Writing A Position Paper Writing A Position Paper

Writing a Position Paper
Communicate Today English for Academic & Professional Purposes

By Barrot and Sipacio
2017 Copyright
Prepared by: Donna Beatrice T. Tanlogon, LPT
What is a Position Paper?

A position paper presents the writer’s stand or viewpoint on a
particular issue. Writing a position paper entails outlining arguments
and proposing the course of action; by doing so, you are already
taking part in a larger debate.
When you write a position, you have the power to change the
opinions and attitude of others. Position paper can be an essential
tool in bringing about societal change. For example, if you do not
agree with a certain issue or rule, you can write a position paper to
reflect your point of view.
Parts of Position Paper
1 Introduction
Start with an introduction which presents the issue
while grabbing the attention of readers.
Define the issue and discuss the background.
Provide a general statement of your position via
your thesis statement.
2 Body
State your main arguments
Provide sufficient evidence for each argument such
as statistical data, interviews with expert and
testimonies.
Provide counterarguments against the possible
weaknesses of your arguments.
3
Conclusion
Restate your position and main arguments.
Suggest a course of action
State what makes your position superior and more
acceptable
End with a powerful closing statement such as a
qoutation, a challenge or a question.
GUIDELINES IN WRITING A POSITION PAPER

A. Choose an issue. When choosing one, keep the following
guidelines in mind. The issue should be...
Debatable - you won’t be able to take a stand if topic is not
debatable.
Current and relevant.
Written in question form and answerable by yes or no.
Narrow and manageable.
B. Begin the writing process by conducting an in-depth research
on the issue.
C. Make sure to define unfamiliar terms when you first mention

them.
D. Be aware of various positions about the issue and explain and

analyze them objectively.
E. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.
F. Cite valid and reliable sources to establish the credibility of

your arguments.
G. View the issue in a different perspective so you can present a

unique approach.
H. Limit your position paper to two pages.
I. Analyze the target readers and align your arguments to their

beliefs, needs, interests and motivations.
J. Summarize the other side’s counterarguments and use various

evidence and data to refute them.
K. Use an active voice as much as possible to achieve a dynamic

and firm tone.
L. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or
deductive approach.
In an inductive approach, you discuss specific information
first, and then look for patterns to create a general
conclusion. In essence, an inductive approach entails a
flow from specific to general ideas.
In a deductive approach, you take something general and

then branch out and think of specific things that could
apply to it. Basically, this is a type of reasoning where the
flow of discussion starts with general theory and moves to
a specific hypothesis.
M. Check your argument for fallacies and eliminate them.

Fallacies or errors in reasoning weakens your argument.
N. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeal. An ethical

appeal relates to your credibility and competence as a writer; a
logical appeal to a rational approach in developing an
argument; while an emotional appeal uses arguments in a way
that evokes feelings.
See next page for sample

position paper
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Sample Position Paper
Topic: Open-Eradication of Poverty
Country: Thailand
Eradication of poverty was a high priority of development worldwide in the 1990s, yet
the extent of the problem is still deeply ingrained in many developing countries. To
eliminate the problem completely, public awareness and a complete understanding of the
issue itself are required. Currently, people are ignorant to some of the main roots of
poverty: environment and lack of a gender focus that women are especially deprived of
required needs. Thailand supports a continued effort from the United Nations towards
the eradication of poverty by increasing environmental protection and control, continuing
to increase awareness on the issue, and focusing on the women linked to poverty.
The eradication of poverty must begin by attacking the groups most affected by the
problem. Women compose the “majority of the 1.5 billion people living on one dollar a
day or less.” These women are denied access to resources of credit, land, and inheritance.
They lack access to education and other services and hardly have any participation in
decision making for their communities. Thailand is aware that efforts have been made to
direct the focus of poverty onto women’s conditions in various countries such as
Cameroon, Madagascar, and Niger, who have identified women as a specific target group
in their national poverty eradication programs as per the Fourth World Conference on
Women in Beijing held in 1995. Yet many countries, especially those of the Middle East,
continue to withhold women’s rights. Therefore Thailand believes that the UN should take
actions in globalizing the need to focus on poverty of women. As the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Thailand Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai stated at the fifty- seventh session of the
United Nations General Assembly, “poverty eradication can never succeed unless there
are genuine efforts neighborly, regionally, and globally”.
Women must first and foremost have autonomy; because this is often denied to them,
the focus should be on providing access to educational and economic opportunities,
major factors in rising out of poverty. In the successful actions of Thailand’s National
Commission on Women’s Affairs, programs such as Village Welfare Assistance Centers
helped to increase women self- employment and involvement in community problems.
The female labor force participation has increased to 67 percent, “higher than any other
country in East Asia.” Based on the results of these programs, the United Nations should
take on similar actions to a global scale.
To completely and effectively eradicate poverty, Thailand believes that the United
Nations must begin to act on a global level. The important parts of the problem are
believed to be environmental and overcoming poverty; thus they should be tackled first.

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Writing a Position Paper

Communicate Today English for Academic & Professional Purposes

Prepared by: Donna Beatrice T. Tanlogon, LPT

What is a Position Paper?

Parts of Position Paper

GUIDELINES IN WRITING A POSITION PAPER

C. Make sure to define unfamiliar terms when you first mention

D. Be aware of various positions about the issue and explain and

E. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.

F. Cite valid and reliable sources to establish the credibility of

G. View the issue in a different perspective so you can present a

H. Limit your position paper to two pages.

I. Analyze the target readers and align your arguments to their

J. Summarize the other side’s counterarguments and use various

K. Use an active voice as much as possible to achieve a dynamic

In a deductive approach, you take something general and

M. Check your argument for fallacies and eliminate them.

N. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeal. An ethical

See next page for sample

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