One of the most crucial parts of your dissertation is the Problem Statement. Your research is significant because it provides a solution to a pressing issue. The dilemma inspires your mission statement. So, the problem statement is the central focus of your dissertation.

Luckily, it also has some relatively specific standards, and if you follow these, you’ll nail your problem statement and write a solid dissertation proposal. This article discusses how to write a problem statement for a thesis.

What is a Problem Statement for a Thesis Paper?

An issue’s history and scope of impact are summarized in a thesis’s problem statement. You can also use this section to explain why you’re conducting this study.

Don’t mistake a statement of the problem for a thesis or research topic. All three are connected, yet none of them are identical. Every one of them is essential to completing a paper in various ways.

Whether it’s a theoretical question that can deepen our grasp of a subject or a practical one you wish to investigate, every research article will focus on a particular research challenge. Your issue of study and your thesis’s goals will determine the path your research travels.

To focus your paper’s study, you should formulate a research topic. Your research problem is the focus of one or more research questions.

The solution to your research question is your thesis statement. It’s the result of all your hard work and investigation and will form the basis of your thesis statement.

Putting your research problem into words, such as how you intend to get your research question to your thesis statement, is what a problem statement does.

The terms “problem statement,” “thesis statement,” and “research question” may all be used interchangeably by some manuals of style. However, we’ll stick with the explanations mentioned above for the time being.

How to Write a Strong Problem Statement

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Provide evidence for your statements

If you say the issue is costing the business money, be ready to back it up with data. If you skip this procedure, people may not take you seriously. Get the facts straight, include appropriate citations, and be prepared to convey them.

Provide a possible answer

Your recommended solution(s) should be detailed in the problem statement. You won’t be fixated on finding a single answer at this point, but you should understand what’s causing the issue and be ready to suggest concrete ways to fix it. Provide a clear statement of purpose and offer concrete suggestions for addressing the issue.

Find a subject to study

If you don’t already have a thesis issue in mind, you won’t be able to begin drafting your problem statement. As a result, the thesis topic is necessary before a problem statement can be crafted. Research subjects are the general areas of study that a researcher is interested in delving into, and these might differ from one academic discipline to the next. Research in the field of behavioural sciences could focus on the impact of online education on either students or teachers.

Identify the monetary impact of your issue

You should include the potential negative consequences of inaction when presenting the problem to decision-makers. Since monetary words are the common vernacular in the business world, it’s most convenient to discuss the issue and potential solutions in terms of dollar signs. Make sure you describe it clearly and precisely in a language they understand, significantly if the problem is actively costing unneeded money, hindering the company from producing more money, or harming its public image (indirectly costing money). Calculate as precisely as possible how much money will be needed to fix the issue.

Learn from the many previously conducted research

To get ahead, you must start reading relevant studies as soon as possible after your topic has been accepted. Your research’s credibility will be bolstered, and you’ll get a head start writing your report if you read relevant published studies.

Keep in mind that as your investigation develops, you may need to incorporate some previously unpublished results if they prove helpful. At this time, however, it is recommended that you restrict your reading to only published works to avoid any unanticipated problems.

If you read newly published publications, note the most glaring informational omissions so that you can fill them in with your investigation.

Describe the benefits of your proposed solution(s)

You’ve just stated a perfect world where the issue doesn’t exist. You have identified the issue, described the costs of doing nothing about it (backed by numbers), and suggested some practical methods for addressing the problem. This is an excellent opportunity to show that your solution is viable by highlighting its potential benefits in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Discuss the costs that will be avoided, the money made available, and the intangible benefits, like higher customer satisfaction resulting from implementing your solution. All of it can be explained in one brief paragraph.

Justify your proposed method of operation

It will be helpful to set the scene, so the problem is better grasped. Begin by outlining the steps that will make this procedure successful. Keep the end-user in mind when you provide a succinct description of how the process would work if the current problem didn’t exist. So, for instance, assume you’ve thought of a way to optimize resource utilization by increasing the effectiveness of a particular procedure. You may start by outlining a hypothetical scenario in which the system operates more effectively before settling on a specific plan, provided that you keep the five Ws and one H at all times: who, what, when, and where.

Focus on something specific

It will be much simpler to zero down on a specific topic after you have studied a large number of relevant papers. Once you’ve figured out where your research is lacking, you’ll start to feel it. When refining your focus, it can be helpful to list the problems that have already been investigated, along with the related results and the people who were intended as subjects.

In doing so, you might consider the research problems you’d like to solve and the analytic frameworks you might employ. It’s okay if you still have a long to-do list at this time; you’re just in the research phase now. You can simply disregard unnecessary information and questions as you progress through your research.

The detrimental impacts of online learning on the mental health of high school pupils in your area are one example of a topic that has been narrowed down for narration. If you’re a civil engineering student, you may focus on how to dispose of commercial construction debris in the most cost-effective way possible.

Clarify the issue and stress its significance

It is crucial that the problem statement not only describes the nature of the issue at hand but also explain why it is so pressing that it needs to be fixed immediately. In most circumstances, this will also neatly enclose the other ‘W’ queries. To wit: Why do we need to resolve this issue? It impacts the productivity of divisions X, Y, and Z, leading to resource waste and increased consumer costs. The problem, who it affects, and why it needs fixing are covered here. If applicable, include previous efforts to resolve the issue and why they were unsuccessful. Justify your position on the subject while keeping your explanation as brief as feasible.

What Qualities Does a Good Problem Statement Have?

A well-crafted problem statement expresses the study’s fundamental aim in clear, concise, and unambiguous language. A good problem statement has the following qualities:

• A practical problem statement is specific and to the point. No nebulousness or ambiguity of concept is captured.
• It helps put the research problem into perspective.
• With the help of a well-crafted issue statement, you may determine what you hope to achieve through your systematic study.
• It gives credence to your study and emphasizes its importance.
• The researcher should avoid using jargon or technical terms in their statements as this will confuse non-specialist readers or listeners and make them lose interest in reading further on the topic being researched or listening further to what is being said about the subject matter being researched.”
• The problem statement should be short but detailed enough to understand the topic at hand fully.
• The question being asked must be easily understood by anyone reading it or listening to it being read aloud.
• It’s not too broad or general. A good problem statement is specific, measurable and transparent.
  It’s realistic and achievable. The problem statement should be limited to what can be accomplished within a reasonable time frame.
• It addresses a current need in your organization that your team’s action plan can address.
• It focuses on something important enough to warrant allocating resources but not so crucial that you get distracted from other issues while trying to solve them.
• It has sufficient data and evidence to support the need for action (i.e., why it is important).

A Problem Statement’s Components and Organization

A problem statement has three (3) components at its most fundamental level, and they are as follows:

• This is the research issue
• The argument put forward, or thesis in progress
• Importance of the Research

It explains the problem you’re facing, your approach to tackling it, and the motivation behind your efforts.

The Research Question

Because of this particular research issue, you have decided to do an exhaustive study. It’s the void in the market that you found in your research and intended to fill. This can also be viewed as the overarching inquiry driving the study. Some questions to make at this juncture are as follows:

• Is the problem statement easy to understand?
• Ask yourself: do I get the core issue being raised?
• Do I know the central problem?

The Argument or Provisional Thesis

Your working thesis is your initial argument and should reflect your current thinking on the topic. A “working” thesis can be revised as more information becomes available during your research. Justify your stance in your working thesis by offering primary and secondary claims that support your position.

Why This Research Is Important

You should now explain to your audience why your study is essential and what they can expect to learn from it. The results and significance of your work can be discussed here. Make sure to stress how your work adds to and advances previous research and how others might benefit from it.

Problem statements: When to Use Them

To describe and comprehend an issue and generate potential solutions, problem statements are essential. The information provided by these statements can also aid decisions about these initiatives or procedures. For this situation, a problem statement is appropriate:

To shed light on predetermined results

The problem statement specifies the issue, the approach to fix it, and the desired result. Defining the parameters of the ideal outcome is an excellent way to get a feel for the project’s scope as a whole. This statement elucidates the problem, its proposed solution, and the solution’s intended outcomes.

In the role of a blueprint for construction

Once work has begun, the problem statement can be used as a map. It’s utilized repeatedly to keep everyone on the same page and moving forward with the project. This statement is revisited as the project nears completion to ensure the proposed solution has been implemented as planned and addresses the underlying issue. This can help ensure that suitable measures are taken to avoid a recurrence of the situation.

Bottom Line

Making a problem statement is a critical task that every student must perform. Why? Because this document is the basis of your entire thesis work. Your thesis’s other sections and chapters will be centred around this particular paper. Thus, students should not look at this process as an unnecessary activity. Instead, it is essential to take it seriously and devote enough time to it so you can come up with high-quality content. If you manage to write a catchy problem statement, your writing skills will become much better than they are now. This step is vital for succeeding in a thesis topic as simple as it sounds.