Problem Statements – a tool to focus and direct your scientific research

Many of the issues that are encountered in science are multi-faceted. When you break them down, they can consist of social, political, economic, ethical and legal elements. When researching such issues, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the many elements you could include in your investigation.

To help focus your research, it is advantageous to construct a Problem statement. Problem statements are a tool that will help clarify the issue that you will investigate. It will help you to focus your research onto one problem; suggest a method to solve that problem; and may even end with you discovering a novel solution to the problem.

A problem statement consists of 3 sentences:

The ideal outcome and suggested benefits
The problem that is inhibiting the ideal outcome
A suggested method to address the issue or problem

Sentence 1 - The ideal outcome

This is the outcome that is wanted. The sentence you construct should be explicit in describing this outcome. It should also outline the benefit that will be achieved if the issue is resolved.

Sentence 2 - The problem that is inhibiting the ideal outcome

This sentence clearly outlines the problem. If there is an overarching issue, make sure that you it break down and focus on a single problem.

Sentence 3 - A suggested method to address the issue or problem

Brainstorm potential methods to address the problem. Select one to research further and write a sentence that outlines this method. Take care to make sure your suggestion actually addresses the issue.

You might suggest a method that is already being applied to solve the problem. If so, your research could aim to summarise this method. If you propose a new method to solve the problem, your research could assess its scientific merit and feasibility.

Questions that may assist when constructing a Problem Statement:

What is the issue? Can it be broken down into separate issues?
What is the cause of the issue? Is it a persistent issue or is it emerging?
Why is it an issue? What benefit is it preventing?
Where is the issue occurring? Is it a local, state, national and/or international issue?
Who is affected by the issue? Is more than one group affected?
How might the issue be fixed? Who would need to be involved? Do we currently have the means to implement this fix? What would need to be planned and then actioned to make it happen?

An example of constructing a Problem Statement

Background

Farmer Jo is a soy bean farmer. In the past she has lost large portions of her crop to insect damage. She now regularly sprays her crop with insecticides. Spraying her crop is a recurring, high-cost strategy to control crop loss. Using an insecticide is an effective control measure, but it is negatively affecting her profits.

Sample Problem Statement

Sentence 1 - Farmers desire high crop yields to maximise profit.

Sentence 2 - Unfortunately insects reduce yield so farmers need to apply costly insecticides.

Sentence 3 - By genetically engineering a crop to naturally produce an insecticide, the need for spraying would be removed.