rws

Cards (39)

  • Position paper
    A type of academic writing that presents one's stand or viewpoint on a particular issue. The main objective is to take part in a larger debate by stating arguments and proposed course of action, and showing how the stance relates to other positions.
  • Characteristics of a good position paper topic
    • Debatable
    • Timely and relevant
    • Answerable by yes or no when written in question form
    • The writer is an advocate of one of the positions
    • Specific and manageable
  • Guidelines in writing a position paper
    1. Conduct in-depth research about the issue beforehand
    2. Be aware of and objectively explain/analyze the various positions about the issue
    3. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses
    4. Establish your credibility by citing reliable sources
    5. Analyze your target readers
    6. Summarize the other side's counterarguments and refute them with evidence
    7. Define unfamiliar terms at first mention
    8. Use active voice as much as possible
    9. Arrange evidence logically using inductive or deductive approach
    10. Check for fallacies and revise accordingly
    11. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeals
  • Parts of a position paper
    • Introduction
    • Body
    • Conclusion
  • Introduction
    • Lead/attention-getter
    • Background information about the issue
    • Relevance of the issue and your position
    • Thesis statement
    • Overview of key points in the body
  • Body
    • Main argument
    • Discussion of both sides
    • Present your evidence
    • Discredit counterclaims/provide counterarguments against possible weaknesses of your arguments
  • Conclusion
    • Summarize key points
    • Restate your position
    • Provide a plan of action
    • End with a powerful closing statement
  • Project Proposal
    A document that is written for problem-solving, service provision, event planning, or equipment selling. Generally, proposals are used to convince the reader to do what the proposal suggests, such as buying goods or services, funding a project, or implementing a program.
  • Office correspondence
    A written interchange of internal (communication between company departments) and external communication (communication between a company to another firm) to assist the flow of business processes
  • Project Proposal length
    Usually ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 words depending on the complexity of the project being proposed
  • Forms of office correspondence
    • Business letter
    • Business memorandum
    • Business email
  • Good project proposal
    • Specifies the goals and objectives
    • How the set goals and objectives will be accomplished
    • Financial, human, and technical resources useful in implementing the project
    • Budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose it will be spent
  • Business letter
    • The traditional way of communicating information from one company to another or used in external correspondence
    • Formats: full block, modified block, semi-block
  • Parts of a project proposal
    • Title Page
    • Proponents
    • Introduction (Rationale, Objectives, Benefits)
    • Project Description (Methodology, Schedule, Budget, Monitoring and Evaluation)
    • References
  • Full block format
    • All parts of the letter are aligned to the left
  • Modified block format

    • The heading, date, complimentary close, and signature are placed to the right of the paper
  • Title Page
    You may employ a simple title (straight to the point), a creative one, 2-part title, or even an acronym type of title
  • Semi-block format
    • Similar with modified block except that the paragraphs of the body are indented
  • Proponents
    Include the names and contact information of the proponents
  • Business letter formatting
    • Margins: 2" above, 1" on each side
    • Single spacing
    • 2 spaces between heading and date
    • 4 spaces between date and inside address
    • 2 spaces between inside address and salutation
    • 2 spaces between last paragraph and closing
    • 4 spaces between closing and typed name
    • 2 spaces between printed name and identification
    • 2 spaces between identification and enclosure
  • Business memorandum
    A written communication strictly between the company's offices to another or used in internal correspondence
  • Introduction
    Identifies the problem to be addressed and shows the need to solve it
  • Business memorandum
    • Has a title line and series number
    • Used to implement internal guidelines or procedures that employees must follow
  • When to write a memo
    • Informing employees about company policy or process changes
    • Providing an update on key projects or goals
    • Making an announcement about the company, such as an employee promotion or new hire
    • Reminding employees about a task that needs to be completed
    • Making a request of all employees
    • Communicating a message that employees will refer to more than once, such as a detailed proposal or recommendation
  • Business email
    • Can either be internal or external
    • No required format, but expected to maintain a professional tone
  • Rationale
    What the project intends to achieve in terms of results
  • A business letter and a business memorandum can be sent as a business email
  • Objectives
    Good objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, and bound within a realistic Time frame)
  • Not all business emails are letters or memorandums
  • Benefits
    Show what the reader or the target audience can gain from the proposal, which may be improvements in processes or systems, an increase in revenue, or a change in behavior of the beneficiaries of the proposal
  • The tone and level of formality vary between a business letter, a business memorandum, and a business email, and this is important in professional communication
  • Methodology
    Entails the different activities the project will take on, including the manpower, resources to be utilized and the expanded output
  • Schedule
    Discusses the task duration and expected start and end dates of each activity in the project. Most proposals use a GANTT CHART.
  • Budget
    An analysis of all the costs anticipated in the project, which can be itemized or shown as a whole, depending on the needs of the project. Present the budget in a clear, organized format, such as a spreadsheet, with itemized categories and subtotals for easy comprehension and review.
  • References
    Cite any articles, studies, and any other resources that you used in your proposal
  • What is another name for the Statement of Financial Position?
    Balance sheet
  • What does the Statement of Financial Position provide information about?
    The condition of the company on a specific date
  • What three components are included in the Statement of Financial Position?
    Total assets, liabilities, and owner's equity
  • What types of accounts are usually included in the Statement of Financial Position?
    • Permanent Accounts
    • Temporary Accounts
    • Contra-assets Accounts