POSITION PAPER

• Position papers are important because they succinctly outline a stance on an issue, facilitating clear communication and effective advocacy.
• Position paper is a composition that highlights an opinion of an author or specified entity about an issue. As a debate, it presents one side of an arguable opinion and persuades the readers or audience that the author has a well-founded knowledge about
• In writing the Position Paper, your goal as a writer is not only to state and defend your position on the issue but also to show how your stance relates
• The Introduction – identifies the issue that will be discussed and states the author’s position on that issue.

  • Introduce your topic with background information
  • Build up your thesis statement which asserts your position

  1. Fast food restaurants are bad for our health.
  2. Fast food packages should contain warning labels.
• The Body – contains the central argument and can be further broken up into sections: Possible objections to your position (counterargument)
• THE BODY

  Possible objections to your position (counterargument)

  • Whose job is it to determine which restaurants are bad?
  • Such labels would affect the profits of major corporations.
• THE BODY

  B. A discussion of both sides of the issue, which addresses and refutes arguments that contradict the author’s position (your argument)

  It would be difficult and expensive for any entity to determine which restaurants should adhere to the policy.

  Nobody wants to see the government overstepping its boundaries.
• THE BODY

  C. Explain that your position is still the best one, despite the strength of counterarguments. This is where you can work to discredit some of the counterarguments and support your own. Restaurants might improve the standards of food if warning labels were put into place. • The role of the government is to keep citizens safe.
• Conclusion – restating the key points and when applicable, suggest resolution to the issue (Thoughtco 2020). A. restate your position B. provide Plan of Action
• GUIDELINES IN WRITING A POSITION PAPER

  1. Choose a topic In some classes or jobs, you can choose the topic of a position paper. If you're choosing your topic, consider ones relevant to your industry or academic interests. The purpose of a position paper is to persuade, so your ability to provide supporting evidence for a claim can be more important than the topic itself. If a supervisor or manager assigns you a topic, consider your argument and which perspective you support.
• Position papers


  • Provide evidence to support an author's claims
  • Persuade the audience to accept their stance
• 2. Conduct research

  1. Ensure enough data supports the topic

  2. Adjust topic or choose different perspective if not enough information

  3. Use government and academic websites for official information

  4. Use periodicals and news releases for updates

  5. Gather a wide range of information types (statistics, historical facts, quotations from experts)
• 3. Do a pre-writing exercise

  After gathering research and taking notes on your sources, use a graphic organizer or other tool to sort the information you've collected. This process can help you define your argument and ensure that you include the most valuable supporting evidence. You might create a list of supporting evidence and counterarguments to help you decide your position on the topic. If you're a visual learner, consider using a word cloud or other visual aid to map your

  argument and place similar pieces of evidence together
• 4. Draft a thesis

  Once you've decided on your position, use your research notes to create a thesis statement, which is a sentence that states your opinion and summarizes your key supporting evidence. Many writers place their thesis statement at the end of their introductory paragraph to help the reader predict the major parts of their argument. In your thesis, include information about your major areas of evidence.
• 6. Write a draft of your paper

  1. Create a draft of your position paper by following the outline

  2. Fill it in with research and content

  3. Use appeals to the readers' logic and emotions when writing an argument

  4. Ensure that substantial evidence supports your position

  5. Consider conducting more research if you feel it can improve the paper

  6. Include a section where you counter opposing arguments using evidence

  7. If writing for a college class, follow your instructor's directions for citing external sources

  8. If writing for work, use industry standards for citations
• Outline


  A structured plan for your research paper
• 7. Review and create the final draft

  1. Review your draft

  2. Make spelling and grammar corrections

  3. Create a final draft of your position paper
• 5. Create an outline

  1. Use thesis statement and notes

  2. Include topic statements, evidence, and conclusions for each section

  3. Common sections: Introduction, Body, Conclusion
• Introduction


  • Introduce the topic and your thesis or position
  • Provide background information or explain why the topic is important
• Proofreading and suggestions for improvement


  • Have another person proofread and make suggestions for improvement
  • Consider someone with the industry knowledge or reading comprehension level to provide useful feedback about your persuasive techniques and writing style
• A position paper may require several drafts before it is ready to submit
• Body


  • Contains your arguments or claims with supporting evidence
  • Shorter papers often have 3 body paragraphs
  • Longer papers might have multiple sections with several paragraphs each
• Conclusion


  • Emphasizes your claims and summarizes your paper
  • May include information about the impact of the issue on your industry