Comprehensive Guide to Proposal Essays & Trending Topics

The concept of a proposal essay is pretty simple – all you have to do is propose an idea and explain why it is a valid option using evidence. Suppose you’ve proposed the idea of going abroad to pursue higher education after completing high school. If your parents are reluctant, the best way to convince them to consider your proposal seriously is to provide them with evidence.

For example, you could highlight the excellent faculty or better job opportunities abroad. Once you provide valid reasons to support your proposal, there’s a higher chance of the audience agreeing with your views. You have to apply the same tactic for your proposal essays.

What Is A Proposal Essay?

A proposal essay, often referred to as a Research Proposal, is a form of persuasive writing where you propose a solution or argue for or against a topic and provide evidence to convince the reader of the validity of your opinion. Such essays are an intrinsic part of academic writing. They are usually designed to test students’ analytical and critical thinking abilities.

How To Write A Proposal Essay?

Writing a proposal essay becomes simpler when you break down the entire paper into smaller, more manageable segments. Like every other essay in existence, you can divide the proposal essay outline into three broad sections –

• The Introduction
• The Body
• The Conclusion

Want to dig deeper into the details for each section? Here is a summarisation of the crucial information you should include in each.

A) The Introduction

The introduction is characterized by three distinct inclusions:

• A hook/anecdote/surprising data that immediately captures the reader’s attention
• Background information to familiarise the reader with the topic
• A thesis statement that clearly states your position on the topic

B) The Body

The body is usually divided into the following sub-divisions:

• The proposal–  A few sentences that state your proposition regarding a topic
• Proposed plan of action– The actions you intend to take to achieve the proposition mentioned above (should include evidence to support the validity of this action)
• Possible outcomes– A brief description of the goals you hope to accomplish if your proposed solution works out
• Resources required – Includes a list of things you need to achieve your desired outcome, such as time, resources, money, etc.

C) The Conclusion

Your proposal essay should end on a satisfactory note without leaving any loose ends. Here are a few tips that can help you write a good conclusion:

a) Do not re-state the introduction
b) Reiterate the main points
c) Highlight the benefits of the proposed solution

A quick review of some proposal essay examples can help you figure out how to write your essay without messing it up. Here’s a sample of a proposal essay introduction for your better understanding.

Example:-

The author is interested in the topic because it is essential for many aspects of companies’ long-term performance. Employee engagement drives innovation, with motivated and productive workers generating new ideas and voicing them so that they can be implemented in the workplace. As a result, the company can continuously develop new products and stay ahead of the market, retaining its advantage. Moreover, improved staff retention enables the company to keep skilled workers and benefit from their competencies. Meanwhile, a company with poor retention can struggle to succeed in its projects and lose employees to competitors. Understanding how to prevent the dangers and benefit from these two traits’ positive aspects is essential to long-term success and, therefore, sustainability.

How To Choose A Proposal Essay Topic?

Now that you’ve learned how to write your proposal essay let’s move on to the next crucial step – choosing a proposal essay topic.

When researching possible subjects to explore, you’ll be spoilt for choices. But how can you ensure that your chosen topic will guarantee an A+? Easy! Just follow these 4 simple steps:

A) Step 1: Choose A Topic That Appeals To You

One of the most recurring mistakes students make when selecting a topic is picking something they believe will appeal to their professors, even if they have no interest or prior knowledge of the subject. In such cases, even if you conduct in-depth research on the topic, the reader can quickly figure out your lack of expertise in the area.

So, when deciding on a topic, ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I personally invested in this topic?
• Do I have enough knowledge about this topic?
• Will I be able to write a full-fledged essay on this topic?

B) Step 2: Conduct A Preliminary Literature Review

Your professors check hundreds of essays every semester. Therefore, if you want your essay to stand out, you must avoid cliché topics like the plague.

Of course, coming up with original proposal essay topics can be challenging, especially when your creativity refuses to cooperate. But you can easily bypass this problem by conducting a preliminary literature review.

Once you’ve decided on a subject you’d like to explore, follow these steps:

• Check published research papers, articles, and other documents on that subject.
• Take note of the issues that these papers have already covered.
• Explore unique perspectives that you can explore.

C) Step 3: Ensure The Topic Is Relevant To Contemporary Times

Maintaining relevancy in your chosen topic is crucial to grab the reader’s interest. No one wants to read an essay on “How students can improve their grades.” Instead, focus on essays that address a relevant issue and offer a good opportunity for a proposal argument. For example – What are the ways to protect the integrity of artists and writers in an age of AI technology?

D) Step 4: Check Whether There Are Enough Resources 

The final step to choosing the best proposal essay topic is to check the available resources before writing your paper. Because there’s nothing more nerve-wracking than being halfway into writing your paper, only to realize you don’t have enough resources to do justice to the topic.

Now that you’ve covered these crucial steps, including seeking “essay tutoring“, you can avoid the usual problems students face because of a wrong decision. Remember, choosing your essay topic plays a vital role in ensuring the success of your paper. So think carefully before deciding on a particular topic.

100+ Topic Ideas For Your Proposal Essays

Want some proposal essay ideas to begin your journey? Here are 100+ topics carefully chosen by some of the top academic experts in the industry.

A) Modest Proposal Ideas

1. What are the best ways to fix the grading problems in the education system?
2. Should people use public transportation to reduce air pollution?
3. Can technological advancement prevent global warming?
4. Can untreated PTSD affect the psychological development of young children?
5. How can first-world countries counter excessive wastage of food?
6. Challenges of implementing renewable technology in third-world countries
7. The importance of introducing sex education in schools
8. Effective ways to counter childhood obesity by introducing healthy eating habits
9. What are the best methods to reduce air pollution in remote areas?
10. Reading e-books is better than buying paperbacks – Agree or disagree?
11. Can violent video games affect the psychology of young children?
12. The values of tradition are disappearing in the modern technologically-advanced world – Explain.

B) Business Proposal Ideas

1. Best methods to maintain a healthy work-life balance when working from home
2. What are the best methods USA companies employ to maintain customer relations?
3. The role of corporations in preventing racial discrimination in the workplace
4. How can leaders motivate their employees to increase production?
5. What factors are responsible for the success of start-ups?
6. How can you overcome the challenges of being an entrepreneur?
7. What is the role of social media marketing in business growth?
8. Analyse the current sexual harassment policies in Australian workplaces and discuss measures to improve them.
9. Discuss the potential dangers of global corporations adopting AI technology.
10. How can corporations work around fluctuating exchange rates to expand their business globally?
11. Should men be provided with the same benefits of maternity leave?
12. What is the importance of a strong social media presence for small businesses?

C) Informal Proposal Examples

1. How can students learn from their failures?
2. Discuss how educators can provide a safe environment for students with disabilities.
3. Analyse how exposure to different cultures can enrich students’ learning experiences in college.
4. How can students make the most use of their semester breaks?
5. What factors should you consider when choosing a career?
6. Discuss how technology has reduced creativity in students.
7. The importance of interpreting body language to communicate effectively
8. How can foster homes help young children transition to a good family?
9. Effective methods to overcome the challenges of being a single parent
10. What methods can schools adopt to promote better communication between peers?
11. How have memes become the new form of communication?
12. Discuss effective ways to curb rising anxiety in university students.

D) Proposal Project Ideas

1. Economic ways to promote education in third-world countries
2. Effective ways to counter the rising cyberbullying cases in the USA
3. How can professionals help adolescents from abusive families overcome trauma?
4. The dangers of letting racial prejudice fester in educational institutions
5. The importance of introducing life skills in the school curriculum
6. How does living on campus increase self-reliance in students?
7. What role do students play in politics?  
8. What is the relationship between unemployment rates and literacy levels in a country?
9. How do popular TV shows propagate racial bias?
10. Critique the role of the UN in mitigating national emergencies.
11. What are the factors that prevent people from reporting crimes?
12. The effects of adapting to a hybrid work model for people from financially weaker sections of society

E) Education Proposal Ideas

1. How can teachers incorporate moral values in students from a young age?
2. The incorporation of psychology to impart education
3. The importance of introducing computer courses for elementary students
4. What effective methods can management adopt to address school bullying?
5. The importance of parental involvement in their children’s education
6. How can educational institutes adopt modern technology to provide a better learning environment?
7. Analyse the ways to smoothen the transition from traditional to online learning.
8. Discuss the importance of teachers undergoing regular training to improve their skills.
9. How do financial conditions affect students’ learning opportunities?
10. What are some effective methods to reduce students’ anxiety regarding STEM subjects?
11. Compare the educational policies in the USA and the UK.
12. How can teachers provide a better learning environment for dyslexic students?

F) Proposal Argument Examples

1. All educational institutions should adopt a hybrid learning model – Discuss.
2. Parents should not let their children open social media accounts.
3. Standardised test performances are not enough to assess a student’s capabilities.
4. Majority of the scholarships should be need-based instead of academic merit.
5. All educational institutes should conduct background research on teachers before hiring them.
6. Parents should not get pets to teach their kids responsibility.
7. All children should have restricted screen time.
8. There should be stricter laws to address animal abuse.
9. Discuss whether children from abusive homes are obligated to take care of their parents in old age.
10. Do governments have any right to censor history to fit their narratives?
11. Participating in club activities should be compulsory in colleges.
12. The government should take responsibility for businesses that went under during the COVID-19 pandemic.

G) Social Media Proposal Ideas

1. Analyse the ways small businesses can use social media to boost their sales.
2. How can you maintain your privacy when using Facebook?
3. Explain how social media has improved global communication.
4. Discuss how to make the best use of the Instagram algorithm to reach a broader audience.
5. How can people restrict their use of social media to ensure it doesn’t hamper their production?
6. How can the government use social media to track child traffickers?
7. Is social media an effective platform for raising global issues?
8. Discuss the influence of social media in promoting unhealthy habits.
9. How do political parties use social media to propagate radical beliefs?
10. Analyse how social media can bridge cultural differences.
11. How do brands bait fandoms into increasing their social media engagement?
12. Social media has ruined the intimacy of one-on-one conversations – Discuss.

H) Proposal Speech Topic Examples

1. Effective ways to make mathematics more interesting
2. How to reduce air pollution in metropolitan cities?
3. Hunting animals should be illegal in every country.
4. Discuss how parents can imbibe morals in their children.
5. How can schools promote education in communities struggling financially?
6. How does anonymity give rise to hate culture online?
7. Is a YouTube content creator a viable career option?
8. What is the role of social media in providing a platform for minorities to be heard?
9. How can education prevent the spread of racially-charged hate crimes?
10. Should schools encourage students to pursue Arts?
11. A discussion of the challenges faced by autistic people in daily life
12. How does helicopter parenting affect a child’s mental development?

I) Culture Proposal Ideas

1. Analyse the influence of Asian culture in the USA.
2. Discuss the effect of colonisation on native cultures.
3. How do higher educational institutes promote cultural diversity?
4. Explain the challenges of adapting to an alien culture.
5. How do women fight against patriarchal norms in the 21^stcentury?
6. What are the best methods to avoid cultural appropriation?
7. Analyse the cancel culture and its effects on the victim’s psychology.
8. Discuss the influence of culture on trending fashion.
9. Compare the cultural differences between the USA and Japan.
10. How can companies use culture in their marketing strategies?
11. How has the niche anime subculture achieved global relevance?
12. Discuss the reasons for the global popularity of Korean culture.

J) Policy Proposal Examples

1. Discuss the policies governments worldwide can adopt to address global warming.
2. Analyse how policymakers consider gender and race when adopting new policies.
3. How do the educational policies in the USA differ from that of the UK?
4. What role do the media play in policy-making?
5. Should governments form better policies to address world hunger?
6. How can amendments to the existing policies in the USA promote sustainable development?
7. Discuss the importance of going through privacy policies when agreeing to any service.
8. How do Manhattan’s health policies empower patients?
9. What policies should educational institutes adopt to reduce the financial burden on students?
10. How can states regulate the consumption of fast food to prevent childhood obesity?
11. When are laws preventing hate speech not a violation of the freedom of speech?
12. Should the government utilise a part of their taxes to forgive student loans?

See anything you like? Just remember the steps you should keep in mind when choosing a topic, and you’re good to go!

Most Popular FAQs Searched By Students

Q1. How Do You Choose A Good Proposal Essay Topic?

Ans. When choosing a good proposal essay topic, keep the following points in mind:

• Pick a topic from disciplines you’re familiar with.
• Ensure that you’re personally interested in the topic.
• Conduct preliminary research to check the availability of research materials.
• Review the research scope for the topic.
• Ensure the topic isn’t too broad or too narrow.

Q2. What Are The Steps Involved In Writing A Proposal Essay?

Ans.

• Step 1: Figure out your audience
• Step 2: Conduct a literature review
• Step 3: Choose a topic
• Step 4: Conduct in-depth research
• Step 5: Create an outline
• Step 6: Write the draft
• Step 7: Edit to compose the final draft
• Step 8: Proofread and edit your content

Q3. How Do You Conduct Research For A Proposal Essay?

Ans. When conducting research for a proposal essay, you should review the existing literature related to your chosen topic. This will give you a fair idea of the topics that have already been covered. Furthermore, you can check the bibliographies to discover more works in the field.

Q4. How Do You Incorporate Counterarguments Into A Proposal Essay?

Ans. Including counterarguments in your proposal essay proves that you’ve done your due research and looked at every angle before stating your opinion. Instead of ignoring the opposing opinions, acknowledge them and use logical evidence to refute those arguments. Remember, you should be able to organise your thoughts well to convince the reader.

Q5. What Is The Role Of Evidence In A Proposal Essay?

Ans. Evidence plays a crucial role in a proposal essay. It can appear in the form of statistics, quotes and opinions of renowned experts to support a point that the writer makes regarding their proposal. You can use evidence to invalidate opposing views. Keep in mind that the evidence should be from a reputable and reliable source.

Q6. What Are Some Ethical Considerations When Proposing A Solution To A Problem?

Ans. When proposing a solution to a problem, it is crucial to ensure the following:

• Maintaining objectivity to avoid letting your bias dictate your opinion
• Collecting all research data yourself
• Ensuring all research participants have agreed to provide data
• Being careful in avoiding mistakes
• Ensuring a plagiarism-free essay

Q7. How Do You Effectively Conclude A Proposal Essay?

Ans. To effectively conclude a proposal essay, follow these steps:

• Repeat the primary aim of the essay to refresh the reader’s mind
• Summarise the crucial points of the essay
• Highlight the significance of the result
• Tie up all loose ends
• Provide your personal opinions on the subject
• Suggest potential areas for future research on the topic

Q8. What Are Some Tips For Revising And Editing A Proposal Essay?

Ans. When editing and revising your proposal essay, keep the following tips in mind:

• Proofread a few days after completing your paper
• Ensure you’ve maintained the correct format
• Eliminate any additional information that doesn’t add value
• Change the font color and size to detect errors easily
• Print out your essay and read it aloud
• Keep a checklist of things you should pay special attention to

Q9. How Can You Make Your Proposal Essay Stand Out From Others On The Same Topic?

Ans. If you want to make your proposal essay stand out, follow these simple steps:

• Ensure your topic offers a unique perspective.
• Conduct in-depth research to find valuable data.
• Use real-life statistics, pie charts, tables, and other diagrammatic data representations.

Q10. What Are Some Examples Of Successful Proposal Essays?

Ans. Some examples of successful proposal essays are:

• Best methods to create a safe environment for children from abusive families
• Stress-management options for college students
• Diversification in the modern workspace
• Use of financial tools in the banking sector
• Copyright issues in the face of AI technology stealing art
• Alternatives to practicing abstinence to lose weight