Introduction to Problem Statement in Dissertation Writing

Locating Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Articles

All dissertations begin with a problem that justifies the need for the study. Without a clear and compelling problem, the study will add little importance or value to an academic discipline or profession. The problem statement is a critically important component of the dissertation. The problem statement explains the reason for your study and substantiates the importance of the research This assignment has two parts. Complete Parts 1 and 2 below.

Locate 2 or 3 peer-reviewed scholarly articles (published within the last 5 years) from the University Library that address your proposed problem.  

Write a 700- to 1,050-word introduction to the problem in which you:
o    Provide a description and background of the identified problem.
o    Use the scholarly articles to support the existence of the problem. Be sure to use a scholarly voice.

View the Dissertation Series Tutorial - Problem Formulation.

Review the Problem Statement Worksheet from this week’s Discussion 2 and then review the two sample problems below:

o    SAMPLE PROBLEM 1: The problem is husbands caring for wives with breast cancer have a demanding caretaking schedule, resulting in failure to practice personal self-care (LeSeure & Chongkham-ang, 2015).

o    SAMPLE PROBLEM 2: The problem is despite extreme workplace stress, police officers lack stress management skills, resulting in diminished health, family life, and work performance (Toers-Bijins, 2012).

Based on the materials and the peer-review from DQ2, write a 1-sentence original problem statement for a prospective study you might conduct using the format below:

Place the background of your problem and your problem statement under the Problem Statement section of the provided Research Outline Template. The template is formatted according to APA guidelines.

Note: Beginning this week, you will be using the attached Research Outline Template for your assignments with the expectation that weekly revisions are incorporated from your instructor’s feedback.

Checklist
o    State your program of study (e.g., DBA, DHA, DM, EDD) in the first section of the Research Outline Template.
o    Place the background of your problem and your problem statement in the Problem Statement section of the Research Outline.

Template. The template is formatted according to APA guidelines.
o    Format in-text citations and references according to APA guidelines.

Use the APA Tutorials located in Doctoral Writing Resources and format your paper according to APA guidelines. 

For a well-structured scholarly paragraph please refer to the MEAL Plan document in Appendix H of the Research Outline

Template. 

Reminder: Before submitting your assignment, proofread for grammar and sentence structure, re-read the assignment directions, and refer to the grading rubric to ensure each element of the assignment has been addressed. 

Submit your Research Outline Template.

Note: You will continue to narrow the focus of the problem as you continue reading relevant literature. 
 
Resources
o    Center for Writing Excellence
o    Reference and Citation Generator
o    Grammar Assistance