“Problems are an expected part of life, and our ability to
deal with them can help determine our personal and professional success,”
according to Catherine Savini. As you read her work, you see that problems are
also good for writing students, as they can “motivate” good papers and help
students formulate a strong thesis statement or argument. Savini also notes
that “Theses do not fall from the sky. Finding a rich problem can be a big step
in the direction of developing a compelling thesis.” (56).
Looking at problems, then, is what you will do
in this assignment. This analysis project requires you to tackle a problem
within your field of study by first exploring and then recommending practical
solutions to solve the problem. Savini provides some great steps to take in
working with problems:
1. Noticing;
2. Articulating a problem and its details;
3. Posing fruitful questions;
4. Identifying what is at stake.
Review the piece to see how these steps can help
you with your problem analysis paper.
Example:
Noticing: A company faces a growing number of
insurance claims from employees complaining of eye strain.
Articulating a problem and its details: The
company recognizes the potential impacts from not acting, including the
workers’ compensation claims, lowered productivity, and impacts on employee
morale.
Posing fruitful questions:
To what degree is the lighting affecting
employees?
Is the lighting the problem, or is the eye
strain restricted to workers on a certain floor or area of the office building?
Could there be external factors affecting eye
strain such as late nights at the office working on their projects?
Identifying what is at stake: The company
recognizes that insurance claims can result in increased premiums; that lowered
productivity can impact profits; and that lowered employee morale can impact
productivity, quality, and retention.
After deciding on the problem you wish to
tackle, begin building questions about it. You will find three attachments here
to provide additional help in building your questions. Your goal for the
analysis is to answer the questions through your sources. Finding multiple
angles and perspectives is ideal so that you explore those possibilities in the
final paper before settling on your recommendation. Be sure to identify what is
at stake here.
Part of the recommendation should include the
counterargument and rebuttal to demonstrate you’ve considered the limitations
and concerns of your solution and can still defend the recommendation
regardless of potential weaknesses. Help the doubters understand that this
really is the most feasible, objective, and sustainable solution.
PURPOSE: To analyze a problem
AUDIENCE: Classmates, others interested in the
field
LENGTH: 1,000 words (Times New Roman font).
Exceeding the word count is not a good thing.
SOURCES: 5 (five) sources total, with at least 1
(one) from a professional journal in the APUS Library (peer-reviewed)
FORMAT: The citation style that is appropriate
for your discipline
SUBMIT: In ASSIGNMENTS submit your essay by
uploading your Word file
Use only third person (he/she/they) for a more
professional tone. Avoid first person (I, my, us, we) and second person (you
and your) in your essay.