What is a problem statement?
A problem statement can either be a sentence, a paragraph, or a couple of paragraphs, to shed light on an important issue that you are discussing in your research. Your problem statement must be clear and to the point, and must properly portray the gap of knowledge or obstacle at hand. Furthermore, your research must propose solutions to this problem and explain how to implement them to fix the issue.
In order to write your problem statement, you must have already done your research. You can not explain a problem that you do not fully understand yourself, so in order to write a purposeful problem statement, you must already have read about the problem, understood why it is critical, known who it affects, and already set solutions to it. An efficient way to gather all this information is to use the five W’s; who, what, where, when, why. Think of who the problem affects? What would happen if the issue isn’t fixed? Where is the problem occurring? When does the issue have to be fixed? Why does it need to be solved?
Once you gather all your information and knowledge about the subject, you can then write your problem statement. The problem statement should be written after you give a background about the subject first, so start your introduction by giving a background about the issue and build up to how the problem arose, then add your problem statement. Your problem statement must be concise, the reader must be able to tell there is a problem without directly being told there is a problem. You can describe how things would have been different if this problem did not occur, and how things would be if this issue isn't solved. You must explain how the issue is affecting the people or the organization, depending on what your research is about, and how the issue will keep getting worse if not immediately fixed.
You must include your solution to the issue in your problem statement. Explain why this is an efficient and an effective way to solve the problem. You should also include any previous attempts to provide a solution to the problem and why they didn’t work. Explain how your solution is different from the previous ones and why it will work. You should also mention what you have learned from these previous trials and how you will avoid getting the same outcome in your plan.
Lastly, conclude by giving a brief summary of the problem and how your solution is the best way to fix it and elude the consequences of ignorance of the issue. Do not include a lot of information in your conclusion, all your information should be stated thoroughly and understandably in your background and problem statement.
Example of a problem statement:
Remote workers across the organization should have the tools and means to communicate with their team members and colleagues efficiently and seamlessly, without getting inundated with unnecessary messages.
Currently, messages are overwhelming many of our employees by getting lost through multiple email strings. This hinders productivity across teams and also disables effective communication. We estimate that without relevant and effective communication, employees, on average, are wasting 15 hours of their week trying to prioritize and clean out their inboxes.
We propose that all employees use Google Hangouts for the majority of in-company communication, especially in customer-facing roles. Conversations can be organized by channels and searched for. It allows colleagues to problem-solve in real-time without relying on a cluttered email box. This tool also allows colleagues to call each other quickly for short phone conversations during the workday without needing to schedule calendar time, ensuring communication is more efficient.
In terms of the issue of crowded and cluttered email boxes, we propose the use of Slack for all internal messaging for ease of use and overall efficiency. More formal messaging can be sent via email.
Kolmar, C. (2021, February 19). Problem statement: What it is and examples. Retrieved from https://www.zippia.com/advice/problem-statement/
How to Write a Problem Statement
How to Write a Problem Statement
A problem statement is a sentence or two that highlights the issue you are tackling. Click here to see how to write a professional problem statement.
What is a problem statement? A problem statement can either be a sentence, a paragraph, or a couple of paragraphs, to shed light on an important issue that you are discussing in your research. Your problem statement must be clear and to the point, and must properly portray the gap of knowledge or obstacle at hand. Furthermore, your research must propose solutions to this problem and explain how to implement them to fix the issue. In order to write your problem statement, you must have already done your research. You can not explain a problem that you do not fully understand yourself, so in order to write a purposeful problem statement, you must already have read about the problem, understood why it is critical, known who it affects, and already set solutions to it. An efficient way to gather all this information is to use the five W’s; who, what, where, when, why. Think of who the problem affects? What would happen if the issue isn’t fixed? Where is the problem occurring? When does the issue have to be fixed? Why does it need to be solved?Once you gather all your information and knowledge about the subject, you can then write your problem statement. The problem statement should be written after you give a background about the subject first, so start your introduction by giving a background about the issue and build up to how the problem arose, then add your problem statement. Your problem statement must be concise, the reader must be able to tell there is a problem without directly being told there is a problem. You can describe how things would have been different if this problem did not occur, and how things would be if this issue isn't solved. You must explain how the issue is affecting the people or the organization, depending on what your research is about, and how the issue will keep getting worse if not immediately fixed. You must include your solution to the issue in your problem statement. Explain why this is an efficient and an effective way to solve the problem. You should also include any previous attempts to provide a solution to the problem and why they didn’t work. Explain how your solution is different from the previous ones and why it will work. You should also mention what you have learned from these previous trials and how you will avoid getting the same outcome in your plan. Lastly, conclude by giving a brief summary of the problem and how your solution is the best way to fix it and elude the consequences of ignorance of the issue. Do not include a lot of information in your conclusion, all your information should be stated thoroughly and understandably in your background and problem statement. Example of a problem statement: Remote workers across the organization should have the tools and means to communicate with their team members and colleagues efficiently and seamlessly, without getting inundated with unnecessary messages. Currently, messages are overwhelming many of our employees by getting lost through multiple email strings. This hinders productivity across teams and also disables effective communication. We estimate that without relevant and effective communication, employees, on average, are wasting 15 hours of their week trying to prioritize and clean out their inboxes. We propose that all employees use Google Hangouts for the majority of in-company communication, especially in customer-facing roles. Conversations can be organized by channels and searched for. It allows colleagues to problem-solve in real-time without relying on a cluttered email box. This tool also allows colleagues to call each other quickly for short phone conversations during the workday without needing to schedule calendar time, ensuring communication is more efficient. In terms of the issue of crowded and cluttered email boxes, we propose the use of Slack for all internal messaging for ease of use and overall efficiency. More formal messaging can be sent via email. Kolmar, C. (2021, February 19). Problem statement: What it is and examples. Retrieved from https://www.zippia.com/advice/problem-statement/
