CACrown ArchivesHistory · sources · collections
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Problem finding

step of problem solving that includes acquiring insight into what is missing, one application of creativity

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 12, 2026
Entity authorityQ13604401
Source-derived summary

Problem finding is the act of problem solving in which intellectual vision and insight are used into what is missing. Problem finding plays a major role in application of creativity.

Different terms have been used for problem finding in literature including problem discovery, problem formulation, problem identification, problem construction, and problem posing. It has been studied in many fields. Mathematics and science prefer to the term problem posing.

Processes in problem finding

Basadur distinguished problem discovery and problem formulation; then later problem generation and problem conceptualization. Runco and Chand distinguish problem identification and problem definition.

Scholars distinguish between well-defined and ill-defined problems. Briggs and Reinig defined a well-defined solution in terms of space solution space. Pretz, Naples, and Sternberg defined a well-defined problem as one for which the parts of the solution are closely related or clearly based on the information given.

Editorial summary

“Problem finding” enters the record as step of problem solving that includes acquiring insight into what is missing, one application of creativity. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Problem, finding and step can confirm, complicate or overturn.

Editorial reviewA practical starting point whose main value is the path it opens into stronger specialist and primary sources. The current 142-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. Its strongest next move is a source search built around Problem, finding and step.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

“Problem finding” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Problem, finding and step provides the most credible route into that argument.

Evidence profile

Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q13604401. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Problem finding”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Problem finding primary sources, Problem finding archive and Problem research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Problem finding”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Problem finding” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.