by Jessica Parker, EdD
TL;DR
The problem statement explains what is wrong and why it matters. The purpose statement explains what your study will do about it. Think of the problem statement as diagnosing the issue and the purpose statement as outlining the treatment plan. You need both, clearly written and tightly aligned, so your dissertation has direction and coherence.
Making Sense of Problem and Purpose Statements
One of the most common questions I hear from dissertation writers is:
Arenât the problem statement and the purpose statement basically the same thing?
Itâs an understandable question. They often appear back-to-back in the proposal, use similar language, and both talk about the focus of the study. When youâre deep in the literature and exhausted from revisions, they can blur together quickly.
But hereâs the issue: when the problem and purpose statements are unclear or indistinguishable, everything downstream starts to wobble. Research questions drift. Methods feel mismatched. Committee feedback becomes vague but persistent.
Thatâs because these two statements play different roles, even though theyâre closely connected.
What Is a Problem Statement?
Think of the problem statement as the diagnosis.
It answers a simple but demanding question: What is the problem that justifies this study?
A strong problem statement does three things:
- Identifies a specific issue grounded in the literature or practice
- Explains why it matters (to a field, population, or context.
- Shows a gapâsomething we donât yet understand well enough
In other words, the problem statement tells the reader why this study needs to exist.
Example: Although online professional development for Kâ12 teachers has increased significantly, little is known about how teachers experience and make sense of these programs over time.
đ Pro Tip: If your problem statement can be summarized as ânot much research exists,â itâs not finished yet. The real problem is why that lack of understanding matters.
What Is a Purpose Statement?
If the problem statement is the diagnosis, the purpose statement is the treatment plan.
It answers the question: What will this study do to address the problem?
A clear purpose statement:
Names the approach (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods)
Identifies the central focus of the study
Aligns directly with the problem statement
The purpose statement doesnât argue why the problem matters (that work is already done). Instead, it tells the reader exactly what this study sets out to accomplish.
Example (aligned with the problem above): The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how Kâ12 teachers describe their experiences participating in long-term online professional development programs.
đ Pro Tip: If your purpose statement introduces new ideas that werenât clearly established in the problem statement, pause. Something is out of alignment.
A Simple Way to Tell Them Apart
Hereâs a distinction I often share with students:
Problem statement = Whatâs wrong, missing, or not well understood?
Purpose statement = What is this study going to do about it?
Another way to think about it:
The problem statement creates urgency
The purpose statement creates direction
You need both.
How the Two Statements Should Work Together
Strong dissertations donât treat these as isolated sections. They function as a pair.
A useful alignment check is to ask:
Can I clearly see how the purpose responds to the problem?
If I removed the purpose statement, would the problem still feel unresolved?
If I removed the problem statement, would the purpose still feel justified?
If the answer to any of these is âno,â revision is needed.
Common Pitfalls I See (and How to Fix Them)
1. Writing Two Problem Statements
Sometimes the âpurposeâ simply restates the problem in different words.
Fix: Shift the purpose toward action: explore, examine, test, describe, compare.
2. Making the Problem Too Broad
Big, abstract problems (âeducation inequality,â âleadership challengesâ) make it hard to write a focused purpose.
Fix: Narrow the context, population, or phenomenon until the problem feels researchable.
3. Letting Methods Sneak in Too Early
The problem statement shouldnât read like a methods section.
Fix: Save methodological detail for the purpose statement and later chapters.
Final Thought
Your problem statement explains why your study needs to exist.
Your purpose statement explains what your study will do.
When theyâre aligned, specific, and clearly written, they act like a compassâkeeping your dissertation pointed in the right direction, even when the process gets messy.
And it will get messy. Thatâs normal.