Dissertation Help for problem statements - the heart of every thesis but hard to get "just right." These slides were part of a presentation for our weekly webconferences: https://www.bigmarker.com/communities/doctoralnet/bulletin and are also available on our main site: www.doctoralnet.com

1. How to Write a
Great Problem
Statement.1
Less is More on Problem Statements

2. Start by Reading
Award Winners
Qualitative
Digital photography is a recent, novel information technology that has
been widely and rapidly adopted across a variety of domains. To
understand the role of digital photography as a technology used in
scientific work, this study will examine marine mammal researchers
who use photo-identification as a tool for gathering, organizing and
analyzing data about whales, dolphins, otters, seals, manatees, and
other marine animals.
Many marine mammal researchers have recently switched from
film to digital photography, and we will see that this seemingly
minor change has contributed to a number of fundamental
alterations to the ways in which they do their scientific work.
The study itself examines the role of new technologies entering scientific
practice and regular use by focusing on digital photography.
Orlikowski calls this perspective the "practice lens" for studying
technology:
Rather than trying to understand why and how a given technology is
more or less likely to be appropriated in various circumstances, a
practice lens focuses on knowledgeable human action and how its
recurrent engagement with a given technology constitutes and
reconstitutes particular emergent structures of using
the technology (technologies-in-practice). (Orlikowski, 2000, p. 421)
The central goal of using this approach in this research project is to
understand the consequences of this digitization and
computerization of photography for marine mammal scientists. It is
also hoped that this research will contribute in general to a fuller
understanding of the roles technologies can play in regular use.
From: Meyer, E. T. (2007). Socio-technical perspectives on digital
photography: Scientific digital photography use by marine mammal
researchers. Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science Indiana
University, , Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
• List the attributes/points
of discussion in order
•http://doctoralnet.com/th
esis-statement-
examples.html

3. Start by Reading
Award Winners
Quantitative
Researchers have argued that relationship capital
is intrinsically linked to shareholder value
(Bontis & Serenko, 2009; Daum, 2002; Kaplan
& Norton, 2004; Lacey, 2007; see also
Ledingham, 2003; MacMillan et al., 2004;
Porter, 1985, 2008; Prior, 2006, 2007). The
problem is how to understand the empirical
relationship between the quality of a firm's
relationship with its stakeholders and
shareholder value. To confront this problem, I
designed and tested a statistical model and
instrument that enables researchers to
empirically link stakeholder generated
relationship capital to shareholder value.
From: Finch, D. (2010). The stakeholder scorecard:
Evaluating the influence of stakeholder
relationships on corporate performance.
Doctor of Philosophy, Walden, MN, USA.
• List the attributes/points
of discussion in order
•http://doctoralnet.com/th
esis-statement-
examples.html

4. Start by Reading
Award Winners
Mixed Methods
• List the attributes/points
of discussion in order
•http://doctoralnet.com/th
esis-statement-
examples.html
The Standish Group (2004) found 29% of IT projects succeeded, 18%
of projects completely failed, and 53% partially failed because they
were either over budget or did not meet quality standards. The
finding indicates 71% of IT projects did not meet all project goals. A.
Evans (2003) and N. Evans (2004a, 2004b) determined that poor
information systems (IS) lead to failures that cost the industry about
$100 billion per year. In addition, businesses continue spending a
marginal cost from “1.5 to 3.5[%] of revenue across most industries”
(Britt, 2002, p. 1) on IT but they are seldom effectively managing and
optimizing the expected return on investment (ROI).
Organizations tend to have difficulty managing IT applications and
related business processes (Anderson & Weiss, 2004; Bygstad, 2004)
such as the managerial leadership aspects between business and IT
units (N. Evans, 2004b; Hatzakis, 2004). They find it difficult to
minimize risks and optimize performance (Shere, 2004). As
ExampleCo’s revenue is approximately $2 billion per year, 1.5 to 3.5%
of $2 billion equals $15 to $45 million (Britt, 2002). Thus, ExampleCo
could have spent from $45 to $105 million on IT from January 2004 to
December 2006.
Between 2004 and 2006, ExampleCo consolidated redundant IT
structures and business processes. Because business processes were
embedded in IT structures and applications, business-IT fusion could
enhance the chance of success for the horizontal integration. This
qualitative evaluation using a case study design focused on
managerial leadership practices for business-IT fusion and
triangulated from survey and documents to determine to what extent
the managerial leadership practices for business-IT fusion existed
and how synergy was created to improve organizational
performance. Triangulated inquiry refers to a combination of several
data sources to minimize “deficiencies intrinsic to a single-
investigator, single-site, single-theory, single method, or single-unit of
analysis” (Hilton, 2002, p. 2). .

5. Criteria/Checklist
Note: Because of the brevity required in a problem statement, all of the
following are given only one to two sentences.
A smooth introduction that synthesizes past research
A clear explanation of the local problem, which can be addressed
through this research
Evidence or data on which that problem is founded
A clear explanation of the goals of the research; these may be stated
as purpose and focus for the study
The literature of the field making it evident that your study either
builds upon or has the potential to derive new understanding in the
field
A clear explanation of the theoretical foundation is included
Research questions or hypotheses around which the study revolves
Objectives for the study or contributions to your field
Potentially a statement for the implications for positive social
change
Page 71

6. Exercise
This situation in/within ____ (societal organization/institution/
policy, etc.) has created a problem_____ (describe it in a
few words). In ____(name the context of your study), this
problem plays
out and creates this situation ____(be specific and give data to
quantify the issue). While it is being
addressed in this manner ____(describe current activities),
however, there is need for this study
to ____(discuss purpose of study generally). This problem
impacts _____ (name population)
because _____ (describe impact). Literature discusses the
following as being likely to impact the issue ____(describe
variables and cite references). This study contributes to
the body of knowledge needed to address this problem
by answering the following questions ____(the research
questions)
Pages 69,70
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