Writing a Position
Paper
What is a Position Paper?
A position paper is a type of academic writing that
presents one’s stand or viewpoint on a particular
issue.
The main objective of writing a position paper is to
take part in a larger debate by stating your
arguments and proposed course of action.
Parts of a Position Paper
1.Introduction
1. Write the specific issue, together with its
importance and effect to the society.
2. Uses a lead that grabs the attention of readers.
3. Defines the issue and provide a thorough
background.
4. Provides a general statement of your position
through a thesis statement.
5. End the introductory paragraph with a position
statement or a stand on the issue. Keep in mind
that one could take only one side of the argument
2. Body
1. The part may have several paragraphs. It
may
begin
with
short
background
information or a discussion of arguments on
both sides of the issue. In each paragraph,
an explanation or observation to clarify the
portion of the position statement must be
written and then followed by the supporting
evidence.
2. State your main arguments and provide
sufficient evidence.
3. The evidences that can be used are the
primary source quotation, interviews with field
experts, recommendation from scholarly
articles and position papers, historical dates
or events, and statistical data.
4.
Provides
counterarguments
against
possible weaknesses of your arguments
.
3. Conclusion
1. On the last part of writing the paper, summarize and
reinforce the concepts and facts presented without
repeating the introduction and its content. It is also
optional to include the procedure used to deal with
the issue and your suggested possible solution or
recommendation.
2. Explains why your position is better than any other
position.
3. Ends with a powerful closing statement (e.g., a
quotation, a challenge, or a question).
Choosing an Issue
1.The issue should be debatable. You cannot
take any position if the topic is not debatable.
2.The issue should be current and relevant.
3.The issue should be written in a question
form and answerable by yes or no.
4.The issue should be specific and
manageable.