Problem & Purpose Statements Establishing the rationale and need for your study GROW & CGS Dissertation bootcamp Dr. joshua c. watson

Problem Statement Research Questions Purpose of the Study

Problem Statements A problem statement is a clear concise description of the issue(s) that need(s) to be addressed by a researcher. Used to center and focus your writing, keep your study on track, and to validate the research process at the end.

What a Problem statement is not It is not a question to be answered It is not a topic to be studied It is not a plan for addressing a noted need

Moral of the story? It is not the lack of something that is the problem…it is what occurs as a result of that lack that is your problem.

Hook Anchor General Specific GAP

The Hook The Hook generates reader interest in your overall topic. 30-second television commercial Support your work

The anchor The Anchor grounds the reader in the need for the study. Definitions, statistics, quotations, or little known facts Project forward the state of affairs if left unaddressed

problems The general problem emerges from the hook and anchor and presents a global overview. The specific problem is a subsection of the general problem that focuses on a narrowly defined, manageable, and researchable component of the general problem.

The gap The gap is the piece of the problem that has not been addressed or remains confusing or misunderstood in the existing professional literature.

Problem statement components What is the overriding problem? Where is the problem found? What needs to be done to solve the problem?

Problem statement template There is a problem in . Despite , is occurring. This problem has negatively impacted because . A possible cause of this problem is . Perhaps a study which investigates by could remedy the situation.

Sample problem statement According to the big state university mission statement, the university seeks to provide students with a safe, healthy learning environment.  Dormitories are one important aspect of that learning environment, since 55% of big state students live in campus dorms and most of these students spend a significant amount of time working in their dorm rooms. However, students living in dorms A, B, C, and D currently do not have air conditioning units, and during the hot seasons, it is common for room temperatures to exceed 80 degrees.  Many students report that they are unable to do homework in their dorm rooms.  Others report problems sleeping because of the humidity and temperature.  The rooms are not only unhealthy, but they inhibit student productivity and academic achievement.

Problem statement checklist What is the overriding problem? Is sufficient and convincing evidence provided? What is the sample (and population) affected by problem? Will this study be qualitative or quantitative? What type of methodology will be used? What type of data will be collected? What possible outcomes are expected?

Evaluating problem statements Problem statements must be able to pass the R-o-c test: Researchable Original Contributory

What is a purpose statement? A purpose statement explains why you (the researcher) are conducting this study and what you hope to accomplish in terms of addressing the identified problem.

Purpose statement components Motivation Individuals, organizations, society as a whole Significance Research questions to be addressed

Effective Purpose statements create: Direction Scope Means

Elements of a purpose statement Identify the research method Identify the research design Identify the problem Identify the population Identify the setting

Sample purpose statement The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and the teacher-perceived leadership traits of principals within public schools (K-12) in the coastal region of Virginia. The significance of the relationship is that it may inform an understanding of how teacher leadership influences teacher retention; which has been correlated to satisfaction (Johnson, 2004). The study used validated and reliable attitudinal measures to assess the variables under investigation. Excerpt from: Simon (2011)

Putting it all together Purpose Goal Problem

Putting it all together – example 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT: A lack of motivation among medical personnel contributes to negative productivity and lack of efficiency (Finzel, 2004). Poor or inappropriate leadership may result in (a) inferior quality of patient care, (b) a decrease in employee motivation, (c) a decrease in collaboration between managers and employees, and (d) an increase in employee turnover rates (Lephoko, Bezuidenhout, & Roos, 2006). PURPOSE STATEMENT: The purpose of the proposed quantitative quasi- experimental study is to determine if a change in leadership style from transactional leadership to transformational leadership over 3 months will (a) improve intrinsic motivation and (b) increase productivity.

Putting it all together – example 2 PROBLEM STATEMENT: Information technology projects fail at a higher rate than projects in other industries (Standish Group, 2007). The high rate of failed or incomplete information technology projects negatively impacts organizational performance, costing organizations more than $55 billion in losses (Kappelman et al., 2006; Standish Group, 2007; Stanleigh, 2006). PURPOSE STATEMENT: The purpose of the proposed exploratory quantitative correlational study is to determine what factors are most influential in determining project success or failure.

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