief video
would give you some significant
tips of writing your problem statement
and this will be helpful
when you are busy while writing your
thesis or your research paper
thank you
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