Problem Statements

Writing a good problem statements is one of the first steps to conducting good research. Your problem statement should clearly and concisely state the tangible problem your research is seeking to solve. Very frequently, when you are unable to clearly and concisely state your research problem, then this means that you need to rethink and refine your direction of work. Just like business objective for a new company, the problem statement can often be one of the most challenging tasks you will have.

When creating your problem statement, it can sometimes be helpful to think about the 5 w's:

Who: Who does the problem affect? Does it impact specific groups, organizations etc....
What: What are the boundaries of the problem in software engineering. Are they organizational, design, work flow, etc.. Think about the issue you are focusing on and what is the impact of the issue? What impact is the issue causing? What will happen when it is fixed? What would happen if we didn't solve the problem? Remember to not If you cannot find
When: When does the issue occur? When does it need to be fixed?
Where: Where is the issue occurring? What conditions does it occur in?
Why: Why is it important that we fix the problem? What impact does it have on the business or customer? What impact does it have on all stakeholders.

Some of my personal tips for writing a problem statement:

Focus on a problem first, not a solution.
Problem statements can form the foundation of good research, and just like a poor foundation in construction can lead to failures and high costs later on, poor planning and research statements can lead to research problems later on.
Make sure to create a problem statement that will be reasonably impactful in software engineering research.

Some good resources are: