Problem Statements

PATTI POBLETE AND TRISTAN ABBOTTBrought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Types of problem statements:• Formal• Informal

Kinds of knowledge:• Terminology• Shared beliefs and mindsets• Canonical works

Example problem statements

Presentation Overview

A problem statement is a move that a document makes to help the reader realize why that document is important.

Problem statements can be:

• formal (e.g., thesis statements), or• informal (e.g., a sentence that tells readers

how a new development or discovery will effect them)

What is a Problem Statement?

An example of a formal problem statement would be the thesis statement that should appear at the outset of your document.

For Example: One of the problems faced by college admissions

offices is whether to give precedence to applicants with strong test scores or to applicants with a

variety of extracurricular activities.

Formal Problem Statements

When using formal problem statements be sure to keep them specific, state only what you:

• Will be discussing in text of the document, and

• Can support with evidence.

Formal Problem Statements

To write strong problem statements, you need to know:

• What your readers already know about the topic of the document, and

• How you will highlight the significance of your document.

Helping the Audience Understand Your Work

You need to analyze your audience and gauge their knowledge of the following areas:

• Terminology• Shared beliefs/mindsets• Canonical works

Kinds of Knowledge

Specialized terminology: words or phrases that might not be easily understood by readers from different backgrounds. For Example: When an applied linguist uses the terms L1 and L2

to refer to a person’s first and second languages.

The next slide provides examples of how specialized terminology can be deployed in problem statements.

Terminology

A Problem Statement written with special terminology only:

School’s ESL instructors need to be especially mindful of the overlap between a student’s L1 and L2.

A Problem Statement written with special terminology that is also defined:

Instructors who teach students learning English as a Second Language (ESL) should pay attention to the overlap between a student’s first language (L1) and English, the target language (L2).

Terminology

The idea of shared beliefs and mindsets relates to the values an audience holds and how these can change the way that they interpret or understand the statements you make. Shared beliefs and mindsets often appear in the assumptions that underlie a text.

Shared Beliefs and Mindsets

The next slide provides examples of how assumptions about beliefs and mindsets can affect how a person might read a text.

•The first quote assumes that the readers understand the terms related to autism and the needs of autistic patients.

•The second quote conveys the same information, but spells out those assumptions for an audience unfamiliar with such conversations.

Shared Beliefs and Mindsets

1. Contains underlying assumptions about shared beliefs:

“We believe this research could lead to a development of more specialized techniques for

treating the autism spectrum.”

2. States the underlying assumptions in specific terms:

“…and such techniques are important because the autism spectrum encompasses a number of

disorders, and right now there is not enough specialized treatment for each specific disorder.”

Shared Beliefs and Mindsets - Examples

Canonical research refers to texts or theories that the majority of experts in a field accept as significant.

For Example: • Einstein's theory of general relativity in

physics• Ferris’ and Trustcott’s competing views on

error correction in second language writing• The Pythagorean Theorem in geometry

Canonical Research

1. Assumes knowledge of a discipline specific canonical work:

"Apply the Pythagorean theorem in order to calculate the distance between home plate and second base."

2. Does not assume knowledge of a discipline specific canonical work:

"Use the Pythagorean theorem (A2 + B2 = C2, with C equaling the triangle's longest side and A and B equaling the other sides) to calculate the distance between home plate and second base. Remember, there are 90 feet between each base."

Canonical Research - Examples

Statements written for different audiences:

The following slides provide two examples of problem statements. • The first example, by Bao and Li, appeared in

a materials sciences professional journal.• The second example, by Danigelis, appeared

through a popular media outlet (MSNBC).

These examples show how problem statements differ depending on the context in which they appear.

Problem Statements for a Variety of Audiences

• Written by Bao and Li (2012)• Published in a professional journal: Advanced

Materials.• The journal is a peer-reviewed journal aimed

at an audience familiar with current developments in materials science, which includes “the chemistry and physics of functional materials.”

• Their problem statement is found in the first paragraph of the article.

“Toward Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts”

Bao & Li Problem Statement:“The three-dimensional (3D) high-surface-area characteristic of such textiles facilitates the access of electrolytes, enabling high electrochemical performance of textile super-capacitors. However, the employment of organic surfactant for preparing CNT ‘ink’ is not environmentally benign. The other drawback is that the use of CNTs increases the cost of the device, which more or less deters their technological applications” (Bao & Li, 2012).

“Toward Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts”

Field Specific Terminology:“The three-dimensional (3D) high-surface-area characteristic of such textiles facilitates the access of electrolytes, enabling high electrochemical performance of textile super-capacitors. However, the employment of organic surfactant for preparing CNT ‘ink’ is not environmentally benign. The other drawback is that the use of CNTs increases the cost of the device, which more or less deters their technological applications” (Bao & Li, 2012).

“Toward Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts”

Assuming Shared Beliefs/Mindsets:

“The three-dimensional (3D) high-surface-area characteristic of such textiles facilitates the access of electrolytes, enabling high electrochemical performance of textile super-capacitors. However, the employment of organic surfactant for preparing CNT ‘ink’ is not environmentally benign. The other drawback is that the use of CNTs increases the cost of the device, which more or less deters their technological applications” (Bao & Li, 2012).

“Toward Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts”

References to Canonical Research:“The three-dimensional (3D) high-surface-area characteristic of such textiles facilitates the access of electrolytes, enabling high electrochemical performance of textile super-capacitors. However, the employment of organic surfactant for preparing CNT ‘ink’ is not environmentally benign. The other drawback is that the use of CNTs increases the cost of the device, which more or less deters their technological applications” (Bao & Li, 2012).

“Toward Textile Energy Storage from Cotton T-Shirts”

• Written by Danigelis (2012)• Published on a commercial tech blog,

MSNBC’s Future of Tech• This blog is maintained by MSNBC Tech

contributors and commercial partners.• Her problem statement is implicit and

distributed across the first and fourth paragraphs of the blog entry.

“Your cotton T-shirt could soon charge your phone”

In the Danigelis article, the problem statement is implicit rather than explicit, like in Bao & Li (2012):•“One day, donning a T-shirt could mean you’re also sporting a smart device charger.” (Danigelis, 2012).

•“The engineers had to make the cotton highly conductive so they tried several ‘recipes,’ Li said.” (Danigelis, 2012).

“Your cotton T-shirt could soon charge your phone”

Problem statements can be either: • Formal, like a thesis statement• Informal, like a explanatory sentence

Their primary functions are to help the reader:

• See why your document is important• Help create raised awareness of an issue

Strong problem statements consider: • Terminology• Shared beliefs and mindsets• Canonical works

Recap: Problem Statements

Bao, L. & Li X. (2012). “Toward textile energy storage from cotton T-shirts.” Advanced Materials 24(24), 3246-3252. doi: 10.1002/adma.201200246.

Danigelis, A. (2012, May 26). “Your cotton T-shirt could soon charge your phone.” [Future of Tech Blog Post]. Retrieved from: http://www.futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/technology/futureoftech/your-cotton-t-shirt-could-soon-charge-your-phone-795391

References

Purdue University Writing LabHeavilon 226

Web: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/Phone: (765) 494-3723Email: owl@owl.english.purdue.edu

Where to Go to Get More Help

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PROBLEM STATEMENTSBy Patti Poblete and Tristan AbbottBrought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab