The first and most important step in any research effort is to identify and define a research problem that can be investigated with research.
The first and most important step in any research effort is to identify and define a research problem that can be investigated with research. The nature of the research problem determines the selected research design and data collection methods.
A problem statement should provide a description of the reality, consequences, and requirements associated with the problem.
Reality: Specify and describe the problem
Consequences: Explain the consequences of not solving the problem
Requirements: Explain the knowledge needed to solve the problem
Within your problem statement, you should include citations to high-quality scholarly articles that support your statements. These are likely the most important article in your literature review.
One of the biggest mistakes to avoid when developing a problem statement is to create a statement that is too broad. If the problem is too big or too vague, it will be difficult to scope out a purpose that is manageable for one person, given the time available to execute and finish the research study. Thus, it is important to make sure the scope of the problem is focused and narrowed enough to examine with research.
It’s a good idea to review the problem statements in other research papers to help you determine specifically how narrow the scope should be. (You can find all prior NCU dissertations in the NCU Library.) You should be able to easily identify the problem statement within a research paper. Problem statements typically begin with the phrase, “The problem to be addressed in the proposed study is,” or a similar phrase that attracts the attention of the reader.
As you read through the literature you are collecting, it is advisable to look for sections in the papers labeled as ‘Future Work’ or something similar. If you are reading recent work, these sections may suggest directions for your research and possible problems to investigate. If you come across something interesting, you will need to make sure the original authors have not published on the problem before you by conducting more searching. At the very least, you can get identify the sort of problems in a particular area that might be interesting and tractable.
As a researcher, don’t be tempted to simply identify a problem in your work environment and then conduct the research to help solve that problem. Your problem may have been researched by many other people in the past; thus, research should start with a review of the existing literature to look for similar problems and research. Your review of the existing literature should inform and agree with your determination that your problem is real, exists within your selected research topic area, and hasn’t been researched in the past. Alternatively, your problem and corresponding theory may have already been established in the research, and you may choose to conduct a similar study to either confirm or refute the previous findings.
Assignment: Develop a Problem Statement
Instructions
For this assignment, you must develop a problem statement for your research study. The problem statement should align with the research topic and incorporate the following components:
A clear and concise statement that explains the context and state the problem, supported by statistics and/or recent research findings.
A brief discussion of the negative consequences of the problem to stakeholders, supported by statistics and/or recent research findings.
Explanation of the gap in the literature and reference to relevant primary sources to document the need for research.
Length: 1-page paper (Do not exceed 1 page.)
The completed assignment should address all of the assignment requirements, exhibit evidence of concept knowledge, and demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the content presented in the course. The writing should integrate scholarly resources, reflect academic expectations and current APA standards.
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