Q: What are the similarities between the statement of the problem and the research objective(s)?
Usually, people wish to know the differences between the two, as the two concepts have a similar aim: to distill the research problem. So, a question about the similarities between these concepts is a bit unusual, and possibly academic. :) Anyway, here goes…
At a high level, there would be two similarities (apart from the one mentioned above). One, both aim to concisely express the research problem, and two, both ‘break down’ the research problem into smaller components. The problem statement does this by expressing the research problem in three steps: the present state of the situation, the desired state of the situation, and the solution(s) that will help attain the desired or ideal state. The research objective(s) does this by expressing the main research goal or objective into smaller, more focused objectives. At times, for further focus, a research objective may be further divided into sub-objectives.
To glean similarities on your own, here are some popular resources from the site (and a related platform) that you may refer to.
- How to write a problem statement for my research?
- How to write research objectives?
- How to write a statement of the problem [Course]
Note: The last link is to a course on R Upskill, a sister brand offering learning programs for a variety of researcher/academic needs, from writing to submission to peer review to publication and even research promotion. So, do check it out.
Anyway, hope that helps. And in case you’re just setting off on your research or paper, all the best!
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