Problem analysis
Problem Solution Essay Sheet
Purpose:
Finding a problem and trying to solve it is a common situation you will find in any workplace. Being able to identify, explain, and defend your solution is a task that awaits you in your professional life.
Task:
Now that you have found a problem, it is time to try to solve it. For this essay, you will define the problem and advocate for an improvement. Please note, the term improvement. I am not asking you to fix all aspects of the topic. I am asking you to make a suggestion to improve an aspect of the issue.
In the first section of your paper, you will define and establish your problem. What is the problem? Who is affected? Does it cause any other problems?
In the second part of the essay, you will explore a solution. Why this solution and not another? How does this solution improve the situation? You will need to take into consideration alternative view points and address them accordingly.
Be aware of your ethos in the paper. Your sources need to be credible and valid to establish your ethical appeal. Be on the lookout for fallacies in your sources and in your work. They diminish your ethos and logos.
Take care to craft the logic of your essay. Be aware of the flaws inherent in inductive and deductive reasoning. Be explicit with the reader when explaining logical connections and how information supports your claim.
The quickest way to connect to your audience is emotion (pathos). You can use this to your advantage (but do not abuse it!). Making the problem and solution immediate to your audience will help. Avoid ridicule, insults, and emotional diatribes. This will cause the audience to turn against you.
You will have at least five outside sources. You must use MLA to document these sources.
In addition to the essay, you will submit a short document that describes:
the audience for the essay,
why the audience is appropriate to helping your solve the problem,
how your audience choice helped you refine your counter points,
and how audience helped you choose your tone.
Knowledge:
You can draw from your research from the semester and prior essays.
Skills:
I am looking at your ability to synthesize information, create a cogent argument, answer counter points, and use the rhetorical tools to your advantage.
This essay will explore your ability to make a claim and support it. You are expected to use techniques we have discussed previously for other essays and techniques we examined for this essay. You will need:
to create a specific, unified and restricted claim.
to use examples effectively.
to show mastery of organization by effective placement of ideas.
to fairly present opposing views.
to integrate sources effectively.
to avoid using fallacies.
to use academic style effectively.
to cite using MLA
The essay will be:
at least 1,250 to 2,000 words not counting the Works Cited
in MLA (both in-text citations and works cited entries must be used)
in Academic Style or the appropriate style as outlined in the supporting document
If the essay is not completely documented in MLA or does not fulfill the basic requirements of the assignment, then you will receive a zero.
