Problem Statement/ Research Questions

The process of articulating a problem statement and the related research questions requires a significant amount of reading and reflection. Doctoral learners at this point in the program must consider a problem to research for the dissertation and begin to articulate that problem. In this assignment, you will articulate a potential problem statement for your dissertation research and pose several potential research questions that could address the problem statement. Please note that a passing score on this assignment does not indicate an approved problem statement or research questions. You will work with your dissertation chair and methodologist to further refine and focus these items once you enter the dissertation phase of the program.

General Requirements:

Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:

• Refer to the topic you presented in a previous course.
• Retain this paper for reference in future courses.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. The APA Style Guide is located in the Student Success Center.
• Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for specific guidelines related to doctoral level writing. The Manual contains essential information on manuscript structure and content, clear and concise writing, and academic grammar and usage.
• This assignment requires that at least two additional scholarly research sources related to this topic, and at least one in-text citation from each source be included.
• You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.

Directions:Write a paper (750 – 1,000 words) in which you articulate a potential problem statement for your dissertation research and pose several potential research questions that could address the problem statement. Include the following in your paper:

1. A clearly articulated and focused potential problem statement for the dissertation study you might conduct. What is the area of research you intend to explore? What are the key concepts of your focus? What is the context of the problem? Who are the subjects of this research focus?
2. A research-supported rationale for exploring the problem. What is the need or defined gap as supported by at least four current and relevant sources of research literature?
3. Four potential research questions could guide your collection of data in addressing the problem statement. Reflect upon the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the problem statement to gain a broader perspective on the problem statement. What analytical questions need to be asked related to the data that must be collected to address the defined gap? Articulate these ideas into research questions that focus on the relevant data that needs to be collected.