Position paper

• A position paper is a discussion of one side of an issue and tackles one significant issue of a community on which the author takes a stand.
• The four essential parts of a position paper are: introduction, summary of counterclaims, arguments, and conclusion.
• The introduction of a position paper contains background information concerning the issue, yes or no questions containing the issue, and the argumentative thesis.
• A yes or no question is an interrogative statement that allows to weigh the evidence to support your claims for your essay.
• The argumentative thesis is a sentence that takes a stand on the issue and includes the claims to support your stand.
• The summary of the counterclaims is the second paragraph of your position paper and is devoted to an enumeration of arguments opposing a stand.
• A unique feature of argumentations is the summary of the counterclaims as it highlights the author’s opposite claims.
• The summary of the counterclaims allows you to refute these claims in the body of your argument.
• Claims are statements that support the authors stand.
• Evidence from expert interviews can be used to strengthen the author’s claims.
• The conclusion of a position paper contains a restatement of the thesis and summarizes the main claims.
• The conclusion of a position paper holds a powerful position as it contains the thesis statement and gives a strong sense of the author’s position.