Create a problem statement. Your problem must come from a critical issue that must be addressed, otherwise negative consequences will occur or continue.  In most cases, scholarly citations within the past 5 years are required to support the problem you will investigate.

Articulate a concise problem statement. Include appropriate published or relevant primary sources to document the existence of a problem worthy of doctoral level research.  Follow these steps:

1. Present the general issue grounded in the research literature that leads to the need for the study.
2. Identify the specific problem you wish to address. The documented problem may be a practical problem or issue in the profession or study context without an acceptable solution.
3. In defining the problem, a clear discrepancy must be drawn between what exists currently and what is desired.  Although an applied study design does not necessarily require generalizability beyond the study site, worthy problems must be relevant and documented beyond any particular study site.
4. To identify and articulate a problem, consider the potential negative consequences to the field or stakeholders if the proposed research is never conducted.

Support your assignment with at least five scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.