Progress Presentation

I sat and listened to 8 presentations, 2 of which are from Phd candidates. The progress is on-going, most in their 3rd semester. There were questions raised. Mainly about the problem statement of the research. Most were not problem statement per se but are the problems revolving around the subject from other readings and books which are supposed to be part of the background study. In the book "The Craft of Research" by Booth, Colomb & Williams 2008, there is no mention of a problem statement but there is a lengthy discussion on conceptual problem. It says that "...............in academic research, a conceptual problem arises when we simply do not understand something about the world as well as we like. We solve a conceptual problem not by doing something to change the world but answering a question that helps us understand it better" (p. 53). And also "...in an academic research, a problem is something we seek out, even invent if we have to" (p. 54).