problem solution research paper sample

• Social Sciences

100 Problem Solution Essay Topics with Sample Essays

• Author: Virginia Kearney

Use the topics below to help generate ideas for a problem solution essay.

Included in This Article Struggling to find a great topic? Scan the lists below to find questions my students have generated to find something you want to write about. Topics are divided into: 1. Social Issues 2. Relationships 3. Sports 4. College Life 5. Education 6. Family Life 7. Driving and Transportation Remember you can adapt these general ideas to fit your own school, town, or situation.

Step-by-Step Writing Guide

After you have chosen your topic, you can find instructions about how to develop your ideas, find a unique solution to the problem, and organize your essay in "How to Write Your Problem Solution Paper."

How do we solve poverty?

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Social Problems

• How can we reduce the number of people living in poverty?
• How can we encourage people to accept vaccination when they think it is dangerous?
• How can we help people get affordable housing?
• How can we help homeless people in our community?
• How can we prevent people from dropping out of high school?
• What is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy?
• How can kids be persuaded not to experiment with illegal drugs?
• What is the best way to prevent deaths from drunk driving?
• How can teenagers be convinced to drive more safely?
• What can be done to prevent divorce?
• How can kids with divorced parents be helped to do well in school, have strong relationships, and build successful lives and marriages?
• What can be done to eliminate or prevent racism?
• What is the best way to help people who are victims of family violence?
• How can we change the welfare system to help people escape generational poverty?
• How can we deal with illegal immigration?
• What should we do about the increase in gun violence?
• How can we best rehabilitate prisoners so that they can be productive members of society?

How can healthcare be ensured for everyone around the world?

• How can we improve literacy?
• What can be done to prevent human trafficking?
• How can we prevent children from being negatively influenced by violence and pornography in media such as video games, movies, and the Internet?
• How can we persuade people to make healthy lifestyle choices like not smoking, exercising, and maintaining a healthy BMI?
• How can we balance the right to free speech with the right to not be insulted or abused?
• Choose a city you know. How can that city be made more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly?
• How can we best reduce the problem of terrorism?
• Should there be controls in the way the media portrays celebrities?
• How can we handle the problem of online data mining or the fact that data brokers are selling our information to advertisers, employers, health insurers, and credit rating agencies?
• What should we do to help people get jobs?

Relationship Topics

• How can social media bullying be prevented?
• What is the best way to help someone who is depressed?
• What's the best way to deal with manipulative and domineering people?
• How can you help a friend or roommate who is making poor life choices?
• How can you get out of a bad relationship?
• How can you move out of the "friend zone"?
• What is the best way for a woman to show a man she is interested? Should she ask him out?
• How has texting affected face-to-face relationships?
• How can you solve the problem of a jealous boyfriend or girlfriend?
• What can be done to make sure that people today actually know how to have "real" relationships?
• How can we get away from stereotypes and racism? What steps can we take as individuals and as a society?
• How can we learn to understand people who are different from us culturally, racially, or socioeconomically?
• How can we break down barriers between groups?

Video to Help You Generate a Unique Solution

Athletes and sports.

• How can steroid use be limited in all sports (or one in particular)?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• How can colleges better handle the combination of education, athletics, and business?
• Do kids train too hard in athletics at young ages?
• What is the best way for a young athlete to learn a sport? (You might want to talk about a particular sport you know well).
• How can coaches best encourage their athletes to do their best?
• Think about your local sports team. What can be done to make that team more effective? How can the fans be made to support the team more?
• Pick your favorite sport. How can someone best prepare themselves to be excellent at that sport?
• How can sports media be more effective at covering a sport you like to watch? Should the announcers be biased or not? Which games should be covered by sports networks? What types of interviews and special features make the sport more interesting to watch?
• What can be done to increase attendance at your favorite sporting event?
• How should a coach or player handle media interviews when they lose a big game?
• How can players prepare themselves for the (inevitable) loss?
• What should professional players do to prepare themselves for retirement or injury?
• Pick your favorite sport. How much should players get paid? Should there be salary caps?
• How should money made from sports be divided between players and owners?
• Think about your favorite venue to watch sports live. What could be done to improve that venue?
• How can injuries in sports (especially football) be prevented?
• How can coaching be improved in the sport you participated in during high school or your favorite professional team?
• How can players prevent injuries that take them out of competitive sports?
• What can be done about parents or coaches that push kids too much in sports?

How can students pay for private college?

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College Life

• How can college instructors create effective online classes?
• How can college students be sure they have a marketable degree?
• How can college be made more affordable?
• How can college students study effectively and earn better grades?
• How can a student avoid procrastinating?
• How can college students avoid the "Freshman 15" and eat healthily in college?
• How can college students stay in shape when they aren't in sports like they were in high school?
• What is the best way for college students to balance work, studying, classes, and social life?
• How can college students handle problems with roommates?
• How can college students ask parents for more money effectively?
• How can parents of college students let go and allow their children to grow up and become independent adults?
• What is the best way for college students to convince their parents to let them be independent?
• What should you do about loud neighbors in your dorm or apartment?
• How can you handle a long-distance relationship in college?
• What should college students do when they have a suicidal friend?
• How can college students decide on a major?
• How should you decide what college to attend?
• What should you do if you don't get something you expected and hoped for (like a scholarship, college admission, or acceptance into a special program)?
• How can students learn to be better test-takers?
• How should college instructors handle attendance in class?
• What can be done to make college students more active participants in politics and elections?
• How can colleges be made safer?
• What should be done to prevent sexual assault on college campuses?
• Should parents be allowed to know the grades of their college students?
• How can colleges help students who are failing to get back on track?
• What can be done to help relieve stress in college?
• How can students pay more attention in class?
• How can college students overcome homesickness?
• How can college students manage their money effectively?
• Should the government offer more support for a college education?
• How should a student decide whether to rush a sorority or fraternity?

K-12 Education

If you choose a problem solution essay about education, you can narrow your paper's topic to talk just about your own state, or even your own school.

• How can parents make virtual learning effective?
• How can we make education better for kids who have trouble in school?
• How can schools help the problem of childhood obesity?
• How can schools best serve special education students?
• How can schools allocate more money and resources for sports, fine arts, and other special programs?
• What should be done about misbehaving and disruptive students?
• What should be done to make gifted and talented education programs effective?
• How can we help kids who are in failing schools?
• How can homeschooled kids be prepared for college?
• What can be done to stop bullying, teasing, and violence in schools?
• How can we be sure that students are learning what they need to know? Is a nationalized test the answer? How should testing in schools be handled?
• How can cheating in school be best handled? What should teachers and students do to prevent cheating?
• Should all students be required to learn a foreign language? Should schools offer other languages like Chinese or Arabic?
• Should schools move to digital textbooks?
• Is it a good idea to give every child an iPad or laptop? How can schools adapt to changing technology?
• Should schools have a common core curriculum? If so, what should it include? What does every student need to know?
• Would the U.S. benefit from changing to a more European-style education system?
• Should schools require more physical education?
• How can schools help develop a healthier society?
• How can schools attract and keep outstanding teachers?
• Should high schools offer a technical track for students to get job-ready rather than force everyone to take college prep courses?
• Should online high school courses be offered to students who want a flexible schedule?
• What should be done for students who get pregnant in high school?
• Should school uniforms or strict dress codes be used in schools? What sort of dress code is appropriate and helpful?
• Should teachers and administrators who are appropriately trained and licensed be allowed to carry concealed weapons in schools?
• Should policemen be undercover in classrooms?
• How can students be made to feel more safe at school?
• What is the best way for schools to use technology in the classrooms?

• How can parents handle their child's cell phone and social media use appropriately?

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Family Life

• How can parents best handle homework?
• Should parents be held responsible for the obesity of their children? What should be done to help families with obese children?
• How can parents help their children have a positive body image and avoid eating disorders?
• What can be done about parents who push too hard for their children to achieve in sports, academics, fine arts, or another area?
• What can be done to increase the number of children who are adopted?
• How can we prevent young people from aging out of the child welfare system without ever finding a family?
• What is the best way to help families who have a child with a mental illness?
• How can parents teach their children about money management?
• What is the best way for parents to discipline their children?
• How can parents encourage their children to be honest?
• What is the importance of religious education? How should parents handle teaching faith to their children?

How can beginning drivers be trained better?

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Driving and transportation.

• What should be done about the problem of texting while driving?
• How can parking be handled better on your college campus (or another busy area you know where it is difficult to park)?
• What is the best way for students to be trained to be good drivers? Should there be any changes to the current laws of your state?
• How can traffic around your town be changed so that driving is easier and less stressful?
• How can people be encouraged to take public transportation? What needs to be done to make public transportation an effective option for more people in your town?
• How should we encourage people to be better drivers?
• What changes could be made to the traffic laws that would make driving better? What should the speed limits be?
• What is the best way to find the route to a place you've never been to before? (GPS, Google Maps, directions from a friend?)
• What are the worst traffic violations? How can these be prevented?
• Is the current driver's education in your state effective? What can be done to improve it?
• What is the best way to prevent DUI and deaths due to drunk driving?

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Questions & Answers

Question: What do you think of, "What is the best way to help someone who is depressed?" as a problem solution essay topic?

Answer: That is a good topic. You might want to narrow it more clearly by saying how can a friend, or family members, the school system, or teachers can help.

Question: How should I write the introduction to the topic “What is the best way to help someone who is depressed?" How should I write the thesis statement?

Answer: The best kind of introduction for this sort of topic is two-fold. First of all, start with a real or made-up story or scenario of a person who is depressed and how their friend or family member feels in that situation. Then tell the statistics about how many people experience depression. Your thesis works best if it is written in a question and answer format. The thesis question would be what you have written above, "What is the best way to help someone who is depressed?;" that is a good ending sentence for your first paragraph. The starting sentence for the next paragraph can be your thesis answer. Some people like to have it in the first paragraph after the question. The thesis answer should be: The three best ways to help someone who is depressed are...

Question: What is a good topic for a recommendation report?

Answer: A recommendation report is another name for a problem/solution essay. The difference is that the recommendation report is generally focused on improving a business or institution. Additionally, the recommendation report carefully examines all of the possible solutions, as well as their pros and cons, before making the final recommendation. The tone is more objective than argumentative. Since a recommendation report tends to be about a business, you can find a topic by thinking about the problems a business you know might face. This sort of report could also be written by a government agency trying to solve a problem through legislation. Here are some ideas:

1. What is the best way for colleges to choose who is accepted?

2. How can the appointment process be better managed at a health care clinic?

3. How can work schedules be better arranged for employees at a store or restaurant?

4.What is the best way for a business to advertise to increase sales?

5.What is the best management software a business can choose?

6. Which online computer registration system should a school district choose?

7.How can theft be best prevented from a shopping mall?

8. What sort of packaging would make the products of a small store stand out to potential customers at a boutique?

9. What is the best possible solution to the problem of funding Medicare?

10. How can schools best be protected from shooters?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What is the best way to prevent deaths from drunk driving?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: Here are other ideas on that topic:

1. What educational program works to prevent drunk driving deaths among teenagers?

2. How can we solve the problem of drunk driving deaths in our country?

3. What is the most important solution to preventing drunk driving deaths?

Question: What do you think about the essay topic "How can we solve poverty?"

Answer: The problem of poverty is very large and I don't think that any paper could really tackle solving the whole problem. I'd suggest you narrow your topic to make the paper easier to write and more specific. Here are some suggestions:

1. How can we improve the lives of homeless people in (name of town)?

2. What are some ways to make sure that every child has enough to eat in our city?

3. How can we help people in our city get jobs and keep them?

Question: What do you think of the question, "How can college students study effectively and earn better grades?"

Answer: You have an excellent question, and looking at the research on this would be helpful for your work in college. In fact, I always enjoy it when students do a topic like this because it lets the rest of the class think about what makes an effective schedule for studying. Often, I suggest that students interview people they know who make good grades or seem to have good study habits.

Question: What is a good project proposal on social issues?

Answer: I have a number of social issues topics in some of my other articles. Here is one article that might help: https://hubpages.com/academia/Topic-List-for-Posit...

Question: What do you think of the topic, "How can we improve the welfare system to break poverty?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: 1. What can be done to help more people move off welfare and into jobs?

2. What is the most effective way to help people get out of poverty?

3. Which non-profit does the best job in helping people escape poverty?

4. Does government housing, food stamps, and other assistance really help people get out of poverty?

Question: I have to write a proposal argument essay on "How can healthcare be made available for everyone around the world?" How should I go about this?

Answer: It would be difficult to talk about how to make health care available around the world equally, but you might want to talk about how it could be done for an individual country.

Question: What do you think of an essay topic about relieving stress in college?

Answer: That is a good topic , or you could do:

1. Ways to survive college: what a college student can do to relieve stress.

2. How can college students learn to relax?

3. When is enough? How can college students learn to balance studying and life.

Question: How can I develop "What can be done to make college more affordable?" as a problem/solution essay topic?

Answer: 1. What can parents and students do in order to make college more affordable?

2. Why is college so expensive?

3. Does working while going to college mean a person gets an inferior education?

Question: How would you recommend writing an essay topic for the question "How can I do a better job as a parent than my parents did for me?"

Answer: Problem solution essays are such a useful form of thinking and expressing yourself because by learning this process you can not only try to solve issues in a community or the world but also your own personal problems and interests. Before you write on this topic, you would have to make sure your instructor lets you write about personal issues. However, even if they do not, you can actually work out this essay by turning it into a universal question: How can parents do a good job in parenting when they have had a difficult growing up? The key to answering these kinds of questions is researching the best ideas for good parenting and comparing that with the parenting techniques that are familiar to you.

Question: What do you think about the essay topic "What should be done about the problem of texting while driving?"

Answer: Excellent question which makes it clear what the focus will be. You can make a good opening by sharing some statistics about accidents and how texting is similar to driving while under the influence. You can discuss solutions that are laws and also talk about how each person needs to choose to follow those solutions. It is easy to turn on an app or the setting which won't let you text while driving. I think it makes a good ending of this sort of essay to encourage the reader to use that solution for their own phone use.

Question: What do you think of the topic, "How can college students balance their studies and social lives?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: Many students struggle with this topic while they are in college and you can probably get a lot of good ideas for how to solve this by talking with your fellow students. Here are some similar topic ideas:

1. How important is it for college students to get work experience along with their education?

2. How can college students best maximize their study time?

3. How can students avoid the problem of procrastinating?

4. How can college students best form deep friendships?

Question: What is the best introduction to a problem solution essay?

Answer: A story that makes the problem seem essential and dramatic is the best way to start a problem solution essay. There are a lot of issues in the world, and if you want your reader to think yours is an important one to solve, you need to catch their attention with something they will remember. A good story is an excellent way to do that. It can be a personal story, a news item, a typical made-up scenario, a real-life story or even part of a movie plot that demonstrates the problem. Follow that up with some statistics showing the importance of the problem for a wider audience, and you will have a great start!

Question: I’m struggling to find a good proposal topic for my research paper related to healthcare. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: I have thousands of topic ideas, to search for a particular topic, the easiest way to find it is to Google the topic, my name, and the website, Owlcation. That is actually what I do when I'm trying to find all of the articles I have on a particular topic. For this situation, you can Google search (just highlight, right click and do "search" for: "Healthcare VirginiaLynne Owlcation."

Question: How would you recommend writing an essay topic for the question, "What should be done to decrease teen suicide"? As a problem/solution essay topic?

Answer: The question you have written is fine, but here are a few other possibilities:

1. What is the best way to decrease the numbers of teen suicide attempts?

2. What is the best way to discourage teen suicide?

3. How can we best prepare friends and family to prevent teen suicide?

4. What kind of media campaign can best decrease teen suicide?

5. What can we do to prevent teens from considering suicide?

As you can see, each of these narrows the topic a bit and suggests the direction of your solution ideas.

Question: How is "How can we help homeless people in our community" as a problem solution essay topic?

Answer: Here are some other questions on this topic:

Is more housing going to help homelessness?

What is the link between homelessness and mental health?

How can an individual best help when they meet a homeless person?

Should you give money to homeless people?

Question: How can college students manage their money effectively?

Answer: Excellent and important question. Here are some similar topics:

1. Should college students work or take out loans?

2. How can college students best meet their college expenses?

3. How can college students manage their time effectively?

Question: How should I approach an essay prompt such as: Write an essay about what you consider to be the most important social problem in your surroundings and how you would contribute to the/a solution?

Answer: Any of these topics on social problems could be used for this sort of essay. My essay on how to write a problem solution essay also gives ideas for coming up with a topic and also how to find a good solution: https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Prop...

Question: What do you think of "How can we make education better for kids who have trouble in school?" as an essay topic?

Answer: You have an excellent question. It might be good to narrow down the idea of "trouble in school" to be more specific. Do you want to talk about bullying? Or are you interested in academic trouble? Another interesting topic is how to help students who are gifted but underachieving. A final idea is a question that asks about how to make education better for students who don't want to go to college and want a career preparation and internship track.

Question: What is a good topic for an article in education?

Answer: For a number of good education topics, you should look at my ideas in this article: https://hubpages.com/humanities/150-English-Essay-...

Question: How would "What can be done to prevent divorce" serve as my problem solution essay topic?

Answer: Here are some other topics:

What can children do to survive a parent's divorce?

How can children of divorce prepare to have a happy marriage?

How can friends and family prevent a divorce?

Question: How does this work as a problem solution essay question: What can be done to make sure that people today actually know how to have "real" relationships?

Answer: Your question is one that many adults are wondering; however, I think that you will need to be careful to define what you mean by "real." Do you mean face to face? Here are some other ways to word this question:

1. How can adults help younger people have authentic relationships?

2. Many people today face anxiety and stress about relationships. How can we help people have deep and meaningful relationships?

3. Does spending a lot of time talking by texting or other written communication make relationships less "real?" How can we help young people have real realtionships?

Question: What do you think of, "How can schools help develop a healthier society?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: Here are some other topics on this issue:

1. Is education a good way to solve social problems?

2. What is the most important thing that schools can do to keep children healthy?

3. Are health classes a good way to teach people good health habits?

4. What should be included in a health class curriculum?

Question: When writing a problem solution essay, how would I write an introduction and conclusion regarding the strengths and weaknesses of two types of organizations?

Answer: One way to do this is to do give several short stories one after the other. These can be stories that show a comparison of the two organizations, or ones that show both weaknesses and strengths. However, I have many more ideas in my article on writing problem solution essays: https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Prop...

Question: How is "what is effective gun control?" as a problem solution essay topic?

Answer: That topic is more of an explaining essay or an argument. If you are writing a problem solution essay, I'd suggest the following:

1. What gun control laws are effective at stopping crime?

2. How can we solve the problem of gun violence?

3. How can we solve the problem of mass shootings?

4. What gun control would most effectively prevent misuse of guns?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "How can we improve literacy?" for a problem solution essay?

1. What reading education program best prevents students from growing up illiterate?

2. What is literacy?

3. How can parents help their children learn to read well?

Question: Can you help me find a topic for a research paper? I thought about maybe doing something related to the challenges patients face when participating in clinical trials.

Answer: That is actually a rather interesting question. Here are some ways to word it to make it a problem solution essay:

1. How can doctors doing a clinical trial make the patients feel more comfortable about participating?

2. How can patients decide whether to participate in a clinical trial for a serious condition like cancer, knowing they may be getting a placebo?

3. How can a patient in a clinical trial best overcome challenges during treatment?

Question: What do you think of the problem-solution essay topic, "How can we get away from stereotypes and racism? What steps can we take as individuals and as a society"?

Answer: This is a good question. Here are some other ways to word it:

1. What steps can individuals take to help eliminate racist stereotypes?

2. What are the most effective ways for society to eliminate stereotypes?

3. Can an individual get away from stereotypes and racism?

4. How important is an education for eliminating stereotypes and racism?

5. How important is family for eliminating stereotypes and racism?

Question: How can I explore a possible solution to the problem of my problem solution essay?

Answer: My full instructions for finding a solution are in my article "How to Write a Problem Solution Essay" which you can find here: https://hubpages.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Propo...

Question: What do you think of the topic, "how can I solve problems in my area?" as a problem solution essay?

Answer: Solving problems in your own local area is a great way to focus for this sort of essay. However, you need to focus on just one particular problem to solve. No solution can solve all the problems. Here are some examples:

1. How can we solve the problem of kids not getting enough to eat during the summer in our town?

2. How can we solve the problem of student's cheating in my school?

3. How can we solve the problem of traffic congestion on our streets?

Question: What is the greatest challenge I will face in my composition class?

Answer: For most students, the biggest challenge is time management. Papers are much better if they are written early so that you can go back and revise them and do all of the final editing steps that I suggest in my article 10 Steps for Proofreading and Revising: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Essay-Revision-St...

Question: I'm having difficulty with my essays because I never know how to start an essay and I don't know how I should start the introduction. Clearly, the introduction is the heart of the whole essay. So, I am facing that problem. How should I think through the introduction?

Answer: In a problem solution essay, the introduction is very easy. You simply have to describe the problem, and then the last sentence is something like: What can we do to solve this problem? Then you write your thesis, which is your idea about the solution. Here is my article which describes how to write this sort of essay, including different ideas about the introduction: https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Prop...

Question: How can I write an essay on cyberbullying and how it can affect our social problems?

Answer: In a problem solution essay, you want to have a topic which gives you a chance to offer a solution. Here are some better ideas:

1. How can we prevent cyberbullying?

2. How can we help young people deal with social media appropriately?

3. What can schools do to make sure that they help students to work together to prevent cyberbullying?

4. What can parents do to help a child who is having social problems through cyberbullying?

Question: What do you think of this topic as a writing sample for a post-grad program, "How to prevent the stigmatization of special needs children in the society?" How can I develop this topic?

Answer: You have an interesting topic idea. To develop it, you need to look at research to find out what has worked to best incorporate special needs children into communities. You can also ask families, and special needs teachers for ideas of what they have found makes the children most feel included.

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What can be done to help relieve stress in college?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: That is a good topic but pretty common. I've written an article on it myself: https://hubpages.com/academia/How-to-Handle-Colleg...

Question: How can I start my first paragraph in my research essay which is talking about the need for more awareness of the nursing shortage?

Answer: A great way to start any problem essay is to give a story about someone experiencing the problem. It can be a personal experience or a typical situation. In the case of the nursing shortage, you can either use the experience of a typical nurse who has too many patients to care for and is feeling stressed or doesn't have the time to do a good job, or it can be a patient who has to wait too long, or has the nurse miss some important health information because they don't have the time to spend with them. Perhaps the patient is thirsty or has to go to the bathroom and has too wait too long for help and soils themselves. After you tell a dramatic story illustrating the problem, it is also most effective if you give some statistics showing the extent of the problem. Use your statistics or statements from an authority to convince the reader that your story is not just an isolated incident, but is actually a common situation that needs correcting.

Question: What do you think of the topic, "How can kids be persuaded not to experiment with illegal drugs?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: Other possibilities:

1. Does the "Just Say No" campaign really work?

2. What is the most effective way to keep children away from drugs?

3. How can parents help their children to not experiment with illegal drugs?

4. How can schools best prevent their students from illegal drug use and experimentation?

Question: How do I write a problem solution essay about community issues?

Answer: Here are my instructions about how to write a solution essay: https://hubpages.com/academia/How-to-Write-a-Propo...

Question: How could "right to die laws" become a problem/solution essay?

Answer: Here are some possible topics you could do on that subject:

1. What is the best way to help people who are terminally ill have a good end-of-life experience?

2. How can we be sure that people who use the Right to Die laws to end their life really want to make that choice?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "What is the best way to prevent DUI and deaths due to drunk driving?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: That question works, or you could do:

1. Does education work best to prevent DUI deaths?

2. Should there be harsher penalties for driving DUI?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "Are poverty and broken homes causing teenage pregnancy?" for a problem solution essay?

Answer: Your topic idea is interesting but it is usually better for your question to not include the answer. Here are some better ways to phrase your idea:

What is the cause of teenagers becoming pregnant?

How can we best solve the problem of teenage pregnancy?

What are the effects on today's teens of an increase in poverty and broken homes?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "How can we help the poor in our community?" for a Problem-Solution essay?

Answer: Here are some other questions:

1. Who is responsible for helping the poor in our community?

2. Can a community really improve the condition of the poor?

3. What practical things can each person do to help the poor in our community?

Question: What do you think of the topic, "How can students be more attentive to the classroom?" for a Problem-Solution essay?

Answer: You could address this question to either an audience of students, trying to give them ways to pay better attention and make better grades, or to an audience of teachers, trying to explain to them how they can increase the attention of their students.

Question: Can you list the problems and solutions with reference to an increase in the number of private schools?

Answer: Here are some topic ideas:

1. Is it a problem when there is an increase in the number of private schools?

2. How can we make sure that private schools all offer a good education and have enough money to stay in business?

3. Should students go to a new private school?

4. How can private schools keep competitive?

Question: How do I come up with a research question about police brutality?

Answer: Here are some possible questions:

1. Is police brutality really a problem?

2. What causes police brutality?

3. How important is it to stop police brutality?

5. How can we solve the problem of police brutality?

For help in writing this paper see my article: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Writing-Argument-...

Question: How can I identify a rejected solution for my problem solution essay?

Answer: A good way to find solutions that didn't work is to either ask people familiar with the problem to find out what they have tried in the past, or else to read about the problem and the ways people have solved it before (or tried to solve it). It is important to look for answers to these questions:

1. What was done?

2. Who was involved in the solution?

3. Why didn't the solution work?

4. Did the solution create new problems that weren't anticipated?

5. What cause of the problem did the solution try to fix? Are there other causes of the problem that might be either more important or easier to fix?

The example I often use in class is of the problem of homelessness in America. I start by asking my students what causes homelessness. They usually come up with a list like this:

Mental illness

Alcohol and drug abuse

Not enough houses for people

People who don't want to work

Veterans with PSTD

There are more causes, but using this sample list, I tell my students that if they wanted to solve the problem of homelessness, they would probably pick one of these causes as the most important and create a solution which focuses on that cause. For example:

If they think drug addiction is the most important problem, they would focus on drug rehabilitation programs.

If they think lack of housing is the worst problem, they would find places people could stay.

However, if the cause they identified is not the most important or only reason for the problem, that solution might not be effective.

Question: How would you write a Problem-Solution essay about immigrant mothers trying to learn English?

Answer: You can start with a story of one particular mother and the problems she has when trying to do daily tasks and take care of her family and children when she doesn't know English. Next, tell the statistics about the numbers of women with this problem in your country. Then end that paragraph with the topic question: What is the best way to help immigrant mothers learn English? The rest of the essay should explain your idea for helping this situation.

Question: I have gotten admission to an engineering college, but after six months I don't want to continue in engineering. What do I do?

Answer: A very good paper can be written to answer a problem that an individual faces when they realize that they have chosen a school or major that they don't like, or aren't doing well in. I have sometimes advised students to use their papers to research this situation for themselves. To make a decision about what you can do, you can investigate the different opportunities for a person who finishes this degree to find out if one of those appeals to you. Next, you can think about how quickly you can finish the degree. If you can finish in a short amount of time, that is often best. You can sometimes use a degree that is finished to do a different kind of job, but if you don't finish the degree, you may have to spend a long time to finish a different degree. Sometimes, you can switch to a different type of degree in the same college. Here are some good topic questions for this situation:

What should a person do if they are unhappy with the college or major they have chosen?

What are the different jobs that can be done with an engineering major?

What should a person do who realizes they don't want to finish their degree?

I should say that not all of these are problem solution topics.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on July 01, 2020:

Thanks Mars for giving me this feedback. I think you have done some excellent thinking about your subject and I'm glad you are also interacting with your professor. I'm sure your paper will be excellent!

Mars on June 27, 2020:

Hi again Virginia!

So I decided to scrap my original idea and used your idea of cross-cultural communication in airlines. I found a few excellent articles on implementing effective training programs that will tackle the cultural barrier! Just wanted to say thank you so much for your advice!

Mars on June 26, 2020:

Thank you for your response! I hadn't given any thought to hospitals or airlines! Those are great suggestions! I decided to go with problems within organizations.

I created this XYZ statement,

Topic: Language

• X: How organizations can harness the power of learning a new languages to strengthen intercultural communication skills within the workplace.

• Y: To discover how learning a new language can break down cultural barriers and eliminate miscommunication.

• Z: To invest in the personal development of employees by encouraging organizations to provide language learning programs that will strengthen employee relationships and intercultural communication skills.

However, my professor feels that it will be too hard to tie that into increasing intercultural competence with other employees and suggests I find another avenue.

Do you have any suggestions? I am really struggling with creating these XYZ statements so any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on June 25, 2020:

Hi Mars, How about talking about cross-cultural communication in a particular business or health setting, such as a hospital, airline, or similar setting?

Mars on June 24, 2020:

Hi Virginia!

My assignment has tasked us to propose a problem within our specific majors. With mine being communication arts, I have a pretty wide range of topics to choose from which has actually made it more difficult for me to pick! I've been leaning towards tackling problems in intercultural or cross cultural communications but am struggling with the specifics. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

ARJUMANDBONU on June 01, 2020:

mukhaye emily on August 05, 2019:

Thanks for this information ,please help me know how to write a proposal that can attract support for the community struggling with high levels of early pregnancy /school drop out

Surayyo on February 21, 2019:

It is fantastic!!!!

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on November 27, 2018:

Truthfully Ada, that does sound like a confusing assignment. Understanding it depends a lot on what problem your group's annotated bibliography is trying to solve. I think you need to ask your instructor for clarification.

Ada on November 27, 2018:

I was given this homework, but I am really confused. "Your job in that proposal argument essay will be to persuade taxpayers that there is a problem related to some aspect of your group's annotated bibliography subtopic and that this problem is worth solving. Post the solution you plan to propose, state whether it will be a practical proposal or a policy proposal, and point out two ways the country would benefit if your proposal was implemented".

Yulduz Umidovna on November 26, 2018:

Nobody on October 31, 2018:

What can be done to acquire worldwide true peace and security?

gyanendra mocktan from Kathmandu,Nepal on October 09, 2018:

Yes indeed, Virginia Kearney. I have to work through the steps of solving the problem. I agree with your points Thank you again

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on October 08, 2018:

Thanks for your comments Gyanedra Mocktan. We all have many problems to work out in life. I've found that working through the steps of solving problems can help me make decisions more clearly.

gyanendra mocktan from Kathmandu,Nepal on October 07, 2018:

Thank Virginia Kearney. Ths article is valuable not only for me but for all even outside the hubpages.com community.

I will share this article on the FB wall. Thank you again

I have just stopped teaching an adult student since yesterday. I had been teaching for 10 months. It was an abrupt ending.

The whole night I had been thinking about problem and solution only.

However, I find your article procuticle for me ti handle my situation.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on June 10, 2018:

Siranush, start your paper with a story about someone who is depressed and then give statistics about depression. The thesis statement should be something like: While no one can take responsibility for solving someone else's depression, there are some things that friends and family can do to help a person who is depressed.

Siranush on June 09, 2018:

Would you tell me how I must write about an introduction of “What is the best way to help someone who is depressed “ and also thesis statment.Can you help me please

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on March 27, 2018:

I've had my students do a research paper about solving world problems for several years now. Check out my article for some ideas: https://owlcation.com/academia/Can-College-Student...

Angeles Edwin on March 27, 2018:

I hope by the the time this has reached to you all is well

So there's an essay competition and am supposed to write something unique on the change that i wish to make in my society or globally and i am having troubles coming up with the suitable unique essay topic

Would you please help?

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on March 19, 2018:

Bernard, I suggest that you talk with your fellow students about problems that they have as they both work and go to school. In your paper, you would list each problem and then suggest a few solutions. For example, you might talk about finding time to do homework and then give solutions like making a schedule, studying during lunch, or finding a partner to help you keep accountable.

Bernard on March 19, 2018:

Mature working students have a lot of challenges. In an article to a newspaper, discuss some of the problems and suggest solutions.

Please how do I go about this article?

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on March 09, 2018:

Elvira, if your topic is about a person with potenital, you are probably not doing a problem solution essay. You are writing a reflection essay and I have an article which gives all of the instructions you will need, including information about how to do the introduction. Here is the link to that article: https://owlcation.com/humanities/How-to-Write-a-Re...

Elvira on March 09, 2018:

How can I start writing my essay topic is about Aperson with potential.I don't know how to start.can you please help me?

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on February 17, 2018:

Kanika--It is a good idea to turn your topic into a question and an answer. Here are some examples:

What is the effect of divorce on young children (or teenagers or college students)? Your answer would be your thesis. Another topic idea could be:

What is the effect of divorce on men (or women)?

What is the effect of divorce on a person's work? See my article on how to write a cause effect paper.

Kanika on February 16, 2018:

Can you help me to find topic sentence on,Effect of divorce?

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on February 10, 2018:

Sayed, you will find many information technology questions if you go to my article

on Technology paper ideas: https://owlcation.com/academia/100-Technology-Topi...

Sayed Abid sadat on February 10, 2018:

Hi! I need your help to select my topic on information technology to write my artical. thank you

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on January 25, 2018:

Hi Mr. Johnson, I have everything you might need for writing a college essay on my website. You can look on my profile page or search for my articles on: choosing a topic; writing a thesis and topic sentences; how to organize and write different kinds of essays; using commas and semicolons correctly; easy words to use as sentence starters to write better essays and much more. I have over 100 articles about writing to help you out!

Dick Johnson on January 24, 2018:

Hi! I Have An Assignment I Have To Do In My College Class On Friday And I Was Looking For Some Advise! Thanks!

Richard Cranium on January 24, 2018:

This website helped my child with her homework.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on January 18, 2018:

I have many articles on different subjects for you to look at. Many of the ones in this article would work fine but you can also look at my articles which are specifically for high school students. A good paper idea is one that interests you and it will be easier to write if you immediately can think of your opinion on that topic and some examples you can use from your own life, something you've read, current news or an example from literature, a movie or another video.

Stupid Pickle on January 18, 2018:

I have to write an essay for English is there any topics that you would recommend for a high school freshman

tommy wensyel on January 10, 2018:

this article was very helpful and it wasn t bias my english teacher wanted us to write an essay. it was really helpful i got a lot of good ideas

Jawaher on December 22, 2017:

How can get out bad relationship

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on November 15, 2017:

Hi Trang--I have a lot of information to help you write your paper. Look for my articles about how to write argument, problem solution and proposal papers. In order to discuss two solutions, you just need to think about two possible answers to the question that have not yet been done. For example, in the question "How can students get enough good sleep each night?" two good answers that are equal would be: making a schedule for work and sleep, and using a technology device like a cell phone or fitbit that tracks sleep patterns.

Trang Phan on November 15, 2017:

my writing teacher asks me to choose a pro-solution topic that is practically related to student life. After that i have to draw out two solutions which are equal to each other.It means that both of them can not be currently done. it seems so difficult

sssssss on November 12, 2017:

Damtaodu on September 26, 2017:

How do one respond to new challenges and adapting to a different environment, living without familiar amenities, interacting with new and different types of people and studying intensively among others.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on September 12, 2017:

Hi Kashymawoh--I'm glad you've decided on a topic for your essay. You can find everything you need to know about writing it by looking at my other articles on writing problem solution essays and writing argument essays. If you don't see the link for that, search in my profile, which you can find on the top right of the page.

kashymawoh on September 12, 2017:

hi Virginia, i am writing an essay on solving unemployment issues in Nigeria, kindly assist me.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on July 25, 2017:

Hi Cassandra! After you choose your topic, be sure to look at my article about how to write a solution essay. I give all the instructions you should need. If you want help revising or with punctuation, you can find articles on those topic too.

Cassandra Pines on July 25, 2017:

I need to write a 6-7 page essay about a social movement. I don't know how to start

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on May 24, 2017:

Hi, Sparsh, Your best help would be to look at my other articles about how to write problem solution essays and argument essays. You might also like to look at my articles on Toulmin, Rogerian and Classical argument strategies. These articles include specific instruction on how to organize and outline your essay as well as how to argue effectively for your solution. In addition, they provide samples with commentary on why these work. Finally, you ought to look at my articles on how to write a great thesis and topic sentences. You can find these by searching for my name on Letterpile, or by looking on my profile page. I have over 100 articles on writing to help you out.

SPARSH AGARWAL on May 24, 2017:

Hey Virginia,

I am preparing for writing section of PCAT exam. In the writing section, there are generally problem solution essays. It is my humble request if you could provide me with a source where there are more of problem solution sample essays, so that I can prepare accordingly and practice writing on the problems mentioned above.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on March 29, 2017:

Problems with health can be related to disease or preventative measures like diet and exercise. Here are some easy health-related topics: How can a person with Celiac disease best manage their diet? How can students best exercise and eat to be healthy? What are the best strategies to avoid illness? How can people avoid heart disease? What is the best way to stay healthy if you have diabetes?

poo on March 29, 2017:

i want a health related topic. like people should be concerned about their health. but what problem can i state?

Stevie Glenn from Minneapolis on February 26, 2017:

Great topics on education! Good sources for quick education articles.

Chris Velo on January 16, 2017:

Thank you for all the topics to write on; I would read one section thinking that I couldn't write anything only to discover a few points I had to make into a quick essay.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on December 27, 2016:

Hi Colleen--I'd suggest you look at my Non-Profit Research Paper article for help. https://toughnickel.com/personal-finance/Research-...

Colleen on December 26, 2016:

Hello Virgina,

I have a Critical Analysis & Research Writing paper due the assignment is A Good for A Community: A Research Based-Solution Essay I am having the most difficult time with this. Can you help?

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on December 12, 2016:

KyLie--That is an interesting idea. The departmental final exam for my students included a question about this topic. I will see if I can add some to the list.

KyLie on December 12, 2016:

I would like some topics on the death of Harambe the gorilla....

Karla on November 10, 2016:

Should have a topic about animal abuse or cruelty!

Bangladesh Page on February 23, 2016:

Here is a lot of topics to write on. It really makes me think to write something on the topics. There are some topics here I never thought that an essay can be written! Thanks for sharing.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on December 24, 2015:

Hi Zero, I don't exactly understand what you want. Perhaps you mean you want to write an essay about "How to find a good job?" or "Solving the difficult problem of finding a good job?"

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on November 20, 2015:

Hi mtariqsattar--I actually have also written articles about how to write essays of many types. You can search for this on Hubpages or just look for the links next to my topic ideas articles.

Tariq Sattar from Karachi on November 20, 2015:

Hi there VirginiaLynne, I don't know how to start but you nailed it and you seem to possess command over topics. You do justify what you have said in your profile.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading your hub - it is helpful to those who are seeking to teach essay at the college or university level, and those who want to writer such a genre of essay. That is problem-solution essay.

I would ask though about the tips to writing an essay quickly and accurately at the same time. How should you as an essay writer achieve both ends?

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on April 17, 2015:

Thanks for the ideas Jaime--I may think about putting some solution ideas into another article.

b.s.s on April 08, 2015:

Wow!! What a great topics

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on March 25, 2015:

So glad Symphony Dunbar that you are using my site to get good ideas. You must be doing a good job writing those essays too!

Symphony Dunbar on March 24, 2015:

I love this site. I come on here, get a topic, write an essay, get an A+, just like that!

sera on February 11, 2015:

Thanks it helped so much

Maria Cuevas on December 01, 2014:

I would really like environment issues. It is very passionate among many.

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on October 28, 2014:

Hi Justin--Glad this helped you. I have a 5th grade daughter and two daughters in 7th. I used to teach 6th grade myself and know that you are learning a lot about writing!

justin on October 28, 2014:

I really like the questions for the problem and solution it makes me want to improve some mistakes I made.P.S. I'm a 6th grader.

Tessa on September 10, 2014:

Awesome website! I'm definitely going to use one of these topics. Helped a lot. Thanks!!!!!

Hyder on July 15, 2014:

How "Education is solution all our problem" I want to write essay this topic anyone help me

Ova ELai on July 13, 2014:

I would like a topic on counselling a teenage who thinks is having a sexually transmitted disease or HIV

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on July 10, 2014:

Thanks Ashley--I will write some topics about that!

Ashley on July 10, 2014:

Military life topics would be great!

djelke16 on April 06, 2014:

Great topics! Thank you so much.

Dottie on February 18, 2014:

Thank you! This was so helpful!

Rachel on November 18, 2013:

This website is perfect! Helped me a lot, thanks!

Lcarter on November 06, 2013:

Great topics!

Virginia Kearney (author) from United States on November 02, 2013:

So glad I helped you Kaiya! I know that getting the right topic and finding some good information can really help someone overcome that writer's block that makes starting an essay so hard!

kaiya123 on November 02, 2013:

This helped a ton! Anyone of these topics could easily be well written, being that there is so much information about each topic. I seriously couldn't have thought of any of these topics, and this definitely helped my essay. There was many topics to choose from, depending on the area you are interested in. It made me think about what I really wanted to write about! Thanks so much!!! :)

Maria Jordan from Jeffersonville PA on October 12, 2013:

A meaty and worthwhile list of subjects for anyone to pursue...most thought provoking and interesting topics. Excellent job.

Voted UP and UAI. Hugs, Maria

SaM on September 10, 2013:

This HELPED a lot! Thanks!

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on June 24, 2013:

You really thought of so many valid topic that are all worthy of discussion. Anyone of this topic could easily be written about and really there are so many problems, it is a bit overwhelming, but then we must start somewhere. This is a great idea for a hub and no one should have to have writer's block anymore. Voted up and useful.

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How to Write a Problem Solution Paper

Last Updated: July 22, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 147,917 times.

A problem solution paper focuses on a particular problem or set of problems. As the essay writer, you will then need to come up with a solution or several solutions to the stated problem. Problem solution papers are common on exams, as they allow you to explore an issue and use critical thinking to respond with a solution. To write a problem solution paper, start by outlining the paper. Then, follow the structure of a problem solution paper and polish the paper so it is at its best when you turn it in.

Starting the Paper

• For example, you may have a main situation like, “obesity and poor fitness,” or “trigger warnings on college campuses.”
• If you get to choose the situation, make a list of groups you belong to, such as “school,” “family,” “race,” “culture”,” or “local community.” Then, identify a situation or issue you have encountered as a member of one of these groups.

• In the situation component, you will paraphrase the prompt of the paper in your own words.
• In the problem component, you will state the problem or problems and explain what they are in your own words.
• In the solution component, you will state your solution or solutions to the problem. You will also explain how it will address the problem.
• In the evaluation component, you will list the main ideas in the paper and offer a prediction or recommendation based on your solution to the problem.
• There will only be one situation presented to you in the prompt for the paper. You can then have multiple problems and multiple solutions that link back to the situation.

• Introduction section, where you discuss the situation
• Transition sentence or paragraph
• Conclusion section, where you discuss the evaluation

• Problem 1 and Solution to Problem 1
• Problem 2 and Solution to Problem 2
• Problem 3 and Solution to Problem 3

Writing the Paper

• For example, if the situation in the paper prompt is “obesity and poor fitness,” you may focus on specific aspects of the situation in the introduction. You may look at how the consumption of unhealthy food and the overuse of cars plays into obesity and poor fitness in society.

• If you cannot find a lot of outside material on the problem, you can collect your own data for the paper. Do this by making a survey that you give to people who are affected by the problem. You can also interview people associated with the problem, or with possible solutions.
• For example, if you were researching the problem “trigger warnings on college campuses,” you may interview college representatives at your university or college. You may also talk to students on campus.
• Most problem solution papers written for exams do not require you to cite any outside sources. You may need to cite your sources if you are writing the problem solution paper for a class.

• For example, if you were writing about the situation “obesity and poor fitness,” you may have the following thesis statement: “Obesity and poor fitness can lead to a decrease in life expectancy, and it is essential that individuals and governments work together to tackle this issue by improving their citizen's diet and fitness.”

• For example, you may come up with a solution that addresses a lack of resources by adding support, money, or more staff. Or you may come up with a solution that addresses the problem by changing an existing practice or habit.

• For example, if one of your solutions to the problem of obesity and poor fitness is to encourage people to cook at home, you may list a few specific ways people can do this. You may suggest that national eating healthy at home campaign is created, offering recipes online that take less than 30 minutes to prepare at home.

• For example, you may end up a call to action like, “With rising levels of obesity in our country, it is essential that we take action now to address this serious issue.”

Polishing the Paper

• You can create a reverse outline using your paper as a guide, where you go through each section and confirm it follows the outline you started with.

• You can also show the paper to a peer, friend, or family member and get them to proofread it for you.

• If you are writing the problem solution paper for a class assignment, you may still have a set word count. Check that your paper falls within this word count.
• ↑ https://www.jccc.edu/student-resources/academic-resource-center/writing-center/files/problem-solution-paper.pdf
• ↑ http://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/essays/problemsolution/
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/writing/how-to-write-a-problem-solution-essay.html
• ↑ https://www.shsu.edu/centers/academic-success-center/writing/handouts/modes/essays/9.-.Problem.Solution.Essay.pdf
• ↑ https://clt.library.jwu.edu/c.php?g=1028305&p=7459493
• ↑ https://clt.library.jwu.edu/c.php?g=1028305&p=7459493#s-lg-box-wrapper-27749528

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About This Article

A problem solution paper focuses on a particular issue and should include one or more solutions to it. You’ll need to begin the paper by stating the situation in your own words. For example, the situation could be “obesity and core fitness.” Include a thesis statement at the end of your introduction, which could be something like, “Obesity can lead to decreased life expectancy, making it imperative for governments and people to tackle this issue by improving diet and fitness.” The following sections should deal with identifying all of the problems arising from the situation and proposing solutions to them. Try to give examples to explain each solution. For instance, if you say the growth of obesity can be stopped by improving people’s diets, you could propose a national healthy eating campaign. Finally, you should conclude by evaluating the whole paper and making recommendations about how to implement your solutions. For tips from our Writing co-author on how to plan an outline for your problem solving paper, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Addressing Challenges: A Guide to Problem and Solution Essay Topics

Table of contents

• 1.1 Environmental Issues Problem-Solution Essay Topics
• 1.2 Social Problems Problem And Solution Essay Ideas
• 1.3 Healthcare Challenges: Problem-Solving Essay Ideas
• 1.4 Technological Advancements Ideas for a Problem Solution Essay
• 1.5 Educational Concerns Problem Solution Paper Topics
• 1.6 Economic Problems to Write About
• 1.7 Global Challenges Topics for Problem Solution Essays
• 1.8 Political and Governance Problem Solution Essay Topics
• 1.9 Transportation Problem Solution Topics
• 1.10 Cultural and Ethical Dilemmas
• 2 Easy Problem Solution Topics For an Essay
• 3 Closing Note

Navigating the complexities of real-world issues through the lens of academic inquiry, problem-and-solution essays serve as a dynamic educational tool. Which topic is specific enough for a good problem-and-solution essay? Problem and solution essays are crucial to academic writing, offering students an invaluable opportunity to analyze various situations and articulate effective solutions critically. These essays sharpen critical thinking and problem-solving skills and encourage a deep exploration of a multitude of contemporary issues. By tackling these essays, students gain the ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives and develop insights into potential remedies.

This article promises to dive into an extensive array of topics for problem and solution essays, encompassing diverse areas and problems to write about, such as environmental issues, social challenges, healthcare dilemmas, and more.

120 Problem Solution Essay Topics List

With such a rich palette of issues, the next step in crafting an impactful essay becomes crucially important. Selecting an appropriate topic is key when tasked with writing a problem-solving essay. It’s essential to choose a subject that is not only relevant and engaging but also provides ample scope for in-depth research and thorough analysis. This careful selection allows for a detailed exploration of the issue and the formulation of effective solutions. To aid in this process, we have compiled an extensive list of 120 thought-provoking topics for problem-solution essays.

Need help with essay writing? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

Environmental Issues Problem-Solution Essay Topics

• Combating Climate Change: Strategies for Global Cooperation.
• Addressing Ocean Pollution: Cleaning Our Seas.
• Deforestation: Reforestation and Sustainable Practices.
• Urban Air Pollution: Cleaner Cities.
• Endangered Species: Conservation Efforts.
• Plastic Waste Management: Innovative Solutions.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Feeding the World Responsibly.
• Renewable Energy: Transition from Fossil Fuels.
• Water Scarcity: Effective Water Management.
• Eco-friendly Transportation: Reducing Carbon Footprint.

Social Problems Problem And Solution Essay Ideas

• Homelessness: Creating Sustainable Housing Solutions.
• Gender Inequality: Bridging the Gap in the Workplace.
• Racial Discrimination: Fostering Inclusivity.
• Bullying in Schools: Prevention Strategies.
• Elderly Care: Improving Senior Living.
• Child Abuse: Strengthening Child Protection Services.
• Poverty Alleviation: Economic Empowerment Programs.
• Substance Abuse: Effective Rehabilitation Approaches.
• Unemployment: Job Creation Strategies.
• Digital Divide: Bridging the Technological Gap.

Healthcare Challenges: Problem-Solving Essay Ideas

• Mental Health Stigma: Promoting Awareness and Acceptance.
• Obesity Epidemic: Lifestyle and Dietary Changes.
• Healthcare Accessibility: Universal Health Coverage.
• Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons from COVID-19.
• Antibiotic Resistance: Developing New Treatments.
• Chronic Diseases: Prevention and Management.
• Mental Health in the Workplace: Supporting Employees.
• Telemedicine: Bridging the Healthcare Gap.
• Health Education: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles.
• Drug Affordability: Policies for Cheaper Medications.

Technological Advancements Ideas for a Problem Solution Essay

• Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Digital Information.
• AI Ethics: Balancing Innovation and Privacy.
• Social Media Addiction: Finding Digital Balance.
• Technological Unemployment: Reskilling the Workforce.
• Online Privacy: Protecting Personal Data.
• E-waste Management: Sustainable Recycling Practices.
• Digital Literacy: Educating the Next Generation.
• Internet Censorship: Balancing Freedom and Security.
• Tech in Education: Enhancing Learning Experiences.
• Future of Work: Adapting to Technological Changes.

Educational Concerns Problem Solution Paper Topics

• Student Loan Debt: Financial Aid and Repayment Options.
• Academic Pressure: Promoting a Balanced Education.
• Dropout Rates: Improving Student Engagement.
• Quality Education in Rural Areas: Bridging the Gap.
• Gender Disparity in STEM: Encouraging Female Participation.
• Teacher Burnout: Strategies for Support and Retention.
• Digital Divide in Education: Accessible Learning for All.
• Standardized Testing: Alternatives for Student Assessment.
• Special Needs Education: Inclusive Teaching Strategies.
• Lifelong Learning: Promoting Continuous Education.

Economic Problems to Write About

• Income Inequality: Fair Wage Policies.
• Global Trade: Promoting Ethical Practices.
• Sustainable Economic Growth: Eco-friendly Business Models.
• Financial Literacy: Educating the Public.
• Unemployment: Innovative Job Creation Strategies.
• Cryptocurrency: Regulation and Security.
• Global Poverty: Effective Aid Strategies.
• Economic Crises: Preventive Measures and Solutions.
• Gig Economy: Ensuring Worker Rights.
• Consumer Debt: Promoting Responsible Spending.

Global Challenges Topics for Problem Solution Essays

• International Conflict Resolution: Peacekeeping Strategies.
• Refugee Crisis: Humanitarian Aid and Integration.
• Global Hunger: Sustainable Solutions.
• Climate Change Migration: International Policies.
• Cultural Preservation: Protecting Heritage in a Globalized World.
• Human Trafficking: Global Efforts to Combat.
• Global Health: Eradicating Communicable Diseases.
• Water Crisis: International Cooperation for Water Security.
• Wildlife Trafficking: International Laws and Enforcement.
• Global Education: Ensuring Access for All.

Political and Governance Problem Solution Essay Topics

• Corruption: Transparency and Accountability Measures.
• Election Integrity: Ensuring Fair Democratic Processes.
• Political Polarization: Fostering Civil Discourse.
• Human Rights: Protecting Individual Freedoms.
• Press Freedom: Combating Censorship.
• Public Trust in Government: Building Confidence through Transparency.
• Policy Making: Involving Public Participation.
• International Relations: Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
• Government Surveillance: Balancing Security and Privacy.
• Political Activism: Encouraging Civic Engagement.

Transportation Problem Solution Topics

• Urban Traffic Congestion: Efficient Public Transport Solutions.
• Road Safety: Reducing Accidents and Fatalities.
• Sustainable Aviation: Eco-Friendly Air Travel.
• Maritime Pollution: Cleaner Shipping Practices.
• Electric Vehicles: Infrastructure and Adoption.
• Public Transportation Accessibility: Inclusive Design.
• Bicycle-Friendly Cities: Promoting Cycling Infrastructure.
• Autonomous Vehicles: Ethical and Practical Considerations.
• Urban Planning: Integrating Efficient Transportation Systems.
• Transportation in Rural Areas: Improving Connectivity.

Cultural and Ethical Dilemmas

• Cultural Appropriation: Promoting Cultural Sensitivity.
• Ethical Consumerism: Making Informed Choices.
• Media Bias: Promoting Objective Reporting.
• Animal Rights: Ethical Treatment and Welfare.
• Online Censorship: Balancing Free Speech and Regulations.
• Genetic Engineering: Ethical Implications and Regulations.
• Work-Life Balance: Corporate Policies for Better Harmony.
• Privacy in the Digital Age: Ethical Considerations.
• Artificial Intelligence: Addressing Ethical Concerns.
• Cultural Preservation: Respecting and Protecting Heritage.

Easy Problem Solution Topics For an Essay

Selecting an easy topic for a problem-solving essay is a strategic process that can significantly streamline your writing phase. Which topic is specific enough for a good problem-and-solution essay? To identify such a topic, begin by reflecting on common challenges faced in everyday life, whether they pertain to personal, community, or global issues. An easy topic often lies in an area where you have personal experience or interest, as this familiarity can provide a wealth of insights and ready solutions. Additionally, consider issues with widespread impact yet are manageable in scope, ensuring that your essay can propose realistic and achievable solutions. Researching current events and trends can also unveil relevant and engaging topics, yet not overly complex, making them ideal candidates for a concise and focused essay. Here are 20 easy problem and solution topics:

• Reducing Stress in College: Time Management Strategies.
• Healthy Eating on a Budget: Accessible Nutrition.
• Overcoming Procrastination: Effective Techniques.
• Managing Social Media Use: Finding a Healthy Balance.
• Improving Sleep Quality: Strategies for Better Rest.
• Balancing School and Work: Time Management Tips.
• Reducing Screen Time: Encouraging Outdoor Activities.
• Dealing with Bullying in Schools: Prevention and Intervention.
• Encouraging Physical Activity: Community Fitness Programs.
• Improving Reading Habits: Encouraging Literary Engagement.
• Enhancing Community Safety: Neighborhood Watch Programs.
• Reducing Littering: Effective Waste Management.
• Coping with Anxiety: Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques.
• Promoting Environmental Awareness: Educational Campaigns.
• Addressing Teen Smoking: Prevention and Education.
• Encouraging Volunteerism: Community Involvement Programs.
• Reducing Carbon Footprint: Sustainable Lifestyle Changes.
• Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking: Confidence Building.
• Enhancing Road Safety: Awareness and Enforcement.
• Promoting Cultural Understanding: Exchange Programs.

By aligning your selection with areas of personal insight or concern, you ease the research and writing process and infuse your essay with authenticity and enthusiasm.

Closing Note

In conclusion, problems and solutions examples offer a platform to address a plethora of issues, ranging from personal challenges to global concerns. The problem-solution paper topics listed in this article provide diverse issues to explore, offering opportunities for critical thinking and solution-focused writing. Whether you choose a complex global issue or a simpler, more relatable topic, the key is to present a well-researched problem and propose feasible and effective solutions. It is a problem-solving solution essay topic guide for college students guide. Thus, young people develop their writing skills through these essays and contribute their voices to ongoing discussions about important matters. Remember, every problem has a solution, and your essay could be the first step toward finding it.

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Problem-solution essays Situation-problem-solution-evaluation

Problem-solution essays are a common essay type, especially for short essays such as subject exams or IELTS . The page gives information on what they are , how to structure this type of essay, and gives an example problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and fitness levels.

What are problem-solution essays?

Problem-solution essays consider the problems of a particular situation, and give solutions to those problems. They are in some ways similar to cause and effect essays , especially in terms of structure (see below). Problem-solution essays are actually a sub-type of another type of essay, which has the following four components:

The 'situation' may be included in the essay prompt, in which case it will not be needed in the main body. If it is needed, it can often be included in the introduction, especially for short essays, as with the example essay below . The 'evaluation' may be included as part of the conclusion (also as in the example below), or omitted altogether, especially for short essays. For these reasons, problem-solution essays are more common than situation-problem-solution-evaluation essays (or SPSE essays).

There are two main ways to structure a problem-solution essay. These are similar to the ways to structure cause and effect essays , namely using a block or a chain structure. For the block structure, all of the problems are listed first, and all of the solutions are listed afterwards. For the chain structure, each problem is followed immediately by the solution to that problem. Both types of structure have their merits. The former is generally clearer, especially for shorter essays, while the latter ensures that any solutions you present relate directly to the problems you have given.

The two types of structure, block and chain , are shown in the diagram below. This is for a short essay, which includes the 'situation' in the introduction and 'evaluation' in the conclusion. A longer essay, for example one of around 1,000 words, with citations , would probably have these two sections as separate paragraphs in the main body.

Example essay

Below is a problem-solution essay on the topic of obesity and poor fitness . It uses the block structure . Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes) to highlight the different structural aspects in this essay, i.e. Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation. This will highlight not simply the paragraphs, but also (for problems and solutions) the thesis statement and summary , as these repeat the problems and solutions contained in the main body.

Consumption of processed and convenience foods and our dependence on the car have led to an increase in obesity and reduction in the fitness level of the adult population. In some countries, especially industrialized ones, the number of obese people can amount to one third of the population. This is significant as obesity and poor fitness lead to a decrease in life expectancy , and it is therefore important for individuals and governments to work together to tackle this issue and improve their citizens' diet and fitness. Obesity and poor fitness decrease life expectancy. Overweight people are more likely to have serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, which can result in premature death. It is well known that regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, which means that those with poor fitness levels are at an increased risk of suffering from those problems. Changes by individuals to their diet and their physical activity can increase life expectancy. There is a reliance today on the consumption of processed foods, which have a high fat and sugar content. By preparing their own foods, and consuming more fruit and vegetables, people could ensure that their diets are healthier and more balanced, which could lead to a reduction in obesity levels. In order to improve fitness levels, people could choose to walk or cycle to work or to the shops rather than taking the car. They could also choose to walk up stairs instead of taking the lift. These simple changes could lead to a significant improvement in fitness levels. Governments could also implement initiatives to improve their citizens' eating and exercise habits. This could be done through education, for example by adding classes to the curriculum about healthy diet and lifestyles. Governments could also do more to encourage their citizens to walk or cycle instead of taking the car, for instance by building more cycle lanes or increasing vehicle taxes. While some might argue that increased taxes are a negative way to solve the problem, it is no different from the high taxes imposed on cigarettes to reduce cigarette consumption. In short, obesity and poor fitness are a significant problem in modern life, leading to lower life expectancy . Individuals and governments can work together to tackle this problem and so improve diet and fitness . Of the solutions suggested, those made by individuals themselves are likely to have more impact, though it is clear that a concerted effort with the government is essential for success. With obesity levels in industrialized and industrializing countries continuing to rise, it is essential that we take action now to deal with this problem.

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Below is a checklist for the main body of an essay. Use it to check your own writing, or get a peer (another student) to help you.

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Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 22 January 2022.

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Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

The Definitive Guide to Writing a Problem Solution Essay

06 February, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

In this article, we cover the basics of problem solution essay writing. We will explain what a problem and solution essay is in academic and straightforward terms. We shall also cover the four essential components that make this essay coherent. With these four components in mind, we will offer guidance on the outline structure and provide some general writing tips on research and problem solving, as well as some topics and essay samples.

What is a Problem Solution Essay?

A problem solution essay is a staple of humanities and social science subjects. These essays cover a pressing issue, examine how it causes problems, and offer solutions to these problems. The topic for problem solution essay papers can be incredibly diverse. The problem could be local, regional, or global. It could affect a wide range of people or be part of the discourse on an arcane and obscure aspect of computing.

If you are wondering how to write a problem solution essay, look no further than its name. The core of a problem solution essay is in the title. In this type of essay, a problem is presented, and a solution is offered. Doing this well requires presenting the issue in an audience-appropriate way and then offering solutions that thoroughly negate any critiques of those solutions. 

4 Components of a Problem Solution Essay

In a problem and solution essay, the following aspects must be included:  

• The Situation: this opening part is where the foundation of the problem lies. It is not an introduction in the sense that you may be familiar with or an abstract that covers the entirety of your thesis. Rather, it is a short and straightforward briefing that will make a layperson familiar with the situation at hand.
• The Problem: this part provides specifics of the problem. Detailed dissections of evidence take place here; we’ll summarise those later in the evaluation section. 
• The Solution: this component covers push-back specific solutions you may encounter. Part of a correct answer is thinking of your opponents’ perspectives and ensuring that they address their assumptions and points.
• The Evaluation: in this section, it is crucial to write with brevity and wit; this will make your position memorable. Readers will often remember the last part of essays they read, so make sure it represents a microcosm of your essay as a whole. 

These components are the essence of the structure required in a problem solution essay. The actual structure you will work with will require a finer granulation of sections. For instance, in the solution section, the critiques will also need to have a review applied, demonstrating their lack of applicability or irrelevance. 

Problem Solution Essay Outline

The best guide for a problem solution essay outline is the four components mentioned above. Cover the situation, the problem, the solution, and then evaluate both or all sides of the story. 

To drill down further into the outline, you should have an introduction that will set out your paper’s structure. Then you should present the situation. Keep this section free from emotive language. Use it to ensure the reader has all the facts, and imagine that you want everyone reading the paper to be on a level playing field in terms of knowledge and framing of the problem.

In the problem section, you must explain why there is a particular issue. At this point in your essay, ensure that you do not leave the door open to other causes of the problem. Find ways to make the problem something that the reader cares about and wants to solve, but beware of assuming the reader is on your side simply because you’ve said some things and made some points. 

Once the situation has been explained, and the problem elucidated, present your solution. It  should use evidence, and you should be able to explain how it directly relates to the question.  Don’t use ad hominem attacks or go polemic. Unravel the problem with your solution. Take it to step by step and keep your writing composed.

In the evaluation section, you should find your argument’s weaknesses and the views that find fault with your solution.

How To Find Solutions to Your Problems

You can find solutions to your problems by researching them; someone will have asked the question before, or one very similar to it. You can talk to your peers and even conduct polls on social media to gauge the public’s position on various solutions. 

Another way of finding solutions include flipping your perspective. Take the position of the other side and see the world through their gaze. By putting yourself in the opponent’s shoes, you can see weaknesses in your ideas and perhaps adjust them to take on more relevance to more people or factor in an aspect that you had overlooked.

Ultimately, the best way to find solutions is to read and read some more. Try looking in your library if you prefer books to the internet, but don’t leave Google out of it. Using the search engine correctly, you can dig up all kinds of books, papers, and presentations that will be very useful in your studies.

Problem Solution Essay Topics

The list of problem solution essay topics is very long. As mentioned earlier, the problem can be a local issue, affecting a specific demographic or being universal. Regardless of the topic you choose, there are another million waiting for an answer.

To start you off, the climate crisis is an excellent area for debate. 

• How do we deal with stranded assets in the fossil fuel industry and financial sector? 
• What should the laws be surrounding new cars run on petrol and diesel? 
• How should electrification be carried out in developing nations? Is a carbon tax a viable way to reduce emissions? 

Other problem solution essay ideas might include social media’s effect on dopamine levels, gerrymandering in electoral districts, or the working week’s length. 

Problem Solution Essay Examples

Reading previous papers is a fantastic method to improve your grades. Study essays that get top marks and some of the ones which get lower marks. The difference will be apparent in their vocabulary, logic, and evidence. Read a few problem solution essay sample papers but don’t plagiarize them; always cite your sources. Here are a few examples to help you get started: 

https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/essays/problemsolution/  

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/problem-solution-essays.html  

Writing Tips for a Problem Solution Essay

An essay is a complex task to complete. That’s why it’s useful to break down the whole into several steps. 

Step one is to conduct some thorough research and planning. If you have free choice over the problem at hand, then start by brainstorming some groups you belong to and decide whether they’re officially mandated ones like a sports team or a club, or broader, like your sex, gender, nationality, or language grouping.

After this, jot down some issues in the groups. Are you struggling to manage the payment plan for your sports hall? Has there been an instance of bullying or shaming in your school? With the topic in mind, move onto research. 

When researching your topic, it’s always useful to remember that there is nothing new under the sun. It is almost definite that similar problems have arisen before, and most solutions already exist.

Then, conduct and compose a literature review on the topic. A literature review is an excellent addition to your essay as a standalone section. It helps to situate your issue within the world and builds relations to other similar problems. 

You may think you have nothing to say about the problem or find it hard to justify your opinion. Well, in the problem solution essay, your voice matters. Always try to back up what you’re saying through evidence and try not to stray into writing a polemic. Yet, passion and emotion are useful tools for framing the problem. Just try not to make these responses the whole essay.

As far as solving problems goes, you can use some general mechanics to come up with solutions. The following paragraphs will present some of these logical mechanics; feel free to use them in your writing:

• Add something new: this solution works when something is lacking. The problem may be a lack of funding, equipment, or motivation. The assumed problem when using this angle of attack is that there is a lack of resources available. Concrete examples of this could include more teaching assistants in education, longer opening hours at a library, or more significant legislation to protect the environment.
• Remove something: this is the inverse of the previous point. Inversing is a useful strategy for thinking about problems in general. If something is too crowded or too busy, it might be a solution to limit exposure to something and devise a solution. 
• Education: learning is a more specific aspect of ‘adding something’; it presupposes that a lack of information and awareness is the cause of the problem. If people had this knowledge, the theory goes that the issue would disappear or reduce because people could make informed decisions and correct their behavior.
• Enforcement: if something like school rules, or even the law, is being ignored, proper enforcement might be a solution. Enforcement has its own sets of problems. This angle is an excellent way to write an unfolding and varied essay as it requires lots of discussion around proper enforcement. Making people do things they don’t want to do is a tricky situation and is riddled with structural and psychological issues.
• Compromising: proposing compromise through mediation or bi-partisan effort is another complex solution. To work effectively, it has to involve people who possess robust negotiation techniques. But settlements happen all the time, so they’re a powerful solution to many problems. It may be useful to learn about zero-sum and relative issues to argue this case correctly.
• A change in leadership: leaders can become stale and cumbersome; they may get weighed down by responsibility and have a low tolerance for change. Although, many problems require systemic changes, such as the climate crisis. With an established leader in charge, progress could be slow as they may be blinkered by their position. In this case, they are proposing an election or vote of confidence as a solution that can break the deadlock and offer people a chance to voice their concerns through voting.

One could surmise that the problem and solution essay is an incredibly relevant style of writing. By dissecting an issue and coming up with solutions, you learn a skill that is useful in many careers and practices. But writing one effectively requires both passion and perseverance; writing about topics that move us, though letting the fire burn too brightly, can put readers off or lead them to ignore their blind spots. 

Follow the structures set out above and make sure to proofread your essays before submission. Finding a good editor is always a positive step; they can help to rephrase your words so that your argument comes across more fluently. 

Writing drafts is good practice, although not always possible due to time constraints. Ideally, you should work through two drafts before submitting a final piece; if the essay makes up a small part of your overall grade, adjust the drafting process accordingly. 

Write a Problem Solution Essay with HandmadeWriting

Problem solution writing has been speaking truth to power for millennia. HandmadeWriting loves seeking solutions as much as it loves a simple academic essay or lab report. It’s hard to become a good essay writer without getting critical at times. That’s why we pride ourselves on producing some of the most compelling content around. So be the next one to enjoy our writing and get an A+ for it.

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Problem Solution Essay Examples

A problem-solution essay presents a complicated case and brainstorms its possible solutions. Most such tasks will require you to do some preliminary research.

The structure of this writing type is different from a standard five-paragraph essay. Start with introducing the circumstances where the problem emerged. Then describe the issue and mention why its resolution is critical. After that, suggest one or several solutions (they usually take up the main body paragraphs). And conclude with an evaluation and call for action.

You can consult problem solution essay examples for free to see how other high-school and college students dealt with the assignment.

316 Best Problem Solution Essay Examples

Effects of information literacy on scholarship, practice and leadership in teaching profession.

• Subjects: Education Education Issues

Communication Barriers in the King Abdullah Scholarship Program

• Subjects: Politics & Government Public Administration Activity
• Words: 1142

Opportunity Development Through Corporate Venturing

• Subjects: Business Marketing
• Words: 2786

Dairy Crest Company’s Balanced Scorecard

• Subjects: Business Case Study
• Words: 4025

Responsible Factors for Climate Change

• Subjects: Climate Change Environment
• Words: 2807

Asylum Seekers in Australia

• Subjects: Immigration Sociology
• Words: 1689

The Curriculum and Instruction Specialization

• Subjects: Curriculum Development Education

Customer Relationship Management Systems

• Subjects: Business Management

Handling a Depressed Youth

• Subjects: Psychological Issues Psychology

Fundamentals of Fashion and Design

• Subjects: Business Industry
• Words: 3162

Solving the Issue of Crime

• Subjects: Crime Theories Law

Ethical Issues in Supervision of Postgraduate Research Students

• Words: 2213

Customer Service as a Part of Business Strategy

• Words: 3403

Maggie: A Girl of the Streets

• Subjects: American Literature Literature

Donaldson Family Foods Management

• Subjects: Business Company Structure
• Words: 1207

Strategic Business Plan: Small Size Dog Boarding Business

• Subjects: Business Strategy
• Words: 2000

CNN’s Service Offerings and Differentiation Strategy

• Words: 2232

Consideration for Ethics and Diversity Proposal

• Subjects: Business Business Ethics

Project Management: Green Fashion Store

• Words: 1975

Road Traffic Accidents: Epidemiology of an Injury

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Public Health
• Words: 1755

Nicos Canine Hotel – Financial Plan

• Words: 1723

Aquatic Life in Indiana

• Subjects: Ecology Environment
• Words: 1393

Fossil Fuel, Nuclear Energy, and Alternative Power Sources

• Subjects: Engineering Tech & Engineering

Strategic Planning: Starbucks

Nursing shortage problem.

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Nursing
• Words: 1406

Performance Appraisal System Adoption

• Subjects: Business Management Theories

Change Management at the BITEME

• Words: 2676

ABC marketing Company Recruitment and Selection Processes

• Words: 1659

The Workforce Merging: Sandstone University and Redbrick Institute

• Words: 2888

Operations Management Strategies at Arnold Palmer Hospital

• Words: 3088

Change Management in Recruitment

• Words: 3340

TMO Analysis: “Wave and Wind in One”, Emerging Technology by Floating Power Plant

• Words: 3861

Cybercrime: Gary McKinnon’s Hacking Event

• Subjects: Criminology Law
• Words: 2316

Financial Fraud Phenomenon and Its Major Types

• Subjects: Business & Corporate Law Law
• Words: 1777

Ethical Issues in Apple Inc.

• Words: 1957

Tourism Contribution to Poverty Reduction

• Subjects: Effects of Tourism Tourism
• Words: 2255

Strategic Thinking and Strategic Leadership

• Words: 5481

Addressing the Nurse Shortage

• Words: 4453

Web Presence Creation in Business

• Subjects: Internet Tech & Engineering
• Words: 1323

Farm Standard Council Case: Cost Allocation

Red bull company marketing strategy.

• Words: 3305

Conflicts in the Business Communication

• Subjects: Business Business Communication

Health Issues: Designing Senior Environments

• Subjects: Sociological Issues Sociology
• Words: 1672

Introducing E-Waste Management Course in the College

• Subjects: Education Educational Stages
• Words: 2206

Management Issues: Effective Team Formation

Project management – the development of hotel x.

• Subjects: Project Management Tech & Engineering

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

• Subjects: Behavior Psychology
• Words: 2753

Observing the Team: When Efficiency Depends on Team Control

Managing contemporary warehouses.

• Subjects: Business Logistics
• Words: 1392

Kuwait’s Desert Pollution

• Subjects: Environment Planet Protection
• Words: 1092

Tesco Strategic Decisions

• Words: 1958

An Exploration of the Application of Environmental Ethical Thought to Animal Rights

• Words: 2798

Customer Satisfaction Management

• Subjects: Consumer Science Economics
• Words: 3170

Organizational Culture, Its Missions and Objectives

• Subjects: Culture Multiculturalism

Marketing Plan for Quikfix Integrated Glucose Meter and Insulin Pump by Medtronic’s Inc. Company

• Words: 1628

The Incident Command System: High-Reliability Organizing Tasks

• Subjects: Government Politics & Government

Multicultural Education in the Classroom

• Subjects: Culture and Education Education

Ancol Pty Ltd Management Issues

Enormous challenge in agility dgs.

• Words: 1100

Leadership Decisions and Globalization

• Words: 1216

Discouraging and Eliminating Cyber Bullying

• Subjects: Cyber Security Tech & Engineering

Environmental Friendly Strategy for Quality Computers Limited

• Words: 2200

Organ and Blood Donation

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Surgery

Is Virtue Ethics Dead in Modern Organizations?

• Words: 2408

Recommendations on Reversing Change Errors

• Words: 1678

Organisational Behaviour: Job Satisfaction

Planning financial strategies.

• Subjects: Economics Regulation of Finance

Technology Failure in Business

Change management plan.

• Words: 2588

Innovative Services: Emirates Airline

Business failure and its prevention.

• Words: 1653

The Unequal Distribution of the Ill-health Burden

• Words: 1436

Host Country Analysis and International HRM Issues

• Words: 2358

Capital Mortgage Insurance Corporation

The conflict between boston charter schools and school districts.

• Words: 2214

Wawa: Supply Change Management

Waste management in australia.

• Subjects: Environment Recycling

The Asian-Pacific Region and Australia

• Subjects: International Relations Politics & Government
• Words: 3359

Abuse of Using Drug Medicine in UAE

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Pharmacology

Arabtec Operation Management Project

• Words: 2245

Reform of Education in California

• Subjects: Education Education Perception
• Words: 1125

Union National Bank: Big Data Application

• Subjects: Economics Finance
• Words: 3300

E-Commerce System for a Clothing Company in Abu Dhabi

• Words: 2836

Creating a Comprehensive Sustainability Practices

Bmw entry plan into international market.

• Words: 2537

New Ideas for Improving the Company

• Words: 1407

Marketing Strategy for a Multinational Company

• Words: 1369

Waste Disposal of Victoria City

New governance in the european union.

• Words: 3323

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to Rogue States and International Terrorists

• Words: 2491

“Clarke: Transformation for Environmental Sustainability” by Laszlo, McCabe, Aheam and Ghatde

• Subjects: Environment Environmental Studies

Employee Health and Safety at Goliath Gold Mine

• Words: 2875

Route-to-Market Methods and Strategies

• Words: 3438

Giving Performance Feedback

The standards of risk management.

• Subjects: Business Risk Management

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• The Ultimate Guide to Write Effective Problem Solution Essay
• Mastering The Art of Academic Essay Writing With Examples

Problem-solution essay is a common type of expository essay in academic writing. These essays are usually assigned to students in higher levels of education because they require effective research on the topic before providing foolproof solutions to the problems.

Table of Contents

• What is a problem-solution essay
• Structure of a problem-solving essay
• Introduction element:hook
• Introduction element:background brief
• Introduction element: thesis statement
• Introduction element: outline
• Body paragraph of a problem-solution essay
• Conclusion of a problem-solution essay

If you are also a student, there are possibilities that you will also get the task of writing an essay for a college/school assessment. Most probably you have gotten one and that’s why you are here we guess.

Besides, we know that researching and writing a problem and solution essay can be a head-scratcher sometimes. Moreover, students often get confused with the structure, thesis statement, and what to write in the body paragraphs of a problem solution essay. Lack of proper knowledge in writing a good problem and solution essay could result in lower credits.

However, before writing a problem solution essay, it is essential to identify the right problem that needs to be discussed in the essay. For this, you need to effectively brainstorm some of the ideas and then choose the right problems to address unless the topic is already assigned by your professors.

Now that you have effectively chosen a good topic for writing, you must go through a stepwise approach for writing an impressive problem solution essay. So, before starting to write an essay, it is essential to know what exactly is a problem-solution essay.

What is a problem-solution essay?

As the name suggests, a problem solution essay offers the solutions to a specific problem discussed in the essay. The problem solution essay intends to present either multiple solutions to a single problem or one ideal solution to the problem discussed in the essay.

In the book, Fusion: Integrated Reading and Writing (2016), the author Dave Kemper defined a problem-solving essay, “This sort of essay involves argumentation in that the writer seeks to convince the reader to take a particular course of action. In explaining the problem, it may also need to persuade the reader concerning specific causes”. To understand the problem-solving essay more comprehensively, let’s have a look at some of the example topics of problem-solving essays.

• Elaborate on some of the effective solutions to reduce poverty.
• Describe solutions to the problem of rising drug abuse in adolescents.
• Elucidate the measure that can be taken to prevent human trafficking.

To continue, as seen in the above examples, some critical social problems are addressed and effective solutions need to be presented. Problems can be complex social issues like drug abuse or environmental problems like climate change that concern the entire planet. In most problem-solution essays, the problems are peculiar and have large scale implications.

But in order to effectively present a problem and its foolproof solutions, it is necessary to follow the right structure of writing a good problem solution essay. So, let’s get started with the structure.

How to structure the problem-solving essay?

Giving the right structure to an essay is an important aspect of writing a good essay because the better the structure, the more easily your reader or audience can navigate through your essay. In the case of a problem or solution essay, the structure is even more important because through the right structure only, your audience would be able to understand the given problem and your provided solutions more effectively.

In the problem solution essays, the structure is quite similar to the other essays that start with an essay introduction and is followed by body paragraphs and conclusions. To simplify, the standard structure of a problem solution consists of four paragraphs in which the introduction usually starts with asking a question that reflects the main problem. Along with this, the introduction also consists of the outline and the thesis statement of the essay.

Following the introduction, as per standard structuring, there will be two body paragraphs in which one will talk about the problem while the paragraph will present the solutions. The number of paragraphs containing the problem and solution can be extended as per the desired length of the essay. In the end, the conclusion of the essay will be provided that will sum up the key arguments. Let us delve into the introduction of a problem- solution essay.

How to write the introduction of a problem-solving essay?

An introduction is an important aspect of an essay because through an impressive introduction only, you will be able to convince your readers to read your essay till the end. In the case of a problem-solving essay, your introduction should be engaging enough to give a clear idea to the readers about the given problem/situation and whom the problem majorly impacts.

However, while writing an introduction there are a few other important aspects that need to be taken into consideration.

The crucial aspect is that your introduction should always contain

• Background information
• Thesis statement

That being said, the further sections will deliberately explain all the elements one by one to give you a clear picture of writing essays. Besides, every section will contain a sample element of the essay topic: Elaborate on some of the effective solutions to reduce poverty.

Explanation through an example will assist you in better understanding how to write each element meticulously. So, let’s move ahead without further ado.

Introduction element: Hook of a problem-solving essay

A hook is a very first and crucial element of writing an engaging essay introduction. Its presence in the introduction of the essay will assist you in intriguing the curiosity of the reader that will encourage them to read till the end.

Besides, the hook in the introduction of a problem-solving essay could be of various types. It can be a fun fact/claim or an astonishing statistic that directly points toward the problem which will assist in grabbing the attention of the reader from the very beginning.

Besides, in the case of a problem solution essay, you can also create a hook by asking valid questions related to the problem discussed in the essay to involve your reader in your essay as well. As per our example, the sample hook is given below.

Sample hook

Approximately 85% of the world is currently living on less than $30 per day. More than two-thirds of the same lives on less than $10 per day. Moreover, every 10th person survives on less than $1.90 per day (Roser & Ortiz-Ospina, 2022).

After hooking the readers on interesting information, it is time to give background information about the problem.

Introduction element: Background brief of a problem-solving essay

The background information will be provided to make your readers understand the context of the essay. In the case of a problem solution essay, you will provide background information about the problem that will clearly answer a few of the given questions below.

• What is the problem?
• How big is the problem?
• Whom does the problem majorly affect?

Background information will assist the readers in understanding the urgency of the problem and will also highlight the major reason behind the need for highlighting the problem. In accordance with our example, the sample background information is given below.

Sample background brief

Poverty is becoming a global issue and every coming day; the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. Hence making progress against poverty is becoming one of the most urgent goals of the globe today. People lying in the poor category often face challenges like hunger, less access to education, sanitation issues, and much poorer health.

After giving the readers the background information, it is now time to give the thesis statement of the problem solution essay.

Introduction element: The thesis statement of a problem-solving essay

The thesis statement refers to the brief summary of the central idea of the essay that is usually included at the end of the introduction before the outline of an essay. A thesis statement in a problem solution essay can be of two to three lines but irrespective of the length of the thesis statement, your thesis statement needs to clearly include,

• Why is it a problem?
• How does this problem impact the readers?
• Why does this problem need to be solved?

Moreover, the thesis statement should naturally highlight a brief summary of the solutions that would be highlighted later in the discussion. However, the thesis statement does not need to present detailed solutions. In the case of our example of the sample essay, the thesis statement in the problem solution essay is given below.

Sample thesis statement

Poverty is still a problem because it brings other problems such as malnutrition, and sanitation issues along. It also hinders the growth of developed and developing nations which directly impacts the lives of other people as well. Alleviation of poverty will ensure enhanced living standards for the people and will provide them with better growth opportunities.

Following the thesis statement, the last paragraph highlights the outline of the essay.

Introduction element: Outline of a problem-solving essay

The outline of the essay is the last paragraph of the introduction that will deliberately guide your readers toward the main body paragraphs of the essay. In the case of a problem solution essay, it is a kind of roadmap that will further guide your readers on the given problem and solutions they will encounter in the body paragraphs of the essay respectively.

However, it is essential to note that the outline should always summarize the solutions rather than discuss them in detail.

Sample outline

In this essay, firstly different problems that occur from poverty will be discussed in the essay, along with some of the statistics validating the issue. Secondly, the essay will possess some of the main causes of the problem. Lastly, different solutions will be discussed in the essay that can assist in reducing global poverty.

After the meticulous explanation, comes the body paragraphs of the essay.

How to write the body paragraph of a problem solution essay?

Body paragraphs are the cornerstone of the essay that requires the utmost research and attention to detail. There can be multiple paragraphs or even more depending upon the overall length requirement of the essay. You can choose to present the body paragraphs in two ways, block or point-by-point.

The block method in a problem solution essay refers to describing the problem first and then presenting all the required solutions. Whereas the point-by-point method in a problem-solution essay refers to presenting all the problems and solutions simultaneously rather than going through all problems and all solutions separately. In writing the body paragraph of the problem solution essay, you need to keep the 3 Es in mind which stands for explain, expand, and example.

To elaborate, in each paragraph you will start by explaining the topic sentence. This topic sentence will underline the problem or the solution that will be discussed in the paragraph. After explaining the topic sentence, you will elaborate your point by validly expanding the topic sentence and supporting the topic sentence by giving evidence (if possible).

For example, if you are describing the problem, you will use some statistics or research to validate the problem. Other than that, if you are providing a solution, you will use stats or research to validate how your given solution is the most effective remedy. Lastly, you can provide examples in the cases to explain the topic sentence more effectively.

Besides, the last line of the paragraph will be the transition sentence forming cohesion between the current paragraph and the next paragraph describing whether your next paragraph will present another aspect of the problem or will discuss the solution.

Following the example of our topic, below given is the example of a body paragraph using the chain method explaining poverty as a problem, first.Following the example of our topic, below given is the example of a body paragraph using the chain method explaining poverty as a problem, first.

Sample body paragraph

Poverty is a concept that is more than about lack of income and productive resources to ensure that are required to ensure good and sustainable livelihoods. Poverty also brings along poor mental and physical effects like hunger, malnutrition, and limited access to education. Along with this, poverty also brings ensures humans depriving of basic services access which has also resulted in social, political, and economic discrimination. This burden of poverty has excluded many people and deprived them of participating in various decision-making processes. Hence, it is essential to discuss the various possible solutions and act upon them to eradicate poverty effectively.

How to write the conclusion of a problem solution essay?

Lastly, the conclusion is the last paragraph that will wind up your whole essay in the end. While writing the conclusion, firstly, you will restate the thesis statement. Further than that, in a problem solution essay, it is always better to conclude with an intriguing statement that leaves your reader thinking more about the problem further and makes an impactful ending.

Sample conclusion

To conclude, sometimes all it takes is a small effort from external factors to kickstart the alleviation of poverty by giving some cashflow maintenance to the people living under the poverty line. Hence, the need is to effectively understand the problem and make small changes to implement the solutions and make the world free of poverty.

To encapsulate, if you keep all the above-given tips and tricks given in the guide in mind before writing the problem-solving essay, we are sure that you will be able to write a problem-solving essay like a pro.

Recommended readings

How to write cause and effect essay

A complete guide to writing a narrative essay

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Problem Solution Essay

Problem-Solution Essay - Writing Guide, Topics, & Examples!

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Feeling stuck when it comes to writing a solid problem-solution essay?

You're not alone—many students find it challenging. This essay type requires careful consideration and skillful execution, which isn’t always easy.

But fret not! This guide is your go-to solution. We've got all the crucial steps, structures, and examples to make essay writing a breeze for you.

So, keep reading!

• 1. What is a Problem-Solution Essay?
• 2. Problem Solution Essay Structure
• 3. How to Write a Problem-Solution Essay?
• 4. Problem-Solution Essay Example 
• 5. Problem Solution Essay Topics
• 6. Problem Solution Essay Checklist

What is a Problem-Solution Essay?

A problem-solution essay is a form of persuasive writing that delves into a specific issue, providing a detailed examination of the problem and proposing effective solutions. 

Unlike other essay types, it places a strong emphasis on presenting practical remedies to real-world problems. 

The main aim is not just to explain the problem but to get readers interested in practical solutions. This makes it a unique and impactful type of academic writing.

Why Write a Problem Solution Essay 

There are significant reasons to write a problem solution essay. First and foremost, this type of writing encourages the practical application of knowledge . You are required to address real-world issues and propose practical solutions. This helps develop a deeper sense of the problems around you.

Additionally, this process refines analytical skills , encourages you to approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset.

Also, working on a problem-solution essay helps you become better at communicating . You have to explain complicated problems and solutions in a way that's clear and easy to understand.

Writing problem solution essays is more than just an academic essay exercise. It serves as a platform for intellectual growth, developing a practical and impactful approach to societal challenges.

Problem Solution Essay Structure

In crafting a problem-solution essay, the structure plays a pivotal role in presenting ideas coherently and persuasively. 

Two commonly used structures for this type of essay are the block structure and the chain structure. Each has its unique approach to organizing information, offering writers flexibility in presenting their analysis and proposed solutions.

Block Structure

The block structure, also known as the whole-to-whole or one-side-at-a-time structure, is a straightforward organizational method. 

In this type of structure, the writer dedicates separate blocks of text to first presenting the problem comprehensively. The solutions to the problems are presented in the next sections subsequently. 

This structure allows for a clear separation between the problem and solution sections, providing a systematic and easy-to-follow presentation.

Here is an outline for block structure problem-solution essay:

Chain Structure

Contrasting the block structure, the chain structure takes an interconnected approach. 

In this format, the essay addresses a specific problem and promptly proposes a solution. 

The pattern repeats as each problem is introduced, followed immediately by its corresponding solution. This structure aims to maintain a continuous and engaging flow, presenting a transition between problems and solutions. 

Here is a chain structure template:

How to Write a Problem-Solution Essay?

A problem solution essay requires taking a systematic approach. Here are the basic steps for writing this type of essay:

Step 1 - Topic Selection

Choosing the right topic is the first crucial step in writing a problem-solution essay. Pick a real-world issue that genuinely interests you. 

Consider problems that have personal significance or affect your community. The goal is to engage with a problem that allows for meaningful discussion and exploration.

Step 2 - Understanding the Problem

Before diving into solutions, take the time to fully grasp the intricacies of the problem at hand. 

Research the issue thoroughly, aiming to comprehend its various aspects and implications. This step is essential for presenting a well-informed analysis in your essay, ensuring a solid foundation for proposing solutions.

Step 3 - Explore Viable Solutions

Once you've identified and understood the problem, brainstorm possible solutions. 

Think about practical, achievable, and effective ways to address the issue. Consider different angles and perspectives, aiming for solutions that are not only feasible but also have the potential to make a positive impact in real-world scenarios.

Step 4 - Create an Outline

Organize your thoughts and structure your essay by creating a clear outline. 

Allocate specific sections for introducing the problem, proposing solutions, and crafting a conclusion. A well-organized outline serves as a roadmap, guiding you through each step of the writing process.

Step 5 - Write the Introduction

Begin your essay with a captivating introduction . Start with an attention-grabbing hook that draws your reader in. 

Clearly state the problem, emphasizing its significance. Conclude the introduction with a concise thesis statement that outlines the solutions you will explore in the essay.

Step 6 - Craft Body Paragraph

Dedicate individual paragraphs to each problem and its corresponding solution. Elaborate on the details of the problem and present practical solutions. 

Support your ideas with examples, evidence, or real-life scenarios. This section forms the core of your essay, providing a comprehensive exploration of the issues at hand.

Step 7 - Address Possible Objections

Acknowledge and address potential counterarguments to your proposed solutions. 

Anticipating objections adds depth to your essay, showcasing a thorough consideration of alternative viewpoints. By addressing possible objections, you strengthen the overall persuasiveness of your solutions.

Step 8 - Conclude The Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points without introducing new information. Reinforce the importance of the proposed solutions and leave a lasting impression. 

Consider ending with a call to action or a thought-provoking statement that resonates with your reader. The conclusion should provide a sense of closure to your essay.

Problem-Solution Essay Example 

We know that writing this kind of essay could be a challenge. Here are some problem solution essay samples:

Problem Solution Essay Sample PDF

Financial Problem Solution Essay

Garbage Problem Solution Essay

Problem Solution Essay IELTS

Problem Solution Essay Topics

When picking a topic for your problem-solution essay, think about a few important things. 

Choose something that matters to your audience and is important in society right now. Pick issues that really affect people or communities and need attention. 

Make sure the problem can be realistically solved with practical solutions. Here is a list of problem solution essay topics you can use:

• Tobacco should be banned to control lung cancer. Discuss.
• Obesity is caused by genetically modified and processed food. Discuss the solution.
• Movie scripts should be censored to control violence in youth. Discuss.
• How to tackle the lack of resources in urban homeless shelters?
• Government should propose some policies to deal with illegal immigration. Discuss.
• How can we use social media to improve awareness?
• Propose some ways to keep your friends and family safe.
• College students in the United States are overburdened with homework.
• How to improve the quality of education in high school?
• Providing equal opportunities to under-privileged children is important. Discuss.

These are some good problem-solution topics that you can tweak to use as your own. 

Problem Solution Essay Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your problem solution essay is well-crafted and effective:

So, wrapping up, with this guide and checklist, you can now write a problem-solution essay that fulfills its purpose. Just remember to be clear, practical, and interesting. 

But if you still feel unsure or want extra help, our professional essay writing service is here for you. 

Our experts know how to handle any type of essay, making sure it's top-notch. If you need that extra boost, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We're here to make sure your essay shines and gets the job done.

So, why wait? Place your order today!

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Problem-Solution Essay | Definition & Example

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Juliann Urban has taught high school English and has previously held the positions of English tutor for at-risk high school students and lead teacher at a private K-12 tutoring center. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in secondary education from Governors State University, an associate in arts degree from Moraine Valley Community College, and a professional educator license with senior high and middle school language arts endorsements.

• Instructor Rachel Noorda

How do you write a problem-solution essay?

A problem-solution essay should have three components that are addressed in three separate body paragraphs. First, describe the problem and incorporate facts and statistics. Second, explain the solution and incorporate research as needed. Third, evaluate the outcome if the solution has been tested or anticipate what the outcome would be if it has not.

What is a problem-solution example?

Problem-solution examples can include almost anything, but they often cover current political, social, or environmental issues. Topics include reducing air pollution, childhood obesity, and domestic violence.

Table of Contents

What is a problem-solution essay, how to write a problem-solution essay, problem-solution essay example, lesson summary.

A problem-solution essay , or problem-solving essay, is an essay that identifies a problem or issue and argues a potential solution to the problem. It is similar to a persuasive essay in that the writer is attempting to convince the reader of the seriousness of the problem and the effectiveness of the solution.

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How does one write a problem-solution essay? Generally, there are three components to a problem-solution essay: describing the problem , explaining the solution , and evaluating the outcome . These three components are addressed in three separate paragraphs in the main body of the essay. As with most essays, the problem-solution essay begins with an introductory paragraph and ends with a concluding paragraph; the main body is sandwiched between the two. Therefore, the completed essay has five paragraphs.

Describe the Problem

First, one must choose a problem to address in the essay. Typically, writers choose to address current societal or political problems, such as substance abuse, environmental pollution , childhood obesity, etc. It is recommended that the writer chooses a problem that he or she feels strongly about and has some familiarity with. Writing is easier when the topic is one that matters to the writer, and researching is easier when the writer has some background knowledge on the topic.

As previously mentioned, the writer must do research or gather information on the problem. During this process, the writer should focus on finding facts or statistics that prove or demonstrate the seriousness of the chosen problem. For example, if the essay addresses prescription drug abuse, facts must be gathered on the number of people addicted to prescription drugs; the rate at which prescription drug abuse has risen over the years; the effects of prescription drug abuse on the users, their families, and society; and so on. Once the research is complete, the writer can begin drafting the essay.

In the first body paragraph of the essay, the writer describes the nature of the problem while incorporating facts and statistics that were gathered during the research portion. The goal is to adequately persuade the reader of the severity or seriousness of the problem, especially if it is a problem that is not well-known or represented.

Explain the Solution

A solution is a way to solve a problem. Most problems can be solved in more than one way. Depending on the assignment's parameters, the writer will either list the various solutions or choose what he or she believes is the best solution to the problem. Types of solutions include:

• Making adaptions to the current situation
• Making compromises
• Making, changing, or enforcing laws
• Creating something new
• Educating the public or persons involved
• Electing new leaders or people to be in charge
• Making additions to something or eliminating things

Returning to the problem of prescription drug abuse, there are many possible solutions. Stricter laws could be passed to make the drugs more difficult to obtain, the public could be better educated on the propensity to become addicted to prescription drugs, or more rehabilitation centers that focus primarily on prescription drug abuse could be made available.

In the second body paragraph, the writer states the solutions or best solution, explains why those or that particular solution(s) would be effective, and uses facts and statistics to support his or her opinion.

Evaluate the Outcome

To evaluate the outcome means to determine the result. Did the solution(s) solve the problem? If it is possible for the writer to test the solution and evaluate the outcome firsthand, the findings are reported in this section of the essay, the third body paragraph. However, if the writer is not able to test the solution, as in the prescription drug abuse problem discussed throughout this lesson, the writer should explain why he or she thinks the solution would work. For example, the writer could theorize that making addictive prescription drugs more difficult to attain would lessen the number of people who become addicted.

The writer should also admit any negative outcomes that could arise, such as chronic pain sufferers not receiving access to drugs they need. However, the writer should make arguments that prove the positives outweigh the negatives and include ways that these negative outcomes could be avoided.

Here is a pared-down version of a problem-solution essay example that contains the three components discussed in the previous sections.

Introduction

When people hear the words ''drug addict'' they likely envision someone who is addicted to illicit or street drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, or crack cocaine. After all, these drugs are often the focus of drug raids and confiscations and their users are the targets of drug enforcement officers. Drug awareness education programs of the past primarily focused on abstaining from street drugs. While the focus was on these illicit drugs, a new type of drug addiction was forming—prescription drug addiction. Prescription drug addiction has become a crisis in this country, and a solution must be implemented quickly.

• This introduction contains the necessary elements: it begins by grabbing the attention of the reader, gives some background information on the topic, and ends with a thesis statement that states what will be argued in the essay.

Describe the Problem (Body Paragraph 1)

To begin, it is important to clarify the difference between drug abuse or misuse and drug addiction. Drug abuse or misuse involves using a drug in a way other than directed, such as taking more than the prescribed dose. Drug addiction stems from drug misuse and abuse, but an addict's brain has undergone changes that make him or her unable to quit using the drug. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, more than sixteen million Americans, age 13 and up, misuse or abuse prescription drugs. Two million of those drug abusers are addicted. This indicates...

• The problem is described and facts and figures are provided as evidence. This paragraph is off to a good start, but it needs more information to adequately convince the reader of the problem.

Explain the Solution (Body Paragraph 2)

The first step to solving the problem of prescription drug addiction is to prevent the abuse of misuse of prescription drugs by children. Parents need to make their children aware that drugs prescribed by doctors can be just as harmful as conventional street drugs. Parents should be honest about the risks of abusing or misusing drugs they, the children, have been prescribed and taking drugs that have been prescribed to other people. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 35% of teenagers who misuse prescription drugs say they believe that prescription drugs are safer than illicit drugs. Therefore...

• One solution to the problem is explained and relevant facts and figures are included. This paragraph does a good job of introducing a solution to the problem, but it either needs more information about the one solution or additional solutions.

Evaluate the Outcome (Body Paragraph 3)

Preventing the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs by children will not solve the prescription drug addiction crisis, but it is one of the simplest solutions of which every parent can be a part. By openly communicating with their children about the dangers of misusing prescription drugs, parents will prevent some children from misusing, abusing, and eventually becoming addicted to prescription drugs. There will still be children who misuse prescription drugs despite their parents' warnings, but there will also be many children who choose not to misuse drugs because of the knowledge their parents have shared with them. In fact...

• The solution for this essay has not been tested, so the writer theorizes why it would work. The writer acknowledges that the solution is not perfect, but continues to argue that the solution is better than no solution.

The prescription drug crisis is a serious problem that has many solutions. Solving the prescription drug crisis will not be easy, but one effective way for parents to prevent their children from becoming addicted to prescription drugs is by parents having conversations about the topic with their children. Parents, who are children's first role models, have the ability to provide this information to their children before they begin misusing or abusing drugs and before they have become addicted. After all, each of those two million addicts is someone's child.

• The conclusion restates the thesis statement, summarizes the main points of the essay, and ends with something thought-provoking.

A problem-solution essay is an essay that identifies a problem or issue and argues a potential solution to the problem. Some problem and solution examples are substance abuse, environmental pollution, childhood obesity, etc. There are three components to a problem-solution essay: describing the problem, explaining the solution, and evaluating the outcome.

The first component is describing the problem . The writer chooses a problem, researches and gathers information (facts and statistics), and incorporates it into the first body paragraph. The second component is explaining the solution . Types of solutions include making adaptions to the current situation; making compromises; making, changing, or enforcing laws; or creating something new. In the second body paragraph, the writer either states the solutions or the best solution, explains why they/it would be effective, and incorporates research to prove it. The third component is evaluating the outcome . If the solution has been tested, the writer should report the outcome in the third body paragraph; if it has not, the writer should explain why he or she believes the outcome would be favorable. As in the problem and solution essay examples in the section above, the essay should also begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion.

A problem-solution essay is an essay that uses analysis of problems and solutions to argue a point. Here we will focus on the specific strategies that can be used to develop a problem-solution essay. In particular, there are three strategies that will be useful for writing a problem-solution essay:

• Describing the problem
• Explaining the solution
• Evaluating the outcome

Describing the Problem

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines problem as 'a source of perplexity, distress, or vexation'. We try to find solutions to problems to make that perplexity, distress, or vexation go away. Let's say that the problem you are given is to write a problem-solution essay on prescription drug abuse. The first thing you would want to do is do your research and gather facts and evidence. You want as much information as possible so that you can describe the problem in detail. How many deaths each year are the result of prescription drug abuse? How many people in the United States are addicted to prescription drugs? What types of prescription drugs are most abused and why are they harmful? Once you have gathered all of this information, then you can accurately and thoroughly describe the problem.

Explaining the Solution

A solution is a plan of action that will eliminate the problem. There is not only one solution to any given problem; there are many solutions. As you write your problem-solution essay, you will need to remember that there is more than one solution to any problem. Your task is to choose the solution that you think is best and then explain why that solution is the best one. There are various 'types' of solutions. Here are a few to get you thinking:

• Adding or taking something away
• Making or enforcing laws
• Building something new
• Compromising
• Adapting the current situation
• Changing leadership or attitudes

If we use prescription drug use again as the example, there could be several solutions to the problem. One solution could be that people should be better educated on the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Another solution could be to create more and better rehabilitation facilities for prescription drug users. Finally, a solution could also be to pass and enforce stricter laws that make it harder to obtain and refill prescription drugs. Any one of these solutions could be the one you choose, but you will need to explain why you chose that solution and support it with facts and evidence.

Evaluating the Outcome

Once you have a problem and a solution, you need to illustrate the outcome , or result, of the solution to the problem. If you are able to test out the solution, then you can evaluate why the solution did or did not work. But for some problems, you will not be able to test out your solutions, so you should evaluate why you think it would work and what potential obstacles or barriers to the solution you might foresee.

This lesson has discussed three strategies for writing problem-solution essays : describing the problem , explaining the solution , and evaluating the outcome . If you use these three strategies, you will be well on your way to creating a coherent and effective problem-solution essay.

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Composition Type: Problem-Solution Essays

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In composition , using a problem-solution format is a method for analyzing and writing about a topic by identifying a problem and proposing one or more solutions. A problem-solution essay is a type of argument. "This sort of essay involves argumentation in that the writer seeks to convince the reader to take a particular course of action. In explaining the problem, it may also need to persuade the reader concerning specific causes" (Dave Kemper et al., "Fusion: Integrated Reading and Writing," 2016).

The Thesis Statement

In many types of report writing, the thesis statement is posed front and center, in one sentence. Author Derek Soles writes about how the thesis statement in a problem-solution paper differs from a straight "report of findings" type of text:

"[One]  expository  mode is the problem-solution essay, topics for which are typically framed in the form of questions. Why did fourth-graders from poor families score low on a nationwide math test, and how can educators improve math education for this group? Why is Iran a threat to our national security, and how can we reduce this threat? Why did it take the Democratic Party so long to select a candidate for the 2008 presidential election, and what can the party do to make the process more efficient in the future? These essays have two parts: a full explanation of the nature of the problem, followed by an analysis of solutions and their likelihood of success."

("The Essentials of Academic Writing," 2nd ed. Wadsworth, Cengage, 2010)

Readers need additional context before you get to your thesis, but that is not to say that the thesis has to be posed as a question in the introduction:  

"In a problem-solution essay, the thesis statement usually proposes the solution. Because readers must first understand the problem, the thesis statement usually comes after a description of the problem. The thesis statement does not have to give details about the solution. Instead, it summarizes the solution. It should also lead naturally to the body of the essay, preparing your reader for a discussion of how your solution would work."

(Dorothy Zemach and Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz, "Writers at Work: The Essay." Cambridge University Press, 2008)

Sample Introductions

It can be helpful to see completed examples before writing in order to examine what makes for an effective piece. See how these introductions give some context before posing the topic and lead naturally into the body paragraphs, where the evidence will be listed. You can imagine how the author has organized the rest of the piece.

"We buried my cousin last summer. He was 32 when he hanged himself from a closet coat rack in the throes of alcoholism, the fourth of my blood relatives to die prematurely from this deadly disease. If America issued drinking licenses, those four men—including my father, who died at 54 of liver failure—might be alive today."

(Mike Brake, "Needed: A License to Drink."  Newsweek , March 13, 1994)

"America is suffering from overwork. Too many of us are too busy, trying to squeeze more into each day while having less to show for it. Although our growing time crunch is often portrayed as a personal dilemma, it is, in fact, a major social problem that has reached crisis proportions over the past twenty years."

(Barbara Brandt, "Whole Life Economics: Revaluing Daily Life." New Society, 1995)

"The modern-day apartment dweller is faced with a most annoying problem: paper-thin walls and sound-amplifying ceilings. To live with this problem is to live with the invasion of privacy. There is nothing more distracting than to hear your neighbors' every function. Although the source of the noise cannot be eliminated, the problem can be solved."

(Maria B. Dunn, "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor: The Problem of Noise")

Organization

In "Passages: A Writer's Guide, " how to organize a problem-solution paper is explained:  

"Though to some extent [your organization of the paper] depends on your topic, do make sure that you include the following information:

Introduction: Identify the problem in a nutshell. Explain why this is a problem, and mention who should be concerned about it.

Problem Paragraph(s): Explain the problem clearly and specifically. Demonstrate that this is not just a personal complaint, but a genuine problem that affects many people.

"Solution Paragraph(s): Offer a concrete solution to the problem, and explain why this is the best one available. You may want to point out why other possible solutions are inferior to yours. If your solution calls for a series of steps or actions to be followed, present these steps in a logical order.

"Conclusion: Reemphasize the importance of the problem and the value of your solution. Choose a problem that you have experienced and thought about—one that you have solved or are in the process of solving. Then, in the essay itself, you may use your own experience to illustrate the problem. However, don't focus all the attention on yourself and on your troubles. Instead, direct the essay at others who are experiencing a similar problem. In other words, don't write an I essay ('How I Cure the Blues'); write a you essay ('How You Can Cure the Blues')."

(Richard Nordquist, Passages: A Writer's Guide , 3rd ed. St. Martin's Press, 1995)

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45 Research Problem Examples & Inspiration

A research problem is an issue of concern that is the catalyst for your research. It demonstrates why the research problem needs to take place in the first place.

Generally, you will write your research problem as a clear, concise, and focused statement that identifies an issue or gap in current knowledge that requires investigation.

The problem will likely also guide the direction and purpose of a study. Depending on the problem, you will identify a suitable methodology that will help address the problem and bring solutions to light.

Research Problem Examples

In the following examples, I’ll present some problems worth addressing, and some suggested theoretical frameworks and research methodologies that might fit with the study. Note, however, that these aren’t the only ways to approach the problems. Keep an open mind and consult with your dissertation supervisor!

Psychology Problems

1. Social Media and Self-Esteem: “How does prolonged exposure to social media platforms influence the self-esteem of adolescents?”

• Theoretical Framework : Social Comparison Theory
• Methodology : Longitudinal study tracking adolescents’ social media usage and self-esteem measures over time, combined with qualitative interviews.

2. Sleep and Cognitive Performance: “How does sleep quality and duration impact cognitive performance in adults?”

• Theoretical Framework : Cognitive Psychology
• Methodology : Experimental design with controlled sleep conditions, followed by cognitive tests. Participant sleep patterns can also be monitored using actigraphy.

3. Childhood Trauma and Adult Relationships: “How does unresolved childhood trauma influence attachment styles and relationship dynamics in adulthood?

• Theoretical Framework : Attachment Theory
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative measures of attachment styles with qualitative in-depth interviews exploring past trauma and current relationship dynamics.

4. Mindfulness and Stress Reduction: “How effective is mindfulness meditation in reducing perceived stress and physiological markers of stress in working professionals?”

• Theoretical Framework : Humanist Psychology
• Methodology : Randomized controlled trial comparing a group practicing mindfulness meditation to a control group, measuring both self-reported stress and physiological markers (e.g., cortisol levels).

5. Implicit Bias and Decision Making: “To what extent do implicit biases influence decision-making processes in hiring practices?

• Theoretical Framework : Cognitive Dissonance Theory
• Methodology : Experimental design using Implicit Association Tests (IAT) to measure implicit biases, followed by simulated hiring tasks to observe decision-making behaviors.

6. Emotional Regulation and Academic Performance: “How does the ability to regulate emotions impact academic performance in college students?”

• Theoretical Framework : Cognitive Theory of Emotion
• Methodology : Quantitative surveys measuring emotional regulation strategies, combined with academic performance metrics (e.g., GPA).

7. Nature Exposure and Mental Well-being: “Does regular exposure to natural environments improve mental well-being and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression?”

• Theoretical Framework : Biophilia Hypothesis
• Methodology : Longitudinal study comparing mental health measures of individuals with regular nature exposure to those without, possibly using ecological momentary assessment for real-time data collection.

8. Video Games and Cognitive Skills: “How do action video games influence cognitive skills such as attention, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving?”

• Theoretical Framework : Cognitive Load Theory
• Methodology : Experimental design with pre- and post-tests, comparing cognitive skills of participants before and after a period of action video game play.

9. Parenting Styles and Child Resilience: “How do different parenting styles influence the development of resilience in children facing adversities?”

• Theoretical Framework : Baumrind’s Parenting Styles Inventory
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative measures of resilience and parenting styles with qualitative interviews exploring children’s experiences and perceptions.

10. Memory and Aging: “How does the aging process impact episodic memory , and what strategies can mitigate age-related memory decline?

• Theoretical Framework : Information Processing Theory
• Methodology : Cross-sectional study comparing episodic memory performance across different age groups, combined with interventions like memory training or mnemonic strategies to assess potential improvements.

Education Problems

11. Equity and Access : “How do socioeconomic factors influence students’ access to quality education, and what interventions can bridge the gap?

• Theoretical Framework : Critical Pedagogy
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative data on student outcomes with qualitative interviews and focus groups with students, parents, and educators.

12. Digital Divide : How does the lack of access to technology and the internet affect remote learning outcomes, and how can this divide be addressed?

• Theoretical Framework : Social Construction of Technology Theory
• Methodology : Survey research to gather data on access to technology, followed by case studies in selected areas.

13. Teacher Efficacy : “What factors contribute to teacher self-efficacy, and how does it impact student achievement?”

• Theoretical Framework : Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory
• Methodology : Quantitative surveys to measure teacher self-efficacy, combined with qualitative interviews to explore factors affecting it.

14. Curriculum Relevance : “How can curricula be made more relevant to diverse student populations, incorporating cultural and local contexts?”

• Theoretical Framework : Sociocultural Theory
• Methodology : Content analysis of curricula, combined with focus groups with students and teachers.

15. Special Education : “What are the most effective instructional strategies for students with specific learning disabilities?

• Theoretical Framework : Social Learning Theory
• Methodology : Experimental design comparing different instructional strategies, with pre- and post-tests to measure student achievement.

16. Dropout Rates : “What factors contribute to high school dropout rates, and what interventions can help retain students?”

• Methodology : Longitudinal study tracking students over time, combined with interviews with dropouts.

17. Bilingual Education : “How does bilingual education impact cognitive development and academic achievement?

• Methodology : Comparative study of students in bilingual vs. monolingual programs, using standardized tests and qualitative interviews.

18. Classroom Management: “What reward strategies are most effective in managing diverse classrooms and promoting a positive learning environment?

• Theoretical Framework : Behaviorism (e.g., Skinner’s Operant Conditioning)
• Methodology : Observational research in classrooms , combined with teacher interviews.

19. Standardized Testing : “How do standardized tests affect student motivation, learning, and curriculum design?”

• Theoretical Framework : Critical Theory
• Methodology : Quantitative analysis of test scores and student outcomes, combined with qualitative interviews with educators and students.

20. STEM Education : “What methods can be employed to increase interest and proficiency in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields among underrepresented student groups?”

• Theoretical Framework : Constructivist Learning Theory
• Methodology : Experimental design comparing different instructional methods, with pre- and post-tests.

21. Social-Emotional Learning : “How can social-emotional learning be effectively integrated into the curriculum, and what are its impacts on student well-being and academic outcomes?”

• Theoretical Framework : Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Theory
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative measures of student well-being with qualitative interviews.

22. Parental Involvement : “How does parental involvement influence student achievement, and what strategies can schools use to increase it?”

• Theoretical Framework : Reggio Emilia’s Model (Community Engagement Focus)
• Methodology : Survey research with parents and teachers, combined with case studies in selected schools.

23. Early Childhood Education : “What are the long-term impacts of quality early childhood education on academic and life outcomes?”

• Theoretical Framework : Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
• Methodology : Longitudinal study comparing students with and without early childhood education, combined with observational research.

24. Teacher Training and Professional Development : “How can teacher training programs be improved to address the evolving needs of the 21st-century classroom?”

• Theoretical Framework : Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
• Methodology : Pre- and post-assessments of teacher competencies, combined with focus groups.

25. Educational Technology : “How can technology be effectively integrated into the classroom to enhance learning, and what are the potential drawbacks or challenges?”

• Theoretical Framework : Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)
• Methodology : Experimental design comparing classrooms with and without specific technologies, combined with teacher and student interviews.

Sociology Problems

26. Urbanization and Social Ties: “How does rapid urbanization impact the strength and nature of social ties in communities?”

• Theoretical Framework : Structural Functionalism
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative surveys on social ties with qualitative interviews in urbanizing areas.

27. Gender Roles in Modern Families: “How have traditional gender roles evolved in families with dual-income households?”

• Theoretical Framework : Gender Schema Theory
• Methodology : Qualitative interviews with dual-income families, combined with historical data analysis.

28. Social Media and Collective Behavior: “How does social media influence collective behaviors and the formation of social movements?”

• Theoretical Framework : Emergent Norm Theory
• Methodology : Content analysis of social media platforms, combined with quantitative surveys on participation in social movements.

29. Education and Social Mobility: “To what extent does access to quality education influence social mobility in socioeconomically diverse settings?”

• Methodology : Longitudinal study tracking educational access and subsequent socioeconomic status, combined with qualitative interviews.

30. Religion and Social Cohesion: “How do religious beliefs and practices contribute to social cohesion in multicultural societies?”

• Methodology : Quantitative surveys on religious beliefs and perceptions of social cohesion, combined with ethnographic studies.

31. Consumer Culture and Identity Formation: “How does consumer culture influence individual identity formation and personal values?”

• Theoretical Framework : Social Identity Theory
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining content analysis of advertising with qualitative interviews on identity and values.

32. Migration and Cultural Assimilation: “How do migrants negotiate cultural assimilation and preservation of their original cultural identities in their host countries?”

• Theoretical Framework : Post-Structuralism
• Methodology : Qualitative interviews with migrants, combined with observational studies in multicultural communities.

33. Social Networks and Mental Health: “How do social networks, both online and offline, impact mental health and well-being?”

• Theoretical Framework : Social Network Theory
• Methodology : Quantitative surveys assessing social network characteristics and mental health metrics, combined with qualitative interviews.

34. Crime, Deviance, and Social Control: “How do societal norms and values shape definitions of crime and deviance, and how are these definitions enforced?”

• Theoretical Framework : Labeling Theory
• Methodology : Content analysis of legal documents and media, combined with ethnographic studies in diverse communities.

35. Technology and Social Interaction: “How has the proliferation of digital technology influenced face-to-face social interactions and community building?”

• Theoretical Framework : Technological Determinism
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative surveys on technology use with qualitative observations of social interactions in various settings.

Nursing Problems

36. Patient Communication and Recovery: “How does effective nurse-patient communication influence patient recovery rates and overall satisfaction with care?”

• Methodology : Quantitative surveys assessing patient satisfaction and recovery metrics, combined with observational studies on nurse-patient interactions.

37. Stress Management in Nursing: “What are the primary sources of occupational stress for nurses, and how can they be effectively managed to prevent burnout?”

• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative measures of stress and burnout with qualitative interviews exploring personal experiences and coping mechanisms.

38. Hand Hygiene Compliance: “How effective are different interventions in improving hand hygiene compliance among nursing staff, and what are the barriers to consistent hand hygiene?”

• Methodology : Experimental design comparing hand hygiene rates before and after specific interventions, combined with focus groups to understand barriers.

39. Nurse-Patient Ratios and Patient Outcomes: “How do nurse-patient ratios impact patient outcomes, including recovery rates, complications, and hospital readmissions?”

• Methodology : Quantitative study analyzing patient outcomes in relation to staffing levels, possibly using retrospective chart reviews.

40. Continuing Education and Clinical Competence: “How does regular continuing education influence clinical competence and confidence among nurses?”

• Methodology : Longitudinal study tracking nurses’ clinical skills and confidence over time as they engage in continuing education, combined with patient outcome measures to assess potential impacts on care quality.

Communication Studies Problems

41. Media Representation and Public Perception: “How does media representation of minority groups influence public perceptions and biases?”

• Theoretical Framework : Cultivation Theory
• Methodology : Content analysis of media representations combined with quantitative surveys assessing public perceptions and attitudes.

42. Digital Communication and Relationship Building: “How has the rise of digital communication platforms impacted the way individuals build and maintain personal relationships?”

• Theoretical Framework : Social Penetration Theory
• Methodology : Mixed methods, combining quantitative surveys on digital communication habits with qualitative interviews exploring personal relationship dynamics.

43. Crisis Communication Effectiveness: “What strategies are most effective in managing public relations during organizational crises, and how do they influence public trust?”

• Theoretical Framework : Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)
• Methodology : Case study analysis of past organizational crises, assessing communication strategies used and subsequent public trust metrics.

44. Nonverbal Cues in Virtual Communication: “How do nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and gestures, influence message interpretation in virtual communication platforms?”

• Theoretical Framework : Social Semiotics
• Methodology : Experimental design using video conferencing tools, analyzing participants’ interpretations of messages with varying nonverbal cues.

45. Influence of Social Media on Political Engagement: “How does exposure to political content on social media platforms influence individuals’ political engagement and activism?”

• Theoretical Framework : Uses and Gratifications Theory
• Methodology : Quantitative surveys assessing social media habits and political engagement levels, combined with content analysis of political posts on popular platforms.

Before you Go: Tips and Tricks for Writing a Research Problem

This is an incredibly stressful time for research students. The research problem is going to lock you into a specific line of inquiry for the rest of your studies.

So, here’s what I tend to suggest to my students:

• Start with something you find intellectually stimulating – Too many students choose projects because they think it hasn’t been studies or they’ve found a research gap. Don’t over-estimate the importance of finding a research gap. There are gaps in every line of inquiry. For now, just find a topic you think you can really sink your teeth into and will enjoy learning about.
• Take 5 ideas to your supervisor – Approach your research supervisor, professor, lecturer, TA, our course leader with 5 research problem ideas and run each by them. The supervisor will have valuable insights that you didn’t consider that will help you narrow-down and refine your problem even more.
• Trust your supervisor – The supervisor-student relationship is often very strained and stressful. While of course this is your project, your supervisor knows the internal politics and conventions of academic research. The depth of knowledge about how to navigate academia and get you out the other end with your degree is invaluable. Don’t underestimate their advice.

I’ve got a full article on all my tips and tricks for doing research projects right here – I recommend reading it:

• 9 Tips on How to Choose a Dissertation Topic

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Forest Schools Philosophy & Curriculum, Explained!
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Montessori's 4 Planes of Development, Explained!
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Home — Essay Types — Problem Solution Essay

Problem Solution Essay Examples

Choosing the right problem solution essay topics can make a significant difference in the quality of your work and your overall success.

The choice of your problem solution essay topics for college students is crucial because it sets the tone for your entire essay. A well-chosen topic not only makes your essay more engaging but also facilitates the research and writing process. It allows you to explore a subject you're passionate about while demonstrating your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Choosing a Problem Solution Essay Topic

Before we delve into the problem solution essay topics list, let's discuss some essential factors to consider when making your selection:

• Relevance: Choose a topic that is relevant to your course or field of study. It should align with your academic goals and interests.
• Feasibility: Ensure that your chosen problem has a realistic solution. Avoid topics with overly complex or unsolvable issues.
• Significance: Select a topic that addresses a real-world problem or issue. It should be something that matters to your audience and society as a whole.
• Personal Interest: Opt for a topic that genuinely interests you. Your enthusiasm will shine through in your writing and make the essay more enjoyable for both you and your readers.
• Availability of Information: Check if there is enough research material available on your chosen topic. Having access to credible sources is essential for building a strong argument.

15 Unique Problem Solution Topics for Essay

Now that we've covered the importance of choosing the right topic, let's explore 15 unique topics for problem solution essay that you can consider for your next assignment:

• Combating Cyberbullying in Schools
• Reducing Food Waste: A Sustainable Solution
• Promoting Mental Health Awareness Among Teens
• The Opioid Epidemic: Finding a Path to Recovery
• Problems and Solutions of Procrastination Regarding Time Management
• Tackling Air Pollution in Urban Areas
• Overcoming the Digital Divide in Education
• Addressing Youth Unemployment
• Social Media is The Reason for Many of The World’s Problems and Solutions
• Combating Gender Inequality in the Workplace
• Bullying in Schools: A Comprehensive Approach
• Sustainable Agriculture: Feeding the Future
• The Aging Population: Meeting Healthcare Needs
• Curbing Plastic Pollution: A Global Responsibility
• Effective Parenting in the Digital Age

10 Problem Solution Persuasive Speech Topics

These problem solution persuasive speech topics are aimed at persuading the audience to consider and support specific solutions to pressing issues:

• Combating Online Harassment
• Addressing the Mental Health Crisis
• Tackling Childhood Obesity
• Ensuring Affordable Healthcare for All
• Solving the Student Loan Crisis
• Curbing Youth Unemployment: Job Opportunities
• Reversing Climate Change: Renewable Energy
• Implementing Sensible Gun Control Measures
• Supporting Food Security Initiatives
• Promoting Gender Equality in the Workplace

Selecting the right problem solution essay topic is the first step towards crafting a compelling and impactful essay. Remember to consider relevance, feasibility, significance, personal interest, and the availability of information when making your choice. Once you've chosen a topic from our list or been inspired to come up with your own, you're well on your way to crafting a thought-provoking essay that offers solutions to real-world problems.

A problem solution essay is an analytical piece of writing that describes a problem or issue and proposes well-researched, viable solutions. Students are often tasked with writing these essays, as they require critical thinking to develop a thorough understanding of the problem and present solutions supported by evidence. This guide will outline the key steps for writing an excellent problem solution essay, using a problem solution essay example and relevant analysis to illustrate the process.

Introduction to the Problem Solution Essay 

A problem solution essay identifies an issue or problem and aims to persuade readers that solutions exist to resolve it. The essay should outline the problem in the introduction, analyze its causes and effects, propose realistic solutions backed by research, recommend the best solution, and issue a call to action to implement the solution. Transitions should connect each section seamlessly. A strong conclusion reiterates the solutions and urges change.

Problem solution essays tackle current social, political, economic, or environmental issues facing society rather than personal problems. The writer’s aim is to bring awareness and understanding to the problem while convincing readers of the feasibility and necessity of the solution. If you’re looking for practical guidance, you can find problem and solution essay examples to further illustrate these concepts and improve your own writing.

Selecting a Topics for a Problem Solution Essay

Choosing an engaging topic is crucial to writing an interesting problem solution essay. The topic should be focused, address a current issue, and offer realistic solutions. Here are some productive categories to consider:

• Political, Social, or Environmental Issues

Examples include poverty, gender inequality, pollution, global warming, public health, etc. Provide well-researched data and expert analysis of the origins and development of the issue.

• Everyday Problems 

Topics like traffic congestion, lack of recycling, childhood obesity, high cost of college, boredom and stress in school, etc. connect with readers’ daily lives. Support causes and effects with surveys and statistics.

• Hypothetical Situations

Speculative topics imagine an unfavorable scenario like all energy sources disappearing or aliens attacking Earth. Explore imaginative preventative solutions supported by logic and reason.

Avoid overly broad or vague topics without clear solutions. Select issues that really spark your interest as your enthusiasm will show in your writing.

Components of a Problem Solution Essay

• Engaging Introduction. Open with a thought-provoking statistic, question, anecdote, or fact about the problem. Foreshadow the solutions and briefly state the call to action.
• Background on the Problem. Provide detailed facts, data, history, and context. Analyze the causes, effects, and current status through research. Use sources like academic studies, news articles, and surveys.
• Solutions Section. Brainstorm 2-3 attainable solutions. Logically analyze the pros and cons of each solution. Cite evidence on the feasibility or past successes of these approaches.
• Recommended Solution with Rationale. Choose one robust solution and argue convincingly why it is the best option based on your research in the previous section. Address opposing viewpoints.
• Persuasive Call to Action. Inspire readers to implement this solution through collective action. Describe specific steps readers can take. Share resources.
• Smooth Transitions. Use transition words like “First”, “However”, “Consequently”, “Therefore”, “On the other hand”, “For example”, “In conclusion” between ideas and sections.
• Impactful Conclusion. Restate the problem and solutions. Summarize your argument advocating for the best solution. End with a memorable final statement to motivate readers.

How to Write a Conclusion For problem Solution Essay 

Writing a conclusion for a problem solution essay involves summarizing the key points and providing a clear and compelling resolution to the problem discussed. Here are the three most important points to include in your conclusion:

Problem Solution Short Essay Example Analysis 

Here is an excerpt of a problem solution essay responding to the prompt : “Obesity is becoming an increasingly difficult problem across the globe. How can we combat this issue?”

> Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with rates doubling since 1980. A 2018 CDC study found that 40% of American adults are obese, causing chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer (Smith, 2019). We must take collective action to reverse this preventable health crisis through measures like sugar taxes, nutrition education, and access to healthy affordable foods.

> Implementing a sugar tax on sodas and junk food is an effective solution evidenced by results in countries like Mexico and Hungary where obesity rates declined after introducing taxes…[analysis of research studies]

This introduction hooks readers by stating a surprising fact about escalating obesity rates while foreshadowing solutions like a sugar tax. The background provides well-cited statistics demonstrating the scope of the problem through authoritative sources. The writer recommends the tax as the best solution based on concrete evidence. The sample essay follows the standard problem-solution structure and addresses the prompt appropriately.  

Problem Solution Essay Example

In this compilation, we present a selection of problem-solution essay examples . These essays offer practical insights into addressing various issues through persuasive arguments and proposed solutions. Explore these examples of problem-solution essays to grasp effective problem-solving techniques, innovative approaches, and persuasive writing strategies.

Problem Solution Essay: Additional Tips for Students

To summarize, here are some key tips for students writing problem solution essays:

✅ Select a focused, current issue for your topic with achievable solutions 

✅ Research extensively to understand the problem’s origins, effects, key stakeholders etc.

✅ Brainstorm innovative but realistic solutions supported by facts, statistics, expert data and case studies

✅ Recommend one solution using convincing evidence and address opposing viewpoints

✅ Persuade readers to take action through clear steps in your call to action

✅ Use transitions, precise language, and an organized structure

✅ Proofread carefully and check formatting requirements

By following these guidelines, students can produce compelling problem solution essays on topics that really resonate with their interests. The professional structure and tips provided above will help tackle these academically challenging essays effectively.

Homelessness Problem Solution

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What is a problem solution essay?

An essay that identifies the problem or an issue, providing several ways to resolve it. A typical problem solution essay example is river pollution or youth gang problems. Include a description of a problem with statistical data or references. As a rule, a solution is offered with due analysis. All problems and solutions examples must include strong argumentation and references.

How to write a problem solution essay?

An introduction part must provide information about the issue and explain why it matters. Provide a list of solutions or mention a methodology. Good problem solution essay topics analyze the strengths and weaknesses of existing solutions by coming to a conclusion and a list of recommendations. Remember about references and backing up your argumentation with evaluation in the Conclusion part.

How do I choose a good topic for a problem solution essay?

Focus on a current issue that interests you and has viable solutions. Avoid topics that are too broad or have no clear remedies. Select locally relevant problems or hypothetical scenarios.

What makes a good thesis statement for a problem solution essay?

Your thesis should identify the problem and the solution(s) you will argue for in the essay. Keep it concise, focused, and clear.

What types of evidence should I use to support my solutions?

Reference studies, statistics, expert opinions, case studies, logical reasoning, analogies, and anecdotes that build a strong case for your solution

The most popular topics for Problem Solution Essay

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• Gun Violence
• Teenage Pregnancy
• Consumerism
• Human Trafficking
• Domestic Violence

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A research problem is a definite or clear expression [statement] about an area of concern, a condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or within existing practice that points to a need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation. A research problem does not state how to do something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value question. In the social and behavioral sciences, studies are most often framed around examining a problem that needs to be understood and resolved in order to improve society and the human condition.

Bryman, Alan. “The Research Question in Social Research: What is its Role?” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10 (2007): 5-20; Guba, Egon G., and Yvonna S. Lincoln. “Competing Paradigms in Qualitative Research.” In Handbook of Qualitative Research . Norman K. Denzin and Yvonna S. Lincoln, editors. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994), pp. 105-117; Pardede, Parlindungan. “Identifying and Formulating the Research Problem." Research in ELT: Module 4 (October 2018): 1-13; Li, Yanmei, and Sumei Zhang. "Identifying the Research Problem." In Applied Research Methods in Urban and Regional Planning . (Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2022), pp. 13-21.

Importance of...

The purpose of a problem statement is to:

• Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied . The reader is oriented to the significance of the study.
• Anchors the research questions, hypotheses, or assumptions to follow . It offers a concise statement about the purpose of your paper.
• Place the topic into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated.
• Provide the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the study and explain how the findings will present this information.

In the social sciences, the research problem establishes the means by which you must answer the "So What?" question. This declarative question refers to a research problem surviving the relevancy test [the quality of a measurement procedure that provides repeatability and accuracy]. Note that answering the "So What?" question requires a commitment on your part to not only show that you have reviewed the literature, but that you have thoroughly considered the significance of the research problem and its implications applied to creating new knowledge and understanding or informing practice.

To survive the "So What" question, problem statements should possess the following attributes:

• Clarity and precision [a well-written statement does not make sweeping generalizations and irresponsible pronouncements; it also does include unspecific determinates like "very" or "giant"],
• Demonstrate a researchable topic or issue [i.e., feasibility of conducting the study is based upon access to information that can be effectively acquired, gathered, interpreted, synthesized, and understood],
• Identification of what would be studied, while avoiding the use of value-laden words and terms,
• Identification of an overarching question or small set of questions accompanied by key factors or variables,
• Identification of key concepts and terms,
• Articulation of the study's conceptual boundaries or parameters or limitations,
• Some generalizability in regards to applicability and bringing results into general use,
• Conveyance of the study's importance, benefits, and justification [i.e., regardless of the type of research, it is important to demonstrate that the research is not trivial],
• Does not have unnecessary jargon or overly complex sentence constructions; and,
• Conveyance of more than the mere gathering of descriptive data providing only a snapshot of the issue or phenomenon under investigation.

Bryman, Alan. “The Research Question in Social Research: What is its Role?” International Journal of Social Research Methodology 10 (2007): 5-20; Brown, Perry J., Allen Dyer, and Ross S. Whaley. "Recreation Research—So What?" Journal of Leisure Research 5 (1973): 16-24; Castellanos, Susie. Critical Writing and Thinking. The Writing Center. Dean of the College. Brown University; Ellis, Timothy J. and Yair Levy Nova. "Framework of Problem-Based Research: A Guide for Novice Researchers on the Development of a Research-Worthy Problem." Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline 11 (2008); Thesis and Purpose Statements. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Thesis Statements. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Selwyn, Neil. "‘So What?’…A Question that Every Journal Article Needs to Answer." Learning, Media, and Technology 39 (2014): 1-5; Shoket, Mohd. "Research Problem: Identification and Formulation." International Journal of Research 1 (May 2014): 512-518.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Types and Content

There are four general conceptualizations of a research problem in the social sciences:

• Casuist Research Problem -- this type of problem relates to the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing moral dilemmas through the application of general rules and the careful distinction of special cases.
• Difference Research Problem -- typically asks the question, “Is there a difference between two or more groups or treatments?” This type of problem statement is used when the researcher compares or contrasts two or more phenomena. This a common approach to defining a problem in the clinical social sciences or behavioral sciences.
• Descriptive Research Problem -- typically asks the question, "what is...?" with the underlying purpose to describe the significance of a situation, state, or existence of a specific phenomenon. This problem is often associated with revealing hidden or understudied issues.
• Relational Research Problem -- suggests a relationship of some sort between two or more variables to be investigated. The underlying purpose is to investigate specific qualities or characteristics that may be connected in some way.

A problem statement in the social sciences should contain :

• A lead-in that helps ensure the reader will maintain interest over the study,
• A declaration of originality [e.g., mentioning a knowledge void or a lack of clarity about a topic that will be revealed in the literature review of prior research],
• An indication of the central focus of the study [establishing the boundaries of analysis], and
• An explanation of the study's significance or the benefits to be derived from investigating the research problem.

NOTE:   A statement describing the research problem of your paper should not be viewed as a thesis statement that you may be familiar with from high school. Given the content listed above, a description of the research problem is usually a short paragraph in length.

II.  Sources of Problems for Investigation

The identification of a problem to study can be challenging, not because there's a lack of issues that could be investigated, but due to the challenge of formulating an academically relevant and researchable problem which is unique and does not simply duplicate the work of others. To facilitate how you might select a problem from which to build a research study, consider these sources of inspiration:

Deductions from Theory This relates to deductions made from social philosophy or generalizations embodied in life and in society that the researcher is familiar with. These deductions from human behavior are then placed within an empirical frame of reference through research. From a theory, the researcher can formulate a research problem or hypothesis stating the expected findings in certain empirical situations. The research asks the question: “What relationship between variables will be observed if theory aptly summarizes the state of affairs?” One can then design and carry out a systematic investigation to assess whether empirical data confirm or reject the hypothesis, and hence, the theory.

Interdisciplinary Perspectives Identifying a problem that forms the basis for a research study can come from academic movements and scholarship originating in disciplines outside of your primary area of study. This can be an intellectually stimulating exercise. A review of pertinent literature should include examining research from related disciplines that can reveal new avenues of exploration and analysis. An interdisciplinary approach to selecting a research problem offers an opportunity to construct a more comprehensive understanding of a very complex issue that any single discipline may be able to provide.

Interviewing Practitioners The identification of research problems about particular topics can arise from formal interviews or informal discussions with practitioners who provide insight into new directions for future research and how to make research findings more relevant to practice. Discussions with experts in the field, such as, teachers, social workers, health care providers, lawyers, business leaders, etc., offers the chance to identify practical, “real world” problems that may be understudied or ignored within academic circles. This approach also provides some practical knowledge which may help in the process of designing and conducting your study.

Personal Experience Don't undervalue your everyday experiences or encounters as worthwhile problems for investigation. Think critically about your own experiences and/or frustrations with an issue facing society or related to your community, your neighborhood, your family, or your personal life. This can be derived, for example, from deliberate observations of certain relationships for which there is no clear explanation or witnessing an event that appears harmful to a person or group or that is out of the ordinary.

Relevant Literature The selection of a research problem can be derived from a thorough review of pertinent research associated with your overall area of interest. This may reveal where gaps exist in understanding a topic or where an issue has been understudied. Research may be conducted to: 1) fill such gaps in knowledge; 2) evaluate if the methodologies employed in prior studies can be adapted to solve other problems; or, 3) determine if a similar study could be conducted in a different subject area or applied in a different context or to different study sample [i.e., different setting or different group of people]. Also, authors frequently conclude their studies by noting implications for further research; read the conclusion of pertinent studies because statements about further research can be a valuable source for identifying new problems to investigate. The fact that a researcher has identified a topic worthy of further exploration validates the fact it is worth pursuing.

III.  What Makes a Good Research Statement?

A good problem statement begins by introducing the broad area in which your research is centered, gradually leading the reader to the more specific issues you are investigating. The statement need not be lengthy, but a good research problem should incorporate the following features:

1.  Compelling Topic The problem chosen should be one that motivates you to address it but simple curiosity is not a good enough reason to pursue a research study because this does not indicate significance. The problem that you choose to explore must be important to you, but it must also be viewed as important by your readers and to a the larger academic and/or social community that could be impacted by the results of your study. 2.  Supports Multiple Perspectives The problem must be phrased in a way that avoids dichotomies and instead supports the generation and exploration of multiple perspectives. A general rule of thumb in the social sciences is that a good research problem is one that would generate a variety of viewpoints from a composite audience made up of reasonable people. 3.  Researchability This isn't a real word but it represents an important aspect of creating a good research statement. It seems a bit obvious, but you don't want to find yourself in the midst of investigating a complex research project and realize that you don't have enough prior research to draw from for your analysis. There's nothing inherently wrong with original research, but you must choose research problems that can be supported, in some way, by the resources available to you. If you are not sure if something is researchable, don't assume that it isn't if you don't find information right away--seek help from a librarian !

NOTE:   Do not confuse a research problem with a research topic. A topic is something to read and obtain information about, whereas a problem is something to be solved or framed as a question raised for inquiry, consideration, or solution, or explained as a source of perplexity, distress, or vexation. In short, a research topic is something to be understood; a research problem is something that needs to be investigated.

IV.  Asking Analytical Questions about the Research Problem

Research problems in the social and behavioral sciences are often analyzed around critical questions that must be investigated. These questions can be explicitly listed in the introduction [i.e., "This study addresses three research questions about women's psychological recovery from domestic abuse in multi-generational home settings..."], or, the questions are implied in the text as specific areas of study related to the research problem. Explicitly listing your research questions at the end of your introduction can help in designing a clear roadmap of what you plan to address in your study, whereas, implicitly integrating them into the text of the introduction allows you to create a more compelling narrative around the key issues under investigation. Either approach is appropriate.

The number of questions you attempt to address should be based on the complexity of the problem you are investigating and what areas of inquiry you find most critical to study. Practical considerations, such as, the length of the paper you are writing or the availability of resources to analyze the issue can also factor in how many questions to ask. In general, however, there should be no more than four research questions underpinning a single research problem.

Given this, well-developed analytical questions can focus on any of the following:

• Highlights a genuine dilemma, area of ambiguity, or point of confusion about a topic open to interpretation by your readers;
• Yields an answer that is unexpected and not obvious rather than inevitable and self-evident;
• Provokes meaningful thought or discussion;
• Raises the visibility of the key ideas or concepts that may be understudied or hidden;
• Suggests the need for complex analysis or argument rather than a basic description or summary; and,
• Offers a specific path of inquiry that avoids eliciting generalizations about the problem.

NOTE:   Questions of how and why concerning a research problem often require more analysis than questions about who, what, where, and when. You should still ask yourself these latter questions, however. Thinking introspectively about the who, what, where, and when of a research problem can help ensure that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of the problem under investigation and helps define the scope of the study in relation to the problem.

V.  Mistakes to Avoid

Beware of circular reasoning! Do not state the research problem as simply the absence of the thing you are suggesting. For example, if you propose the following, "The problem in this community is that there is no hospital," this only leads to a research problem where:

• The need is for a hospital
• The objective is to create a hospital
• The method is to plan for building a hospital, and
• The evaluation is to measure if there is a hospital or not.

This is an example of a research problem that fails the "So What?" test . In this example, the problem does not reveal the relevance of why you are investigating the fact there is no hospital in the community [e.g., perhaps there's a hospital in the community ten miles away]; it does not elucidate the significance of why one should study the fact there is no hospital in the community [e.g., that hospital in the community ten miles away has no emergency room]; the research problem does not offer an intellectual pathway towards adding new knowledge or clarifying prior knowledge [e.g., the county in which there is no hospital already conducted a study about the need for a hospital, but it was conducted ten years ago]; and, the problem does not offer meaningful outcomes that lead to recommendations that can be generalized for other situations or that could suggest areas for further research [e.g., the challenges of building a new hospital serves as a case study for other communities].

Alvesson, Mats and Jörgen Sandberg. “Generating Research Questions Through Problematization.” Academy of Management Review 36 (April 2011): 247-271 ; Choosing and Refining Topics. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; D'Souza, Victor S. "Use of Induction and Deduction in Research in Social Sciences: An Illustration." Journal of the Indian Law Institute 24 (1982): 655-661; Ellis, Timothy J. and Yair Levy Nova. "Framework of Problem-Based Research: A Guide for Novice Researchers on the Development of a Research-Worthy Problem." Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline 11 (2008); How to Write a Research Question. The Writing Center. George Mason University; Invention: Developing a Thesis Statement. The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; Problem Statements PowerPoint Presentation. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Procter, Margaret. Using Thesis Statements. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Shoket, Mohd. "Research Problem: Identification and Formulation." International Journal of Research 1 (May 2014): 512-518; Trochim, William M.K. Problem Formulation. Research Methods Knowledge Base. 2006; Thesis and Purpose Statements. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Thesis Statements. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Pardede, Parlindungan. “Identifying and Formulating the Research Problem." Research in ELT: Module 4 (October 2018): 1-13; Walk, Kerry. Asking an Analytical Question. [Class handout or worksheet]. Princeton University; White, Patrick. Developing Research Questions: A Guide for Social Scientists . New York: Palgrave McMillan, 2009; Li, Yanmei, and Sumei Zhang. "Identifying the Research Problem." In Applied Research Methods in Urban and Regional Planning . (Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2022), pp. 13-21.

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• How to Define a Research Problem | Ideas & Examples

How to Define a Research Problem | Ideas & Examples

Published on November 2, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on May 31, 2023.

A research problem is a specific issue or gap in existing knowledge that you aim to address in your research. You may choose to look for practical problems aimed at contributing to change, or theoretical problems aimed at expanding knowledge.

Some research will do both of these things, but usually the research problem focuses on one or the other. The type of research problem you choose depends on your broad topic of interest and the type of research you think will fit best.

This article helps you identify and refine a research problem. When writing your research proposal or introduction , formulate it as a problem statement and/or research questions .

Table of contents

Why is the research problem important, step 1: identify a broad problem area, step 2: learn more about the problem, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research problems.

Having an interesting topic isn’t a strong enough basis for academic research. Without a well-defined research problem, you are likely to end up with an unfocused and unmanageable project.

You might end up repeating what other people have already said, trying to say too much, or doing research without a clear purpose and justification. You need a clear problem in order to do research that contributes new and relevant insights.

Whether you’re planning your thesis , starting a research paper , or writing a research proposal , the research problem is the first step towards knowing exactly what you’ll do and why.

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As you read about your topic, look for under-explored aspects or areas of concern, conflict, or controversy. Your goal is to find a gap that your research project can fill.

Practical research problems

If you are doing practical research, you can identify a problem by reading reports, following up on previous research, or talking to people who work in the relevant field or organization. You might look for:

• Issues with performance or efficiency
• Processes that could be improved
• Areas of concern among practitioners
• Difficulties faced by specific groups of people

Examples of practical research problems

Voter turnout in New England has been decreasing, in contrast to the rest of the country.

The HR department of a local chain of restaurants has a high staff turnover rate.

A non-profit organization faces a funding gap that means some of its programs will have to be cut.

Theoretical research problems

If you are doing theoretical research, you can identify a research problem by reading existing research, theory, and debates on your topic to find a gap in what is currently known about it. You might look for:

• A phenomenon or context that has not been closely studied
• A contradiction between two or more perspectives
• A situation or relationship that is not well understood
• A troubling question that has yet to be resolved

Examples of theoretical research problems

The effects of long-term Vitamin D deficiency on cardiovascular health are not well understood.

The relationship between gender, race, and income inequality has yet to be closely studied in the context of the millennial gig economy.

Historians of Scottish nationalism disagree about the role of the British Empire in the development of Scotland’s national identity.

Next, you have to find out what is already known about the problem, and pinpoint the exact aspect that your research will address.

Context and background

• Who does the problem affect?
• Is it a newly-discovered problem, or a well-established one?
• What research has already been done?
• What, if any, solutions have been proposed?
• What are the current debates about the problem? What is missing from these debates?

Specificity and relevance

• What particular place, time, and/or group of people will you focus on?
• What aspects will you not be able to tackle?
• What will the consequences be if the problem is not resolved?

Example of a specific research problem

A local non-profit organization focused on alleviating food insecurity has always fundraised from its existing support base. It lacks understanding of how best to target potential new donors. To be able to continue its work, the organization requires research into more effective fundraising strategies.

Once you have narrowed down your research problem, the next step is to formulate a problem statement , as well as your research questions or hypotheses .

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

All research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them.

In general, they should be:

• Focused and researchable
• Answerable using credible sources
• Complex and arguable
• Feasible and specific
• Relevant and original

Your research objectives indicate how you’ll try to address your research problem and should be specific:

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

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200 Unique Problem Solution Essay Topics in 2024

Updated 29 Apr 2024

The new year gives one a lot of opportunities to research different essays and the ways how they can be written. In the academic world, every essay has its purpose and value. By default, they all provide a training ground for US students, not depending on their university, who need to perfect their writing skills. Essays are also good ways for expression of ideas. Hence, their topics should be chosen carefully and accordingly.

Problem Solving Essay Topics for the Most Creative Students

Problem solution essay topics are of particular interest as they are used to heading problem-solution essays. This type of essay deals with identifying an existent issue, challenge or problem in our society and tangible ways to fix them. Besides being very educative and intriguing, a problem solution essay ideas open doors towards a good cause like a relief program in a developing country. This would also imply that it has to be worded persuasively and able to address important social challenges. This makes working with such papers a bit complicated, but anything is achievable with the right set of solutions. And it makes students consider choosing problem solution topics for their essays. It is important to know that there are numerous problem solution essay ideas one can choose and dwell on.

Read also: The Most Impressive Social Issues Iist   for Essay or Paper

In this article, we would aid your efforts at writing by making a list of about 50 examples of problem solution essay topics, as well as the ideas one could come up with that could go beyond academic scope and have tangible community impact. If you're looking for inspiration, you can find a problem solution essay example that showcases effective problem-solving approaches and their real-world applications. This will provide you with a practical reference and guide for crafting your own essay.

Here are 200 problem solution essay ideas suitable for any US university be it Stanford or Yale. Unlike some philosophy essay topics , each of these offers a suitable solution to some most burning social issues. You are encouraged to get inspired by these examples and create your own topics, but it’s okay to pick any of these and modify them to your preference.

Education Essay Topics

• The impact of technology on modern education systems.
• Homeschooling vs. traditional schooling: Pros and cons.
• The effectiveness of standardized testing in measuring student achievement.
• The role of extracurricular activities in student development.
• The importance of financial literacy in the school curriculum.
• The impact of social media on student productivity and learning.
• The benefits and drawbacks of online learning platforms.
• The significance of teacher-student ratios in educational outcomes.
• The influence of cultural diversity on teaching methods and student learning.
• The challenges and solutions for education in rural areas.
• The role of parental involvement in children's academic success.
• The impact of school uniforms on student behavior and school culture.
• The importance of arts education in fostering creativity.
• The challenges of special education and inclusive classrooms.
• The future of higher education: Trends and predictions.
• The effects of bullying on student mental health and academic performance.
• The role of physical education in combating childhood obesity.
• The impact of language barriers on immigrant students' educational achievement.
• The benefits of study abroad programs and international education.
• The role of education in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.

Family and Relations Essay Topics

• The changing dynamics of the modern family structure.
• The impact of divorce on children's psychological well-being.
• The role of grandparents in family upbringing.
• The effects of single parenting on child development.
• The influence of cultural traditions on family practices.
• The challenges of balancing work and family life.
• The impact of technology on family communication and relationships.
• The role of family therapy in resolving conflicts.
• The significance of family meals in fostering closeness.
• Adoption and its impact on family dynamics.
• The challenges faced by blended families.
• The impact of parental expectations on children's career choices.
• The role of siblings in personal development.
• The effects of aging parents on family dynamics.
• The importance of family traditions and heritage.
• The impact of military service on family life.
• The challenges of long-distance family relationships.
• The role of families in supporting members with mental health issues.
• The impact of substance abuse on family relationships.
• The significance of family support in overcoming life challenges.

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Climate Change and Environmental Issues

• The effects of climate change on global biodiversity.
• Renewable energy sources vs. fossil fuels: A comparative analysis.
• The impact of deforestation on the environment and climate.
• The role of individual actions in combating climate change.
• The challenges of water scarcity and solutions for sustainable management.
• The effects of air pollution on human health and the environment.
• The importance of sustainable agriculture in environmental conservation.
• The impact of plastic pollution on marine life.
• Urban planning and its role in reducing environmental impact.
• The significance of international agreements in addressing climate change.
• The challenges of transitioning to a green economy.
• The role of technology in environmental monitoring and protection.
• The impact of climate change on weather patterns and natural disasters.
• The importance of environmental education in fostering sustainability.
• The role of conservation efforts in protecting endangered species.
• The impact of tourism on the environment and sustainable practices.
• The challenges of electronic waste management and recycling.
• The significance of carbon footprint reduction in combating climate change.
• The role of green spaces in urban environments.
• The impact of climate change on agriculture and food security.

Health-Related Essay Topics

• The impact of diet and nutrition on overall health.
• Mental health awareness and the importance of early intervention.
• The challenges of healthcare accessibility in rural areas.
• The role of exercise in preventing chronic diseases.
• The impact of stress on physical and mental health.
• The challenges of managing chronic illnesses.
• The importance of vaccination in public health.
• The role of technology in modern healthcare.
• The ethical considerations of genetic testing.
• The impact of environmental factors on health.
• The challenges of addiction and substance abuse treatment.
• The importance of sleep in health and well-being.
• The role of public health policies in disease prevention.
• The impact of aging on healthcare systems.
• The challenges of mental health stigma and discrimination.
• The importance of sexual health education.
• The impact of obesity on health and healthcare systems.
• The role of alternative medicine in healthcare.
• The ethical considerations of end-of-life care.
• The impact of global health initiatives on disease eradication.

Romantic Relationships Essay Topics

• The impact of social media on romantic relationships.
• The challenges of long-distance relationships.
• The role of communication in maintaining healthy relationships.
• The impact of financial stress on romantic partnerships.
• The challenges and benefits of intercultural relationships.
• The importance of trust and honesty in relationships.
• The impact of relationship counseling and therapy.
• The role of shared interests and values in relationship compatibility.
• The challenges of navigating romantic relationships in the workplace.
• The impact of parental and family approval on relationships.
• The significance of commitment and marriage in modern society.
• The challenges of dating in the digital age.
• The impact of childhood experiences on adult relationships.
• The role of physical attraction in romantic relationships.
• The challenges of balancing career and romantic relationships.
• The impact of infidelity on relationships and trust.
• The importance of self-love and independence in relationships.
• The role of compromise and negotiation in relationships.
• The impact of societal expectations on romantic relationships.
• The significance of emotional intelligence in maintaining relationships.

Government and Politics Essay Topics

• The impact of political systems on economic development.
• The role of international organizations in global governance.
• The effectiveness of democratic vs. authoritarian regimes in crisis management.
• The influence of lobby groups on public policy.
• The impact of electoral systems on political representation.
• The role of social media in political campaigns and elections.
• The challenges of implementing environmental policies.
• The impact of nationalism on international relations.
• The role of youth in political activism and change.
• The effectiveness of the United Nations in maintaining global peace.
• The impact of corruption on governance and public trust.
• The challenges of migration and border control policies.
• The role of women in politics and governance.
• The impact of political ideologies on social welfare policies.
• The challenges of achieving bipartisan cooperation in divided governments.
• The role of technology in enhancing or undermining democracy.
• The impact of global trade policies on local economies.
• The challenges of nuclear proliferation and disarmament.
• The role of education in fostering political awareness and participation.
• The impact of climate change on national security policies.

Finance and Banking Essay Topics

• The impact of central bank policies on inflation and unemployment.
• The role of microfinance in poverty alleviation.
• The challenges of regulating cryptocurrencies.
• The impact of global financial crises on banking stability.
• The role of technology in transforming banking services.
• The challenges of achieving sustainable finance.
• The impact of consumer credit on economic growth.
• The role of insurance in economic development.
• The challenges of financial inclusion in developing economies.
• The impact of stock market volatility on investor behavior.
• The role of ethical investing in promoting social responsibility.
• The challenges of managing national debt.
• The impact of taxation policies on economic growth.
• The role of financial literacy in personal wealth management.
• The challenges of combating money laundering and financial terrorism.
• The impact of trade tariffs and barriers on global finance.
• The role of sovereign wealth funds in global investment.
• The challenges of pension fund management.
• The impact of interest rates on saving and spending behaviors.
• The role of financial technology (fintech) startups in disrupting traditional banking.

Mass Media and Social Media Essay Topics

• The impact of social media on news consumption and dissemination.
• The challenges of maintaining privacy in the age of digital media.
• The role of mass media in shaping public opinion.
• The impact of fake news on democracy and public trust.
• The role of social media influencers in marketing and advertising.
• The challenges of regulating content on social media platforms.
• The impact of digital media on traditional publishing and journalism.
• The role of media literacy in combating misinformation.
• The impact of social media on interpersonal communication and relationships.
• The role of mass media in promoting cultural diversity and understanding.
• The challenges of cyberbullying and online harassment.
• The impact of streaming services on television and movie industries.
• The role of social media in political activism and social movements.
• The challenges of digital media addiction and screen time.
• The impact of visual media on body image and self-esteem.
• The role of digital media in education and learning.
• The challenges of protecting intellectual property in digital media.
• The impact of social media on mental health and well-being.
• The role of mass media in emergency and crisis communication.
• The challenges of ensuring ethical standards in digital journalism.

Communications and Technology Essay Topics

• The impact of mobile technology on global communication.
• The challenges of data security and privacy in the digital age.
• The role of artificial intelligence in transforming communication.
• The impact of the internet of things (IoT) on daily life.
• The role of virtual and augmented reality in media and entertainment.
• The challenges of bridging the digital divide.
• The impact of digital transformation on the workforce and employment.
• The role of technology in enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities.
• The challenges of managing information overload.
• The impact of cloud computing on business and technology.
• The role of satellite technology in global communications.
• The challenges of ensuring net neutrality.
• The impact of wearable technology on health and fitness.
• The role of blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrencies.
• The challenges of ethical AI development and deployment.
• The impact of 5G technology on communication and connectivity.
• The role of drones in delivery and logistics.
• The challenges of technological obsolescence and e-waste.
• The impact of telecommuting on organizational culture and productivity.
• The role of technology in disaster response and management.

Miscellaneous Essay Topics

• The impact of urban green spaces on community well-being.
• The challenges of sustainable tourism development.
• The role of creativity and innovation in problem-solving.
• The impact of climate change on traditional farming practices.
• The role of cultural festivals in promoting heritage and tourism.
• The challenges of achieving work-life balance in the digital era.
• The impact of language learning on cognitive development.
• The role of sports in fostering community and national identity.
• The challenges of ethical consumerism and sustainable shopping.
• The impact of global cuisine on cultural exchange.
• The role of public art in urban regeneration.
• The challenges of water conservation in arid regions.
• The impact of volunteerism on personal and community development.
• The role of mentorship in career and personal growth.
• The challenges of preserving indigenous languages and cultures.
• The impact of gardening and urban farming on mental health.
• The role of libraries in the digital information age.
• The challenges of combating ageism in society.
• The impact of adventure sports on personal development.
• The role of mindfulness and meditation in stress management.

Help with Problem Solution Essay

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ENG1021 Advanced Composition & Communication: Problem-Solution Essay

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The Research Trajectory/Proposal

Picking a topic.

Think about what problem would you like to see solved. You should pick something that will be motivating to you, something that you are passionate about. Why? For one, it will make it easier for you to research and to keep yourself motivated to do the research. For another, it will make it easier for you to write on and make your paper more engaging for others to read. Your paper and the research it documents should be impactful to those who read it.

Important: make sure that you pick a problem that really has possible solutions. The same considerations apply to picking a topic for this paper as for any other -- the topic can't be too broad or too narrow, and it has to be something that can actually be researched. For more information on choosing a topic, check out this webpage on finding problem topics and useful ways to approach finding solutions to those problems .

Forming research questions

Not sure what to research for your topic? Take the topic you have selected and turn it into a research question. For instance, if your topic is "obesity in America," you could frame that into research questions like "What are measures that prevent weight gain?" or "What are the most sustainable diets for weight loss?" (Tip: Avoid search terms like "best" or "worst" because they are very vague and subjective. Choose terms that are more specific and quantifiable in meaning.)

Still stuck on how to create a research question? Check out this video for more help:

Researching your topic

Now that you have a research question, do some preliminary research to give you direction on breaking your problem down in to feasible solutions. Choose more specific Browse the library's databases, skim through a book, or search the web for possible information.

Keep these questions in mind as you search:

• What type of information is available on your topic?
• Where did you find this information?
• Who are the experts, and what do they have to say about your topic?

Creating a thesis and presenting your proposal

Using the research you gathered from your research question(s), create a claim indicating what solutions you plan to propose in your paper. What three solutions are you proposing to the problem? The topic you submit in your proposal cannot be changed, but the research process is still ongoing, so your solutions may change if you find better ones in your ongoing research. This is a tentative thesis; you can make some changes to it later if you need to.

Now that you have taken some time to seriously think about and research your topic, you are ready to present your trajectory/proposal (intentions) for the research project. The proposal must contain your final subject/topic for the research project.

Not sure how to put together a thesis? Watch this helpful video that breaks it down for you:

Outlining a Problem-Solution Paper

A problem-solution paper is exactly what it sounds like. First, an issue or obstacle is posed, then a solution or series of solutions is suggested to resolve that issue or obstacle.

Problem-solution essays can be structured differently depending on the nature of the topic. (For instance, if there is important historical information to your problem that is a bit too long for your intro, then you might want to spend a paragraph between your intro and your solution body paragraphs to give your audience that history.) Most essays, however, follow this basic formula:

I. Introduction: Communicating the Problem

• Paint a vivid picture of the problem. Focus on the how and why: how did this become a problem? why is it (still) a problem? why is it important / why does it need to be fixed? 
• End your intro with a thesis statement recapping the problem and providing a preview of the solution(s) you will offer in the rest of your paper.

II. Body: Communicating the Solution(s)

• Cover each potential solution to the problem in its own paragraph, or cover each step of a multi-step solution with each step having its own paragraph.
• Each body paragraph should have a clearly stated claim that is distinct from, though connected to, the other paragraphs.
• Support each solution or solution step with several pieces of evidence from authoritative sources of information. (Best to go to the library catalog and article databases for these.)
• Cite each source used to support your claims correctly according to MLA citation format , using an in-text citation that corresponds to an entry in your works cited page.

III. Conclusion: Reiterating Importance

• Recap your thesis statement (problem + brief overview of solution)
• Close out your paper by emphasizing the importance of solving the problem you have covered.
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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

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Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

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Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

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Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

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Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

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• X References
• Webpage on a Website References
• Clinical Practice References
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