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Choose a problem for which you can propose a solution.

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When choosing a problem, keep in mind that it must be

important to you and of concern to your readers;
solvable, at least in part;
one that you can research sufficiently in the time you have.

Choosing a problem affecting a group to which you belong (for example, as a classmate, teammate, participant in an online game site, or garage band member) or a place at which you have worked (a coffee shop, community pool, or radio station) gives you an advantage: You can write as an expert. You know the history of the problem, you know who to interview, and perhaps you have already thought about possible solutions. Moreover, you know who to address and how to persuade that audience to take action on your proposed solution.

If you already have a problem and possible solution(s) in mind, skip to Test Your Choice below. If you need to find a problem, consider the possible topics following the readings and the suggestions in the following chart. Keeping a chart like this could help you get started exploring creative solutions to real-life problems.

	Problems	Possible Solutions
School	Can’t get into required courses	Make them large lecture courses.Make them online or hybrid courses.Give priority to majors.
Community	No safe place for children to play	Use school yards for after-school sports.Get high school students or senior citizens to tutor kids.Make pocket parks for neighborhood play.Offer programs for kids at branch libraries.
Work	Inadequate training for new staff	Make a training video or Web site.Assign experienced workers to mentor trainees (for bonus pay)

TEST YOUR CHOICE

After you have made a provisional choice, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I understand the problem well enough to convince my readers that it really exists and is worth their attention?
Do I have some ideas about how to solve this problem?
Do I know enough about the problem, or can I learn what I need to know in the time allotted?

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To try out your choice of a problem, get together with two or three other students:

Presenters. Take turns identifying the problem you’re thinking of writing about.

Listeners. Briefly tell each presenter whether the problem seems important, and why.

As you plan and draft your proposal, you may need to reconsider your choice (for example, if you discover you don’t have any good ideas about how to solve the problem) and either refocus it or choose a different problem to write about. If you have serious doubts about your choice, discuss them with your instructor before starting over with a new problem.