LESSON 3

• Position paper


  An essay that expounds a standpoint of an author or specified entity about an issue
• Position paper


  • Main objective is to persuade the readers with opinions which are valid and defensible
  • Demanding assignments that require you to take a stand on an issue or idea presented in a text
  • Your opinion is important and forms the basis for your argument, but it should not dominate the assignment
  • Rely on critical evaluation that goes beyond a mere surface reading or a passionate personal reaction
  • If there is no other side to your argument then you do not have one
  • Should NOT be done as a research paper or a collection and arrangement of diverse sources
  • Your paper should exhibit an intensive analysis of a philosophical thesis, and your criticism of the thesis and your supporting arguments
• In an academic and professional setting, the learners are given the opportunity to put into writing their opinions regarding the issue that is termed as position paper
• Principles in Writing a Position Paper

  • Think in debate mode
  • Choose a side and argue in favor of your point of view
  • A position paper should not restate the obvious facts about the text or topic; a strong position paper shows the author's ability to pick a side or take a stand
• Whether you choose to write about

  • A theme throughout a particular work
  • A specific scene that captures the essence of an entire text
  • One side of an issue
• Write definitively about your position
• Consider the opposing side


  • What would somebody say to challenge your stance?
  • You must consider the other viewpoint and dismantle it in your paper, using enough details to show that you understand both sides
  • Name calling has no place in position papers
• Include evidence


  • Although you are expressing your personal opinion, it must be upheld by references to specific details — supporting facts, arguments, quotations — in order to have any validity
  • You must be able to prove that your position is valid based on a thorough knowledge of the topic, text, or argument
  • Outside research may be required; look for other sources based on opinion as well as sources providing factual background information
• Use the active voice of the verbs


  Avoid using the passive voice
• Observe proper word choice

  • Avoid words such as "maybe, perhaps, possibly, etc." that weaken your argument
  • Phrases like "in my opinion" are also needless and sound apologetic instead of certain
• If you're writing the paper, it Is obviously your informed opinion
• Written in author's own words

  Plagiarism is intentionally or unintentionally representing someone else's ideas as one's own, and should be avoided at all costs. You may appeal to the ideas of others if you acknowledge doing so and cite these sources appropriately.
• Has a clear purpose


  • Readers should always have a clear understanding of what you are going to do in your paper. It is helpful to think about position papers as attempts to answer specific questions, and to think of papers as falling to four general kinds, according to the types of questions they attempt to address.
• Purposes of writing


  • Expository writing
  • Comparative writing
  • Evaluative writing
  • Constructive writing
• Well-organized


  • Your paper as a whole, and each part of your paper, should work to fulfill the purpose of the paper (that is to say, it should help you to answer the question that your paper poses). It should take up each task in the order most helpful to meeting that objective and it should finish one thing before starting another.
• Coherent and Cohesive


  • Do not include irrelevant or inessential material, unrelated to the attainment of the paper's purpose. Use transitional/ cohesive devices and organizational patterns.
• Complete


  • Include enough material to attain your paper's purpose. Flesh out all ideas and arguments in sufficient detail and ensure that you adequately defend claims that need defending. Use specific examples to elucidate and support general claims. Respond to anticipated objections to your position or argument.
• Clear


  • Make sure that you really understand what you are saying and that an average member of your audience could be expected to understand it, too.
• Substantively Correct


  • The facts and information included in your position paper should be real, legit, or factual. These should be taken from credible sources.
• Mechanically Correct


  • Adhere to the rules of grammar, academic writing style, word choice, and language usage.
• Creative


  • Ideally, the paper should be creative, asking new questions, answering old questions in new ways, seeing new things, seeing old things in new ways, or making an original point.
• Introduction


  1. Provide a background or context of the issue

  2. State the purpose of the paper and what you intend to show

  3. Write your thesis statement
• Body


  1. In the Counter Argument section, introduce the objections to your thesis and give the supporting reasons for those objections

  2. In the Argument section, either support the original view by overcoming the counter arguments or reject the original view by showing the objections constitute unanswerable difficulties

  3. If you cannot take either of the two positions, then explain carefully why the problem cannot be solved in its present form. In such a case, try to suggest what further work needs to be done
• Conclusion


  1. Restate the purpose of the paper

  2. Summarize the significant main parts

  3. Restate your position

  4. State possible course of actions that may be done by the audience in relation to the issue