Posted: March 9th, 2025

Addressing Research Gaps: Crafting Effective Problem Statements in Academic Studies

Components of a Problem Statement
A problem statement is typically a 1 to 2 paragraph statement that contains a logical argument for the need to address an identified gap in the research literature that has current relevance to the discipline and area of practice. It serves as the foundation for your research, guiding the direction and focus of your study. Keep in mind that a gap in the research is not, in and of itself, a reason to conduct research. Make sure to clarify the problem that led you to the gap. The situation being experienced in a societal population or discipline is described within the problem statement.

A problem statement also includes preliminary evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful to the discipline or professional field. Provide three to five key citations that support the relevance and currency of the problem. These references need not all be from peer-reviewed journals but should be from reputable sources, such as national agency databases or scholarly books, and should ideally be from the past 5 years. Another item to consider is to assure that the problem is framed within and primarily focused on the discipline (program of study).

To prepare: Review the media program on “Developing Social Problems into Research Problems for CRQ” found in this week’s Learning Resources or at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udfldYXvUxw&feature=youtu.be.

Assignment 1
In this short writing assignment, you will provide a one- to two-paragraph problem statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice. This problem statement should clearly articulate the gap in the literature and the significance of addressing it.

Note: I’ve attached the last assignment you had done for me to take help. Please don’t use chat GPT. This assignment has two parts:

Part One: In this short writing assignment, you will provide a one- to two-paragraph problem statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice. (I need this in 1 day).

Part Two: Filling out the Problem Statement on the “myProspection” document. (That you can submit to me in 3 days).

I’m adding the total deadline for this question post as 3 days. But you need to provide me part one in 1 day. Below are the instructions for the prospect form, which is also mentioned in one of the documents.

The Purpose Section of the Prospectus Form
If your chair has approved the previous sections (title, supporting literature, problem), this week you will complete the Purpose section of the Prospectus Form. The Appendix located in the Prospectus Form describes how each element should be completed with examples.

Incorporating feedback from your chair, additional reading, and further thinking about your topic, revise all parts of your prospectus as needed to assure alignment. Particular attention should be directed toward the Problem, revising the research and social problems to align them precisely with the Purpose.

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

To prepare:
Use your Prospectus Form to complete this week’s assignment.

Assignment:
Complete the Purpose section of the Prospectus Form.

By Day 5:
Submit your updated Prospectus Form.

Specifically, this portion on the form/word doc:
Purpose
To address your stated research problem, what is the purpose of your study? Will you describe, compare, explore, examine, etc.? Be sure to clarify your variables/concepts of interest. For example:

In quantitative studies, state what needs to be studied by describing two or more factors (variables) and a conjectured relationship among them related to the identified gap or problem.

In qualitative studies, describe the need for increased understanding about the issue to be studied, based on the identified gap or problem.

In mixed-methods studies, with both quantitative and qualitative aspects, clarify how the two approaches will be used together to inform the study.

Example of Purpose (Quantitative): The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine differences in the quality of problem statements written by doctoral students in online programs during the various stages of their doctoral study development.

Example of Purpose (Qualitative): The purpose of this qualitative study is to improve the understanding of the process by which doctoral students in online programs arrive at a viable problem statement for their dissertations.

To address your stated research problem, what is the purpose of your study? Will you describe, compare, explore, examine, etc.? Complete the purpose sentence below and be sure to clarify your variables/concepts of interest.
The purpose of this [Choose approach/method] study is to…

References:
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications.

Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice. Sage Publications.

Bryman, A. (2016). Social Research Methods. Oxford University Press.

Title:
“Addressing Research Gaps: Crafting Effective Problem Statements in Academic Studies”

_______________________________-

Part 1: Problem Statement (Due in 1 Day)
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced dramatic social and economic shifts, prompting strict containment measures that disrupted daily life and raised pressing questions about their impact on crime. Early reports suggested a decline in overall crime rates due to stay-at-home orders, yet evidence reveals a complex picture—some crimes decreased while others, like domestic violence and non-residential burglaries, increased or shifted in unexpected ways. This inconsistency highlights a critical issue in criminology: the short-term effects of containment policies on specific crime types remain poorly understood, especially across regions with differing responses, such as Florida and New York. Research by Abrams (2021) shows a drop in theft and drug crimes but a rise in non-residential burglaries, while Leslie and Wilson (2020) document a 7.5% increase in domestic violence calls during early lockdown months. Similarly, Koppel et al. (2023) note varied crime trends in New York City, underscoring the need for comparative analysis to inform future policy.

A gap persists in understanding how these measures influenced crime patterns in diverse contexts like Florida and New York, where policy approaches and pre-existing crime trends differ significantly. Studies often focus on single locations, leaving the comparative short-term impact across states underexplored. This problem matters because effective crime management during crises depends on grasping these nuances, a need supported by recent works like Stickle and Felson (2020), who frame the pandemic as a natural experiment for testing criminological theories, and Piquero et al. (2020), who call for detailed regional analyses.

Part 2: Prospectus Form – Problem Statement and Purpose Section (Due in 3 Days)
Below, I’ve completed the Problem and Purpose sections of the Prospectus Form based on your study details. I’ve ensured alignment with the problem statement above and the broader research context from your documents. Additional sections like references and framework suggestions are included for coherence, but I’ve focused on the requested portions.

PhD Prospectus Form
Student’s Name: [Your Name]

Student ID: [Your ID]

Program and Specialization: Criminology

Submission Date: March 12, 2025

Title
Comparing Short-Term Effects of COVID-19 Containment Measures on Crime in Florida and New York

Supporting Literature
The keywords and databases searched included:

Databases: Criminal Justice Abstracts, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, Google Scholar, LexisNexis

Summaries of Scholarly Articles:

(Note: I’ve included five key citations here as a sample, aligned with the problem statement. You can expand to 10 as needed from your provided list.)

Abrams, D. S. (2021). COVID and crime: An early empirical look. Journal of Public Economics, 194, 104344.
(a) (Abrams, 2021)
(b) Examined immediate crime changes in 25 U.S. cities during early COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
(c) Found declines in theft and drug crimes but increases in non-residential burglaries and car thefts.
(d) Offers a baseline for comparing crime shifts in New York, relevant to my study’s focus.
Leslie, E., & Wilson, R. (2020). Sheltering in place and domestic violence: Evidence from calls for service during COVID-19. Journal of Public Economics, 189, 104241.
(a) (Leslie and Wilson, 2020)
(b) Studied the effect of the pandemic on domestic violence calls for service.
(c) Reported a 7.5% rise in calls, concentrated in the first five weeks of social distancing.
(d) Highlights domestic violence trends critical to my analysis of containment effects.
Koppel, S., Capellan, J. A., & Sharp, J. (2023). Disentangling the impact of COVID-19: An interrupted time series analysis of crime in New York City. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 48(2), 368-394.
(a) (Koppel et al., 2023)
(b) Analyzed stay-at-home restrictions’ impact on crime types in New York City.
(c) Noted decreases in residential burglary but increases in non-residential burglary.
(d) Provides direct New York data for my comparative study.
Stickle, B., & Felson, M. (2020). Crime rates in a pandemic: The largest criminological experiment in history. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 525-536.
(a) (Stickle and Felson, 2020)
(b) Explored global crime rate changes due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
(c) Observed significant drops tied to altered routine activities.
(d) Frames my study theoretically via routine activity theory.
Piquero, A. R., et al. (2020). Staying home, staying safe? A short-term analysis of COVID-19 on Dallas domestic violence. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 601-635.
(a) (Piquero et al., 2020)
(b) Investigated stay-at-home orders’ link to domestic violence in Dallas.
(c) Found a short-term spike followed by a decline.
(d) Suggests the need for regional comparisons like Florida and New York.
Problem
What was the social problem that prompted you to search the literature to find out more?

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered profound social and economic changes, enforcing strict containment measures that altered daily routines and raised urgent questions about crime management. Restricted movement affected civilians and law enforcement alike, leaving commercial spaces vulnerable while homes stayed occupied, potentially shifting crime patterns in unforeseen ways.

Now that you have read and summarized some of the recent literature to understand your problem, and given what other researchers are exploring, what meaningful gap have you identified that your study will address?

Current research offers valuable insights into how COVID-19 containment measures influenced crime, yet it often focuses on single cities or states, missing broader comparative perspectives. No study directly compares the short-term effects in New York City (Koppel et al., 2023) and Florida (Lersch and Hart, 2022), despite their distinct policy responses and crime histories. Furthermore, while changes in calls for service are noted (Ashby, 2020), a detailed look at how these shifts relate to specific crime types and police resource allocation remains lacking. My study fills this gap by comparing Florida and New York to uncover policy-specific crime impacts and displacement effects.

Based on all of the above information (social problem, literature review, gap), in one sentence, what is your research problem?

The specific research problem that will be addressed through this study is the lack of comparative evidence on how COVID-19 containment measures immediately affected different crime types and police workloads in Florida and New York.

Purpose
To address your stated research problem, what is the purpose of your study?

The purpose of this quantitative study is to compare the immediate effects of COVID-19 containment measures on violent crime, property crime, and domestic violence rates, as well as police calls for service, in Florida and New York during the early pandemic period.

Additional Suggestions (For Context)
Below are suggestions for titles, meta descriptions, and keywords as requested, tailored to Part 1 and Part 2 content. These align with SEO principles and readability for a college audience.

Topic Examples:
Comparing COVID-19 Containment Effects on Crime in Florida and New York
How Lockdowns Shaped Crime: A Florida-New York Study
Short-Term Crime Impacts of COVID-19 Policies in Two States
Suggested Meta Descriptions:
Analyze how COVID-19 containment measures affected crime rates in Florida and New York.
Research compares short-term crime shifts due to lockdowns in Florida versus New York.
Discuss the immediate impact of pandemic policies on crime in two major states.
Suggested Keywords:
COVID-19, crime rates, containment measures, Florida, New York

References (Harvard Style):
Abrams, D. S. (2021). COVID and crime: An early empirical look. Journal of Public Economics, 194, 104344.
Koppel, S., Capellan, J. A., & Sharp, J. (2023). Disentangling the impact of COVID-19: An interrupted time series analysis of crime in New York City. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 48(2), 368-394.
Leslie, E., & Wilson, R. (2020). Sheltering in place and domestic violence: Evidence from calls for service during COVID-19. Journal of Public Economics, 189, 104241.
Piquero, A. R., et al. (2020). Staying home, staying safe? A short-term analysis of COVID-19 on Dallas domestic violence. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 601-635.
Stickle, B., & Felson, M. (2020). Crime rates in a pandemic: The largest criminological experiment in history. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 525-536.

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