Name: ____________________________________________
Period: ______
Advanced English (ENGL 120)
Position Paper or Proposal as an 8-10 page APA Style Research Paper
(only writing…no graphs, pictures, etc.)
Read Ch 11 “Position Paper” ( p 221-233) AND Reach Ch 12 “Proposal” (p 247-269) AND Ch 13 “Reports”
(SEM TEST material)
This paper will include parts not addressed in previous papers: an Outline, Abstract/Summary, proper Section Headings,
and a Conclusion/Recommendation/Discussion. This will be our last major paper.
*Read or Reread Chapters 11, 12, and 13 (Ask questions that you have as discussion will be minimal, but students will
be responsible for understanding and using the material, and it will appear on the semester test.)
Genre-Topic Requirements:
Determine your genre: Position Paper Ch 11 (stance on issue) or Proposal Ch 12(voice for change)
TOPIC is due Thurday, April 11
by end of class.
Choose a topic for which you will write an 8-10 page Research Paper. You will need to take a position for or against the
chosen idea OR propose the adoption of the idea. Your chosen topic should be one that could apply to you right now.
Brainstorm. This will be persuasive writing, and should use rhetorical concepts and patterns. Do NOT make assumptions.
SOME IDEAS:
The benefit of mandated school uniforms in high schools.
(Don’t limit yourself to these.) The benefit of replacing letter grades with a pass-fail system in high school.
The benefit of “weighted grades.”
Used in 2012-The benefit of single-gender classrooms in elementary, middle or high schools.
The benefit of ND state laws that restrict new drivers.
The benefit of no-texting-while-driving laws.
The benefits of the new three-tier system proposed by ND Board of Higher Ed.
The benefits of high school “tech” or “academic” tracks of study.
The benefits of Plan B (morning after pill) to all females without restriction.
The benefits of the Dream Act.
** Do some web searching for current interesting topics that are being actively discussed in society.
**Focus on a topic that really interests you or would interest or affect people your age.
PURPOSE: Persuade your audience to agree with your position or proposal by using rhetorical concepts (Ch 9
and 22) to analyze the topic. Demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical patterns (Ch 21) by using them
effectively in your writing.
TOPIC: Be sure that the issue itself is neither too narrow nor too broad. See ideas above for suggestions.
Paper Requirements:
LENGTH: 8-10 written pages (3200-4000 words) of research (abstract, body, and recommendations/discussion).
APA STYLE: The References page for this paper should contain 8-10 sources and each must be cited in the text.
You will NOT be creating an Annotated Bibliography
OUTLINE: You WILL create and submit an outline to organize your ideas. Use phrases or sentences. Place
this as page 2 of your paper, immediately following the title page and before you begin the abstract.
The Introduction needs a listed attention-getter and a listed thesis-statement.
*EMPERICAL SOURCE: You will gather empirical information that qualifies as one of your sources.
Empirical information (page 468) may include a survey, observations, interviews,
etc.
RESEARCH: Use research techniques to discover credible, reliable sources to use in your commentary (Ch 2425). Be sure sources – even empirical sources – are knowledgeable.
AUDIENCE/TONE: Your peers, instructor, administrators, etc.. Use formal voice that matches the serious tone
of a serious issue. Use third-person unless it becomes necessary to use first-person to
include empirical information.
Due Dates:
NO First Draft / NO Peer Reviews… Just a PAPER…IF you want to peer review, arrange to exchange papers.
WARNING:
Record ACCURATE data from your empirical source.
Do NOT procrastinate. Do NOT SKIP creating an outline before you write.
Final PAPER to Turnitin on Friday, May 3 at midnight.
APA Style:
Title page
Outline
Abstract
8-10 pages of writing using APA Style section headings
Discussion
References page
Rubrics:
Is my topic appropriate? Is it a good choice?
6 + 1 Traits of Writing
Ideas, Organization, Sentence Fluency, Conventions, and Presentation (APA Style) will be important.
Overviews: Examine the overviews for each genre and adjust your organizational pattern to fit your purpose and
align to your outline.
Critical writing and Use of Rhetorical Concepts –Does my review demonstrate DEPTH and EFFORT
Did I include specific, concrete support for my opinion?
Did I use more than one Rhetorical Concept? Did I use more than one Rhetorical Pattern?
Have you considered the following parts of the style matrix?
Topic, Angle, Purpose, Readers, and Context
Did I conduct solid, reliable research and provide proper credit to the sources I used.
Did I format my paper in proper APA Style with a title page, an outline, abstract, in-text citations, discussion, and
a References page?
Did I take care to state my own opinion and use information as support?
(Avoid over- or under- citing.)
Is my perspective creative, fresh, interesting, and well-supported?
Style Techniques—Try to use what you have learned.
Is my writing CONCISE? Have I used ACTION verbs and ACTIVE voice?
Have I created a FAST and interesting read?
Is my chosen genre (position paper or proposal) clear?
Did I PROOFREAD and REVISE?
***Use the APA Tutorial for the Sixth Edition
Use OWL@Purdue
Use Writing Today