GROUP 3.

WRITES VARIOUS
KINDS OF POSITION
PAPERS.
VOCABULARY LIST:

Position Paper: A formal, usually detailed written

statement, especially regarding a single issue, that
articulates a position, view point, or policy, as of
government, organization, or political candidate.

• Argument: A process of reasoning; series of reasons;

a statement, reason, or facts for or against a point.

• Opinion: A view or judgment formed about

something, not
necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
• Logical Appeal: Refers to a reasonable
approach in developing an argument.
• Ethical Appeal: Refers to your
credibility or believability and
competence as a writer.
• Emotional Appeal: Uses arguments in a
way that evokes or uncovers feelings.
• Fallacies: Errors in reasoning; a false or
mistaken idea.
DEFINITION AND PURPOSE OF
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 large debate. It is a more complex
version of a persuasive essay, however, a
position paper is not an essay, but it has a
various parts just like the concept paper.
 It can be likened with a debate but
the presentation of the arguments is in a
written form. Presenting an argument
implies that you are favoring one side of
the primary goal of a position paper is to
declare a “position” on a certain matter or
an issue. Its secondary goal is to convince
or persuade others to take that side of an
issue or matter.
 Aside from this, you also have the power to
change the opinions and attitude of others when
you write a position paper. Because of this, a
position paper can be 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. Like a
debate, a position paper presents one side of an
arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a
position paper is to convince the audience that
your opinion is valid and defensible.
Ideas that you are considering need to
be carefully examined in choosing a
topic, developing your argument, and
organizing your paper. It is very
important to ensure that you are
addressing all sides of the issue and
presenting it in a manner that is easy
for your audience to understand.
Your job is to take one side of the
argument and persuade your audience
that you have well-founded knowledge of
the topic being presented. It is important
to support your argument with evidence to
ensure the validity of your claims, as well
as to refute the counterclaims to show
that you are well informed about both
sides.
PARTS OF A POSITION PAPER
PARTS OF A POSITION
PAPER
INTRODUCTION
a)Present your topic.
b)Say why it is worth discussing, its
history.
c) Dwell on its controversies.
d)Make a thesis statement that would
express you opinion in one
BODY
a) Explain your first reason to support your
position
b) Factual, relevant and accurate evidence to
prove your first argument
c) Explain your second argument/reason
d) Factual, relevant and accurate evidence to
prove your second argument
e) Explain your third argument/reason
f) Factual, relevant and accurate
evidence to prove your last argument

NOTE:

In General, the strongest/best argument

should be the last. Others would advise
the first argument by the strongest/best;
never the middle argument.
CONCLUSION
•Summarize, restate in a
forceful manner your
position.
 Your introduction has a dual purpose: to
indicate both the topic and your approach to
it (your thesis statement), and to arouse your
reader’s interest in what you have to say.
One effective way of introducing a topic is to
place it in context – to supply a kind of
backdrop that will put it in perspective. You
should discuss the area into which your topic
fits, and then gradually lead into your specific
field of discussion (re: your thesis statement).
Counter Argument

___A. Summarize the counterclaims

___B. Provide supporting information
for counterclaims
___C. Refute the counterclaims
___D. Give evidence for argument
You can generate counterarguments by asking
yourself what someone who disagrees with
you might say about each of the points you’ve
made or about your position as a whole. Once
you have thought up some counterarguments,
consider how you will respond to them will you
concede that your opponent has a point but
explain why your audience should nonetheless
accept your argument?
 Will you reject the counterargument and
explain why it is mistaken? Either way, you will
want to leave your reader with a sense that
your argument is stronger than opposing
arguments. When you are summarizing
opposing arguments, be charitable. Present
each argument fairly and objectively, rather
than trying to make it look foolish. You want to
show that you have seriously considered the
many sides of the issue, and that you are not
simply attacking or mocking your opponents.
It is usually better to consider one or two
serious counterarguments in some depth,
rather than to give a long but superficial list
of many different counterarguments and
replies. Be sure that your reply is consistent
with your original argument. If considering a
counterargument changes your position, you
will need to go back and revise your original
argument accordingly.
Your Argument
___A. Assert point #1 of your claims
_____1. Give your educated and
informed opinion
_____2. Provide support/proof using
more than one source (preferably three)
___B. Assert point #2 of your claims
_____1. Give your educated and informed opinion
_____2. Provide support/proof using more than one
source (preferably three)
___C. Assert point #3 of your claims
_____1. Give your educated and informed opinion
_____2. Provide support/proof using more than one
source (preferably three)
You may have more than 3 overall points to your
argument, but you should not have fewer.
IV. Conclusion
___A. Restate your argument
___B. Provide a plan of action but do not introduce
new information

The simplest and most basic conclusion is one that

restates the thesis in different words and then
discusses its implications.
 GUIDELINES IN WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
1. Choose an issue. When choosing one, keep the following
guidelines in mind.
 The issue should be debatable because you won’t be
able to make a stand if the topic is not debatable.
 The issue should be current or relevant.
 The issue should be written in a question from and
answerable by yes or no.
 The issue should be narrow and manageable.
2. Begin the writing process by conducting an
in-depth research on the issue.
3. Make sure to define unfamiliar terms when
you first mention them.
4. Be aware of the various positions about the
issue and explain and analyze them objectively.
5. Reflect on your position and identify its
weaknesses.
6. Cite valid and reliable sources (3 or more) to
establish the credibility of your arguments.
7. View the issue in a different perspective so you
can present unique approach.
8. Limit your position paper in two pages.
9. Analyze your target readers and align your
arguments to their beliefs, needs, interests, and
motivations.
10. Summarize the other side’s counterarguments
and use various evidence and data to refute them.
11. Use an active voice as much as possible to
achieve dynamic and firm one.
11. Use an active voice as much as possible to
achieve dynamic and firm one.
12. Arrange your evidence logically using an
inductive or deductive approach.
13. Check your argument for fallacies and eliminate
them. Fallacies, or errors in reasoning weaken your
argument.
14. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeal. An
ethical appeal relates to your credibility and
competence as a writer; a logical appeal refers to a
rational approach in developing an argument; while
an emotional appeal uses arguments in a way that
evokes feelings.
Writing with style and clarity

Many students make the mistake of thinking

that the content of their paper is all that matters.
Although the content is important, it will not mean
much if the reader can’t understand what you are
trying to say. You may have some great ideas in your
paper but if you cannot effectively communicate
them, you will not receive a very good mark. Keep the
following in mind when writing your paper:
Diction
Diction refers to the choice of words for the
expression of ideas; the construction, disposition, and
application of words in your essay, with regard to
clearness, accuracy, variety, etc.; mode of
expression; and language. There is often a tendency
for students to use fancy words and extravagant
images in hopes that it will make them sound more
intelligent when in fact the result is a confusing mess.
Although this approach can sometimes be effective, it
is advisable that you choose clear words and be as
precise in the expression of your ideas as possible.
Paragraphs

Creating clear paragraphs is essential. Paragraphs

come in so many sizes and patterns that no single
formula could possibly cover them all. The two
basic principles to remember are these:

1) A paragraph is a means of developing and

framing an idea or impression. As a general rule,
you should address only one major idea per
paragraph.
2) The divisions between
paragraphs aren’t random, but
indicate a shift in focus. In other
words you must carefully and clearly
organize the order of your
paragraphs so that they are logically
positioned throughout your paper.
Transitions will help you with this.
Transitions
In academic writing your goal is to convey
information clearly and concisely, if not to convert the
reader to your way of thinking. Transitions help you to
achieve these goals by establishing logical
connections between sentences, paragraphs, and
sections of your papers. In other words, transitions
tell readers what to do with the information you
present them. Whether single words, quick phrases or
full sentences, they function as signs for readers that
tell them how to think about, organize, and react to
old and new ideas as they read through what you
Transitions signal relationships between ideas.
Basically, transitions provide the reader with
directions for how to piece together your ideas
into a logically coherent argument. They are
words with particular meanings that tell the
reader to think and react in a particular way to
your ideas. In providing the reader with these
important cues, transitions help readers
understand the logic of how your ideas fit
together.
Grammar and Spelling

You must make certain that your paper is free

from grammar and spelling mistakes.
Mechanical errors are usually the main reason
for lack of clarity in essays, so be sure to
thoroughly proofread your paper before
handing it in. For help with common errors in
grammar and usage consult the following
websites:
Plagiarism and academic honesty

Plagiarism is a form of stealing; as with other

offences against the law, ignorance is no
excuse. The way to avoid plagiarism is to give
credit where credit is due. If you are using
someone else’s idea, acknowledge it, even if
you have changed the wording or just
summarized the main points.
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit
whenever you use
• another person’s idea, opinion, or theory;
• any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings—any
pieces of information—that are not common
knowledge;
• quotations of another person’s actual
spoken or written words; or
• paraphrase of another person’s spoken or
written words.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!!
HAVE A NICE DAY!