Principles and Processes of Research (Thread 2)

What are the characteristics of a high quality problem statement?
(Support your answer with examples and references from your literature review)

The characteristics of a high quality problem statement are:
- the problem statement is succinct and specific
- the problem statement is a question which can be answered through empirical testing
- the problem can be answered in one study
- the problem statement sets the focus for the paper/article/presentation

The best example I have is from an article by Poock and LeFond "How college-bound prospects perceive university web sites: Findings, Implications, and turning browsers into applicants" from College and University Washington: Summer 2001. One of their problem statements is "what elements of a college/university web page do prospective students find engaging?". This statement lets you know what Poock and LeFond will be discussing in this article (sets the focus); tells you exactly who and what they will be looking at (specific and succinct); shows that the authors will be observing prospective students (ability to be empirically tested); and, because they will be observing prospective students, the problem will be addressed with one study (though more than one method were used in the study).