Problem Statements -- Choose a Side! (Thread 3)

Which of the following statements did you side with in class?
"The characteristics of a high quality problem statement are universal and can be applicable to any academic domain."
"Overall, the characteristics of a problem statement will depend on the area under study"

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I sided with "The characteristics of a high quality problem statement are universal and can be applicable to any academic domain."

The discussion we had in class about these two statements strengthened my position. During the discussion I really felt that everyone was arguing the same point. I truly didn't see a difference in what people were saying. It felt more like we were arguing semantics. The main thing I understood was that one side of the room took "characteristics" in a broad sense, whereas the other side of the room took "characteristics" to mean the specific details of a specific problem statement. Overall, I felt strengthened because I felt that the whole class was on the same side I was, it's just that everyone didn't realize it! I often feel more confident in a decision I make when a lot of other people make the same decision. So, as the class discussion/debate went on, I realized that I was thinking the same way most everyone was in class.

I don't enjoy debates or heated discussions. Often, my way of dealing with them is just to laugh through them or to tune them out. I find that if I get really involved in a debate I just end up getting ticked off, annoyed, and/or frustrated so it's better just to laugh about the silliness of the debate and not take it seriously. I have been to a few conferences and the debates that can take place when two researchers don't agree REALLY turns me off to research. I don't want to watch people yelling at each other. If I go to a speech (whether it's at a conference, or a visitor on campus), I try to leave before the Q&A session to avoid those scenes :-)

Overall, I think the class activity was a great way to show that individuals are not always going to understand two identical sentences the same way!