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The Statement of the Problem: That One Part That Nearly Ended My Research Career Let me take you back to 2019, the year I wrote my first research paper on: GC-MS Analysis of Leaf Extract of Newboulia leavis. I was excited, nervous, and—if I’m being honest—a complete research novice. Everything started smoothly. I breezed through the introduction and background of the study. I was feeling like a genius until I got to the dreaded Statement of the Problem. What is this part even about? I had no clue. But I told myself, "How hard can it be? Just state the problem, right?" Spoiler alert: It was not that simple. I read articles, journals, even Googled “How to write a statement of the problem.” And yet, nothing clicked. It felt like trying to find my way out of a maze blindfolded. But I wasn’t giving up. So, I did what any confused researcher would do—I wrote something. I submitted it, confident my brilliance would shine through. And then my supervisor sent it back with this one-line feedback: "This is not a statement of the problem; it’s justification. Start over." I stared at the email like it had personally insulted me. What was I supposed to do now? I felt like throwing my laptop out the window, but I took a deep breath and got to work. My supervisor highlighted areas to fix and gave me pointers. After what felt like a hundred rewrites (and a thousand cups of coffee), I finally got it right. Looking back, it wasn’t just about writing; it was about learning to think critically and clearly articulate the issue at hand. Now, after several papers, I can confidently write a Statement of the Problem. Here’s my simple guide: 1️⃣ Define the problem clearly: What’s the issue you’re solving? 2️⃣ Provide context: Why does it matter, and who’s affected? 3️⃣ Identify the gap: What’s missing in the current knowledge or solution? 4️⃣ Highlight the significance: What’s at stake if this problem isn’t addressed? For example, in a study on medication use in pregnancy: "Despite advancements in maternal care, there’s limited data on the safety profiles of certain medications, leaving pregnant women and their physicians with inadequate guidance. This study aims to bridge that gap and improve decision-making." To all the researchers out there: if you’ve ever struggled with this part, know you’re not alone. Even the best writers start somewhere. Just keep writing, learning, and rewriting—it gets better! Now it’s your turn. What’s been your biggest challenge with the Statement of the Problem? Let’s share and laugh through the struggles in the comments!
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