Weathering the Storm . . . of Problem Statements

by Nik Nadeau, Writing Consultant

There are people who prepare for emergencies, large and small, and then there are people who are less prepared. A simple power outage for the day can overturn all their plans. Not knowing what to prepare for when it comes to your problem statement can result in a problem statement that leaves your readers feeling flustered, confused, and unsure about how to proceed.

To write a clear problem statement, start by identifying a single, unique problem. To do so, follow these rules:

1.  Rely only on your own words (rather than on quotations or paraphrases).

Your readers expect you to identify a problem no one else has identified before, at least in the way that you spin it. For example, if you are researching the health effects of alcoholism, make sure you identify a problem that other health scholars have not already addressed.

2.  Be as specific as possible.

Your readers need a specific image of the problem and who it affects.

• The problem I will address in this study is . . .

•  The problematic conditions that led to this study are . . .

• In this study I will address the problem of . . .

• Some committees might have you stop after one perfect sentence. Some will ask you to add several sentences or paragraphs that provide an overview of the literature that shows that scholars do know something about some related issues–but that they do not know something about other issues. (para. 12)

So, rather than writing this: “Organizations in Minnesota are not being effective.”

Try writing this: “Nonprofit social service providers in Ramsey County, Minnesota, have failed to prioritize the needs of area residents.”

To ensure that you are providing sufficient detail, imagine that you are reading your paper aloud to a nagging parent-in-law, who always needs to know the specifics of what you say. Practicing this method will help you avoid generalizations in your problem statement and throughout your dissertation.

3.  Keep it simple.

Pick one problem and one problem only. In general, avoid using words like and or or because these can lead to complex and confusing writing.

4.  Remember that a problem and a gap in the literature are not the same thing.

For example, one problem might be the severe lack of delicious chocolate in my hometown (of course, this is a fictional problem). In this case, there may be a gap in scholarly literature about this lack of chocolate, but the problem itself is still the lack of chocolate. Does that make sense?

5.  Use key phrases to alert readers that you are actually stating the problem.

For instance:

6.  Last but not least, work closely with your capstone committee.

According to Zuckerman (n.d.):

To strengthen your statement, we recommend providing evidence that the problem is “current, relevant, and significant to the discipline” and that it “builds upon or counters previous research findings” from the last 5 years (Walden University, 2012, p. 3). This way, your writers will be confident that you are working from the latest and most comprehensive body of research.

It's also important to note that every program may have its own specific requirements or recommendations. You can find these in the doctoral capstone resource page; start by choosing your specific program from the list.

Once you’ve grounded the problem in the research, written clearly and concisely, and discussed the section with your committee, your problem statement might just be complete. We hope that feeling prepared can help you weather the storm of writing a problem statement.

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References

Walden University. (2012). Quantitative dissertation checklist. Retrieved from http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu/PhD-Dissertation-Process-and-Documents.htm

Zuckerman, J. (n.d.). Writing the problem statement. Unpublished manuscript, Walden Writing Center.

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