KIND S O F
SITION PA PER
PO
CONTENTS
WHAT IS A POSITION PAPER? THE STEPS
THE 4 KINDS THE COMMON ERRORS
THE FORMAT WHY A POSITION PAPER IS
WRITTEN
POSITION PAPER
A POSITION PAPER IS A
COMMON TYPE OF ACADEMIC
ARGUMENT WRITING
ASSIGNMENT. TYPICALLY, A
POSITION PAPER IS WRITTEN
AFTER READING ABOUT AND
DISCUSSING A PARTICULAR
ISSUE (MYERS, N.D.).
POSITION PAPER
CONVINCING THE READER
THAT YOUR VIEWPOINT IS
REASONABLE AND DESERVING
OF CONSIDERATION IS THE
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF A
POSITION PAPER.
EXPOSITIVE COMPARATIVE
THE 4 KINDS OF
POSITION PAPER
EVALUATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE
EXPOSITIVE
SERVING TO EXPLAIN,
DESCRIBE, OR PROVIDE
DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT
A PARTICULAR SUBJECT,
CONCEPT, OR IDEA
COMPARATIVE
COMPARES TWO (OR MORE)
OPTIONS, SUCH AS POSITION,
THEORY, FIGURE, TEXT OR
EVENT.
EVALUATIVE
ABOUT JUSTIFICATION. IT
ARGUES THE WORTH AND NOT
WORTH OF DOING SOMETHING.
CONSTRUCTIVE
SUPPORTS THE AUTHOR’S
POSITION ON A TOPIC
THROUGH STATISTICS, FACTS,
AND OTHER PIECES OF WELL-
RESEARCHED, RELEVANT
EVIDENCE.
FORMAT IN WRITING
A POSITION PAPER
THE ORGANIZATION’S
STANCE
INTRODUCTION
PROPOSED
SOLUTIONS
DEFINITION OF THE
PROBLEM
CONCLUSION
HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
A BRIEF OVERVIEW, BACKGROUND
INFORMATION, AND THE PURPOSE OF
WRITING THE POSITION PAPER SHOULD BE
INCLUDED TO GIVE THE READER AN IDEA
OF THE TOPIC THAT THEY WILL BE
READING. ALSO, IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO
GET THEIR ATTENTION.
DEFINITION OF THE
PROBLEM
THE ISSUE THAT THE POSITION PAPER
AIMS TO ADDRESS AND THE
EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSES AND
EFFECTS OF THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE
DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, ALONG WITH
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE CLAIMS.
HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
IN THIS SECTION, THE WRITER SHOULD DO
RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE OR PROBLEM,
INCLUDING HOW IT HAS EVOLVED OVER
TIME AND WHAT PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS
HAVE BEEN MADE TO ADDRESS IT.
THE ORGANIZATION’S
STANCE
THIS SECTION PRESENTS THE
ORGANIZATION'S STANCE ON THE ISSUE
OR PROBLEM WITH EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT
ITS POSITION. ALSO, IT SHOULD ADDRESS
ANY COUNTERARGUMENTS OR
ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES.
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
THIS SECTION SHOULD PROVIDE
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND/OR
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS THE
ISSUE, TOGETHER WITH EVIDENCE TO
SUPPORT THEIR EFFECTIVENESS.
CONCLUSION
IN THIS SECTION, THE SUMMARIZATION,
SOLUTIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN
THE POSITION PAPER SHOULD BE
INCLUDED. ALSO, IT SHOULD ENCOURAGE
FURTHER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON
THE ISSUE.
REFERENCES
THIS IS THE LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT
PART OF WRITING A POSITION PAPER. IN
THIS SECTION, ALL THE REFERENCES USED
TO SUPPORT THE CLAIMS MADE IN THE
POSITION PAPER ARE LISTED.
STEPS IN
WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
1 Choose your topic
5 Present your arguments
2 Research
6 Address opposing views
3 Define your position
7 Conclusion
4 Write an introduction
8 Edit and proofread
COMMON ERRORS IN
WRITING A POSITION PAPER
FAILING TO
CHOOSING A CONDUCT WRITING IN MAKING
TOPIC THAT THOROUGH AN SPELLING,
IS TOO RESEARCH INFORMAL GRAMMAR, OR
BROAD, AND CITE OR BIASED PUNCTUATION
VAGUE, OR CREDIBLE TONE. ERRORS.
COMPLEX. SOURCES.
WHY A POSITION PAPER
IS WRITTEN
TO ORGANIZE AND OUTLINE ONE'S
VIEWPOINT ON AN ISSUE
TO FORMALLY INFORM OTHERS OF ONE'S
POSITION AS A FOUNDATION TO BUILD
RESOLUTION TO DIFFICULT PROBLEMS
TO PRESENT A UNIQUE, THOUGH BIASED,
SOLUTION OR A UNIQUE APPROACH TO
SOLVING A PROBLEM
WHY A POSITION PAPER
IS WRITTEN
TO FRAME THE DISCUSSION IN ORDER TO
DEFINE THE PLAYING FIELD
TO ESTABLISH ONE'S CREDIBILITY
TO LET ONE'S PASSION BE DEMONSTRATED
IN THE FORCE OF HIS ARGUMENT, RATHER
THAN IN THE USE OF EMOTIONAL
CONCLUSION
POSITION PAPERS SERVE AS A MEANS TO
EXPRESS YOUR VIEWPOINTS ON MATTERS
AND ENGAGE WITH OTHERS.
POSITION PAPERS SEEK TO INFORM READERS
ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER WHILE
PRESENTING A PERSPECTIVE, PERSUADE
READERS TO ALIGN WITH YOUR VIEWPOINT
OR TAKE ACTION REGARDING THE ISSUE AT
HAND, AND STRIVE TO LEAVE READERS WITH
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
THANK YOU!
