How long should problem statement be

Older discussions. Order now. As low as We can help from Literature Review to Hypothesis testing. From We start by preparing a layout to explain our scope of work.

Starting After you have identified a research problem for your project, the next step is to write a problem statement. An effective problem statement is concise and concrete. It should:. Table of contents When should you write a problem statement? Contextualize the problem Show why it matters Set your aims and objectives.

In businesses and other organizations, writing a problem statement is an important step in improvement projects. A clearly defined and well-understood problem is crucial to finding and implementing effective solutions. In this case, the problem statement is usually a stand-alone document. In academic research, writing a problem statement can help you contextualize and understand the significance of your research problem.

A problem statement can be several paragraphs long and serve as the basis for your research proposal , or it can be condensed into just a few sentences in the introduction of your paper or thesis. But all problem statements follow a similar process. The problem statement should frame your research problem in its particular context and give some background on what is already known about it.

Voter turnout in region X has been decreasing steadily over the past ten years, in contrast to other areas of the country. According to surveys conducted by organization Y, turnout is lowest among unders and people on low incomes. There have been some effective attempts at engaging these groups in other regions, and in the last two elections parties A and B increased their campaigning efforts in region X, but these interventions have yet to have any significant effect on turnout.

In our current project, we propose to examine factors that have an impact on small business sustainability. We will employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches to gather both primary and secondary data and information with the objective of determining success factors for the growth of small business in Kenya. Specifically, we shall employ the product life cycle PLC model to identify the needs of a small business at the various stages of the PLC.

RoK, Economic Survey. Nairobi, Kenya. Government Printer. Nyaga C. Non-financial constraints hindering growth of SMEs in Kenya: The case of plastic manufacturing companies in industrial area in Nairobi county.

A masters research thesis, University of Nairobi. Nyagah C. This post is a modified version of the article Is it problem statement or statement of the problem?

This post has been modified and republished with the permission of the author. You're looking to give wings to your academic career and publication journey. We like that! Why don't we give you complete access! One click sign-in with your social accounts. Sign up via email. Subscribe to Conducting Research. Confirm that you would also like to sign up for free personalized email coaching for this stage. Consequences are negative implications experienced by a group of people, organization, profession, or industry as a result of the problem.

The negative effects should be of a certain magnitude to warrant research. Negative consequences that can be measured weigh stronger than those that cannot be put on some kind of scale. While a problem may be referred to as a gap in traditional research, in a doctoral project or dissertation-in-practice, the problem could be a statement of the situational condition that requires a scholar-practitioner approach. For the applied degree, this may be the part of the program or procedure that is not working.

The problem should be evidenced-based and focus on practice within your perspective field or domain. Identify the negative consequences that are occurring as a result of the problem. Next, write a paragraph explaining the consequences of NOT solving the problem. Who will be affected? How will they be affected? How important is it to fix the problem? Again, your doctoral committee will want to see research-based citations and statistics that indicate the negative implications are significant.

In the final paragraph, you will explain what is not known that should be known. Presumably, if your problem and purpose are aligned, your research will try to close or minimize this gap by investigating the problem. Have other practitioners investigated the issue? What has their research left unanswered? The Statement of the Problem section is a very clear, concise identification of the problem. It must stay within the template guidelines of words but more importantly, must contain four elements as outlined below.

One clear, concise statement that tells the reader what is not working in the profession or industry. Be specific and support it with current studies. Finally, you can follow this simple 3-part outline when writing the statement of the problem section.

Your problem statement is a short words , 3 paragraph section, in which you:. The purpose statement succinctly explains the objectives of the doctoral project or dissertation-in-practice. These objectives must directly address the problem.