Cover Page; Title of your work; Abstract &
Statement of the problem due – Submit as ONE
FILE ONLY = at least 3-4 pages of narratives
Please use 99.99% your own words. However, you can borrow ideas from any place but must
(1) summarize in your own words, and (2) cite your sources on each deliverable. Each
assignment should conform to the deliverable length as indicated in the table above.
ABSOLUTELY NO ATTACHMENT IN THE DISCUSSION PLATFORM FOR ANY
REASON!
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
Please see the classroom for resources, guidance, and information on this.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM or INTRODUCTION or THESIS STATEMENT… ETC.
(from my students in earlier classes …)
Note:
You must start your paper with the reason or why you are writing. This is generally referred to as
the problem or statement of the problem or thesis statement or introduction or … etc. Some of
the reasons why people decide to research a topic usually boarder on certain problems, gaps,
concerns, misunderstandings, confusions … etc. So they decide to research that issue to fill the
gap or correct the misunderstandings, or supply the needs … etc. There more problems or
concerns or gaps you articulate on your issue, the more compelling the NEED for your research
to try to solve the problem for humanity!!
Examples:
1. Teenage pregnancy is a problem and you may want to research the causes so it can be
curtailed or solved
2. Teenage smoking same thing as above …
3. Student attrition (dropout from school) is a problem because when students drop out of
school, they may shortcut their success
4. Jail overcrowding the same thing … (what are the various problems of jail or prison
overcrowding?) … the more the problems the more compelling your work.
5. Miranda Rights – there is confusion as to WHEN exactly this is needed so you can write
to straighten things out or clarify issues.
6. So maybe a research has been done before but with White people so now you want to do
it with Black people to see if the same result will be found …
7. Maybe research done in an area with men so now you want to do same with women to
see how results apply to women … etc
The point is that there must be a problem or concern or confusion or gap or lacuna or void or
need before you can write on the area. Try to take some time to articulate the various problems in
your topic so there is great NEED
6
PRESIDENT TRUMP wrote a book “How to Get Rich: Big deals from the star of the
Apprentice” – see Trump, Donald J. (2004). How to get rich: Big deals from the star of the
apprentice. New York: Random House Publishing Group.
WHY DID HE WRITE IT? (What is his statement of the problem)?
In his own words (and I beg to quote in extenso):
“… whenever I meet people, that’s usually what they want to know from me. You ask a baker
how he makes bread. You ask a billionaire how he makes money.
Sure, there have been countless how-to-get-rich books written by millionaires. Billionaire
authors are harder to find. Billionaire authors with interests in real estate, gaming, sports, and
entertainment are rarer still.
And billionaire authors with their own Manhattan skyscrapers and hit prime-time TV series are
the rarest of all. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one, though Oprah could give me a run for the
money is she ever decides to write another book and get into real estate … These stories and
words of wisdom have been distilled from almost thirty years at the top. So here it comes: The
Scoop from The Donald.” – at page xiv
Please notice how he created NEEDS for his book? Notice how he made his book compelling
and very important and different? His book is about money and when you talk about money you
think about billionaires and billionaire authors are rarest to find. Therefore, here comes Donald J.
Trump the billionaire and therefore his book fills this huge gap for billionaire authors … for
those who want to make money.
See another example of a great “Statement of the Problem” or “Statement of Concern” or
“Statement of Need” or “Reason why I am writing this paper” …. This Rationale or Reason to
justify the establishment or a New Doctoral Program and you can apply the same thing to reason
why you are writing….
1) “Rationale:
Doctoral programs in criminal justice, public administration, and related disciplines primarily
award research focused doctoral degrees designed for career academics, resulting in a need
for professional doctorate programs in those areas, particularly focused on practical
administration, evaluation, and leadership. Research doctoral programs curricula were
designed with pre-service training1 in mind, centering on producing academics and
researchers.
As a result, few programs provide emphasis on transferrable skills within professional public
safety careers, including management, leadership, and public agency budgeting. Conversely,
1
7
doctoral programs in public administration lack comprehensive emphases in public safety, fire
safety, public safety theory, corrections, law enforcement, and civil liberties within
investigatory procedures. Thus, this program aims to merge foci of the practice of public safety
with the research capabilities of higher education to provide a holistic approach to in-service
training (i.e., to working public safety professionals), with concentration being on those who
are currently in, or plan to seek, administration positions within their respective agency or
area of experience and linking them with researchers who can guide program evaluation with
the intent of improving public safety for all Georgians.”
Remember, you cannot just summarize 2 or 3 books or articles and call this an academic paper.
Again, first there has to be a problem, a concern … something you want to throw more light on
or something you want to add to existing situation which is WHY you want to write your paper.
Other examples, are younger girls getting pregnant with the result that they drop out of school?
Are too many youths smoking with the result that the rate of lung cancer is on the increase? Are
too many students dropping out of school that you want to look/write about causes of student
attrition? Are police stopping more minorities than majority for same type of behavior that you
want to look at causes and solutions of this?
Do many people misunderstand WHEN the Miranda rule is supposed to be administered that you
want to analysis and clarify this? … etc.
These are called statement of the problem or the introduction or thesis statement which is or are
WHY or REASONS you are writing. What do you want to CONTRIBUTE to existing
knowledge on the subject? Please find a concern, problem, gap, or clarification or other … you
want to focus on a particular topic.
At the end, you hope to provide SOLUTIONS OR POLICIES OR SUGGESTIONS that will
help in the concern, problem or solution …. The first task is for you to select a topic and
articulate clearly your statement of the problem. Maybe the issue has not been researched below
… this is a problem.
The following statements of the problem are from past one page draft statements from my former
students … they need more expansion and beefing up …. Please note that many of them need
editing .