Eng 102H Rhetorical Problem Statement Assignment

1. English 102H College Writing and Rhetoric
Rhetorical Problem Statement
Purpose
The purpose of a Rhetorical Problem Statement is to help you think about and commit to a
problem that has rich potential for research and argument. It should clarify a complex
problem by defining it, identifying the stakeholders, and justifying its significance. It serves
as important tool to make sure that your problem will provide the opportunity to practice
and demonstrate critical thinking as you complete your annotated bibliography and critical
conversation essay.
Description
The Rhetorical Problem Statement identifies and starts to explore a complex problem that
you have chosen to research and write about for the rest of the semester. A complete
statement should be around 250 – 300 words and use evidence to accomplish the following
purposes:
• Define the problem clearly and explicitly and give it presence – prove that a problem
actually exists.
• Identify all of the stakeholders and how they are affected by the problem – who is
affected and how?
• Explain why this problem is significant or important – show that this is a genuine
problem with no obvious “right” answer.
You may want to review VFGW, pgs 253-255 to familiarize yourself with the genre of Topic
Proposals.
Grading Criteria
• Quality of research problem/question: potential for research and argument
• Comprehensiveness: answers all questions thoroughly
• Readability: written in clear, correct prose style appropriate for academic writing