How To Write A Research Statement? Tips And Examples

A research statement is a brief description of the issue that a study wants to address or a condition it wants to improve. It’s also called a problem statement in research. Essentially, this description identifies a gap between an existing problem or state and the desired state or goal of a product or process. The focus is on facts and some people describe it as a claim to be proven right or wrong in a study.

What is a Problem Statement?

Perhaps, you’re still wondering, what is a problem statement in research and what purpose does it serve? Well, it can be defined as a concise description that guides the research and writing process. In organizations and businesses, this description is used to execute projects for improving processes.

A well-defined and simple statement can be used by a team in a project to understand a problem and develop a solution. It can also provide specific insights to the management when it comes to solving a problem.

When it comes to writing research papers, a statement of research claim is very important because it reveals the stance of the author on a topic to the readers. It tells the readers what a researcher aims to solve with their work and the questions they are attempting to answer.

In simple terms, the statement of research interests tells readers more about the existing knowledge gap, concern area, or deviation from the standard or norm that shows the need to further investigation or understanding.

What is the Purpose of a Research Statement?

Ultimately, the goal of this statement is o transform a problem that has been generalized into a well-defined, more targeted problem. This makes it a problem that a researcher can solve via careful decision-making and focused research. It’s, therefore, not surprising that some people call a study that has one purpose statement research. That’s because writing this statement identifies the purpose of the study.

In most cases, the research problem statement serves as the basis of an introductory section of a final proposal. It directs the attention of readers to the major issues that the project aims to address quickly. It also provides a concise statement of a proposed project to the readers. It shouldn’t be too long. One page is sufficient for a good research purpose statement.

Characteristics of a Good Thesis Statement for Research Paper

Perhaps, you want to know how to determine if your statement is ideal for a research paper. Here are some of the key characteristics of a good statement.

• It addresses an existing knowledge gap
• It is sufficiently significant to contribute to an existing research body
• It can lead to or call for further research
• It renders itself to an investigation via data collection (read more about academic sources)
• It provides an approach for solving the problem ethically
• It is interesting to the researcher and suitable for their skills, resources, and time.

After reading the statement of research interest, a reader should know what the paper or essay is all about. It should tell them what the author wants to accomplish by undertaking the research and writing exercise.

How to Write Research Statement

Every student should know how to write a statement of research. That’s because defining the problem is the first step of a research process. The focus should be on making this statement concrete and concise. Here’s how to write problem statement in research:

1. What we already know. Put the research problem into context by telling your readers what is already known about the topic.
2. What we want to know. Describe the issue precisely by telling the readers what your research wants to address or what we should know.
3. Why we should know it. Show your readers why the problem is relevant. Tell them why they should know what they don’t know.
4. What you will do to find out. Tell your readers about your research objectives. How will you reveal or find out about the unknown?

Essentially, writing this statement is about addressing the ‘W’ questions. To solve a problem, you must identify and understand it first. And that’s what this statement is all about. It reveals the problem to the readers and tells them more about it as well as how a study will attempt to solve it. To be effective, a thesis statement should have three major parts.

These are as follows:

• Part 1. This part describes an ideal situation or the desired goal. It explains the way things ought to be.
• Part 2. Describes the conditions that hinder the goal, value, or state in part 1 from being realized or achieved at the moment. It explains why the current situation is not ideal.
• Part 3. This section is about the consequences. It identifies how the researcher intends to improve the situation or move it near the ideal state.

Research Statement Samples

If this is the first time you’re writing this statement, you probably need a research statement sample to guide you. Here are samples that you can use as your writing guide:

Example 1

The goal of the Ministry of Youth is to allocate enterprise development money to the youth. The purpose of this money is to help the youth in starting entrepreneurial ventures for purposes of creating and expanding employment.

Example 2

Voter turnout in California has been decreasing over the last ten years. This is not the case in other parts of the country. Surveys conducted by the World Bank shows that the lowest turnout is among the people below the age of 25 years and low-income earners. Effective attempts to engage these groups in some regions have been made before. These include increased campaigns by political parties. However, these interventions have not born significant fruits.

Using the internet, a student can easily find a research statement example. This can guide them in composing a statement for their paper. However, learners should do more than just find an example of research statement. They should also study the characteristics of a good statement and how to compose one that serves its intended purpose properly.

Useful Tips

To come up with an effective statement, follow these simple but useful tips:

• Write your vision. Understand your vision to decide on the problem to solve. Also, include the reasons or benefits of solving a specific problem. This should make your vision come out concisely and clearly.
• Write the issue statement. Describe the issue or problem and reasons for solving it. Tell readers about the problem and specific issues that relate to it and why it should be solved.
• Organize the method. Show your readers how you intend to solve the stated problem. This is very important because you will use the method to convey various steps for solving the problem.
• Use the Ws. Focus on answering the W questions highlighted above. Make sure that every sentence that you include in your statement focuses on answering those questions.

Writing this statement is very important because it helps in focusing the research while creating a more guided and cohesive project. As such, knowing how to write a research statement can keep you focused on addressing specific issues in research and writing. That way, you avoid wasting time in detours and accomplish your goal faster. In case you might need professional research paper help, contact our academic writers.

Our expert team of authors can help you complete any task any time you need it. Sometimes every student need someone who can write a paper or essay for money. If you have bad understanding of the subject or, for example, poor writing skills, don’t be afraid to hire a professional writer. If you don’t want to put your grade at risk, ask our experts for a paper writing help. Just send a message “Please, do my assignment for me now!” and get your papers complete on time.