My rule of thumb is that around half of your total citations should be from within the most recent five years. This makes clear that you are basing your study on the most recent academic literature.
But at the same time, there is also merit in citing very important and groundbreaking authors of the past. This is often beneficial to show the context and development of a point you are making.
Your problem statement explains the gap in the existing literature that needs more study, which you will then provide in your study.
My rule of thumb is that around half of your total citations should be from within the most recent five years. This makes clear that you are basing your study on the most recent academic literature.
But at the same time, there is also merit in citing very important and groundbreaking authors of the past. This is often beneficial to show the context and development of a point you are making.
Your problem statement explains the gap in the existing literature that needs more study, which you will then provide in your study.
The first thing you should do in a problem statement is to describe the ideal solution using words like "should." Then, introduce the problem by using words like "Unfortunately" or "However," followed by a clear 1-2 sentence description of what's wrong. After that, describe what is the impact of this problem on the performance of the system.