LECTURE ON WRITING A POSITION PAPER

A POSITION PAPER presents the writer’s stand or viewpoint on a particular issue.

A position paper is a tool in airing a person’s side on a particular issue. It has an important role to play
in the different segments of the society.
USES OF POSITION PAPER
1. You can have the power to change the positions and attitude of others;
2. It can be an essential tool in bringing about societal change;
3. You can have the chance to reflect your point of view if you don’t agree with a certain issue or rule.
USE OF POSITION PAPER IN THE ACADEME:
-enable discussion of emerging issues without the use of extensive research or experimentation.
USE OF POSITION PAPER IN POLITICS:
-useful in contexts whereby an analysis of another’s point of view is taken into consideration.
USE OF POSITION PAPER IN COMPANIES OR ORGANIZATIONS:
- tools used in conveying their official stance on a pressing issue.
Uses of Position Papers:
1. POLITICAL – adherence or non-adherence to political party, gov’t program, etc.
2. ARTISTIC – creation or abolition of an artistic movement
3. SCIENTIFIC – acceptance or non-acceptance of a scientific theory.
4. EDUCATIONAL - conformity or non-conformity with educational reforms.
5. RELIGIOUS – conversion to or departure from religious sects.
6. PROFESSIONAL – commitment or non-commitment to professional organizations.
7. TECHNOLOGY – application or non-application of a technological breakthrough.
8. BUSINESS - patronage or boycott of business products and establishments.
PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE
PURPOSE:
-to present personal stance on an issue and try to persuade readers to take on your side.
AUDIENCE:
2 kinds of audience:
a. those whom you share the same values
b. those who have opposite beliefs
 Of the 2, the 2nd kind of readers is more challenging for you. You have to make these kinds of
readers that though you have opposing views, you still respect their views but still hopes that
they take your side in the end.
HOW TO ADDRESS READERS WITH WHOM YOU HAVE OPPOSING VIEWS WITH:
1. offer them a new way of seeing the issue and reconsider their personal beliefs on the topic.
2. Build a bond of trust with your readers, especially if you are presenting an argument on highly
emotional issue.
3. Make a special effort to win their confidence. You may state that you also have personal
disagreements initially but now you feel confident about the issue. This makes an impression that you
share the same feelings with them.
PARTS OF A POSITION PAPER
1. INTRODUCTION
- Start with an introduction which presents the issue while grabbing the attention of readers.
- Define the issue and discuss its background.
- You may begin with…a. a startling fact b. a personal experience c. an anecdote
- Provide a general statement of your position via your thesis statement.
- Catch your reader’s attention.
- Make your stand on the position clear and concise.
- Make your theme clear as well.
2. BODY
- State your main arguments.
- Provide counterarguments against the possible weakness of your arguments.
- Enumerate each of your arguments (at least 3) composed of assertions, evidence, and explanations.
- Provide sufficient evidence for each argument such as statistical data, interviews with experts, and
testimonies.
- Write the arguments in a persuasive way possible. How can you do this? How do writers become
persuasive?
Some writers do it by…
- using clear, rational thinking;
- being humorous and pointing out ironies and incongruities;
- couching arguments in emotional and passionate terms.
- Refute the opposition.
- determine the pros and cons to identify the possible readers for your paper.
- research the issue by using both primary (interviews and survey) and secondary data (ready
information from published and online sources)
REFUTE COUNTERARGUMENTS
- REFUTATION refers to the process of discrediting the arguments that oppose your thesis statement.
WHEN REFUTING COUNTERARGUMENTS, CLAIM THAT THEY ARE:
A. INCORRECT- demonstrate that the counterargument is wrong because it is based on incorrect or
misleading information.
B. IRRELEVANT – show that the counterargument is inappropriate and unrelated because it is not
relevant to the key point.
C. INSUFFICIENT – show that the counterargument is weak because it is based on insufficient
information or ignores significant information.
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 quotation, a challenge, or a question.
- End your paper with strong insights, a recommendation, or a call to action, or an emotional appeal.
- 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.
GUIDELINES IN WRITING A POSITION PAPER
1. Choose an issue. The issue should be debatable. The issue should be current and relevant. The issue
should be written in a question form 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 to establish the credibility of your arguments.
7. View the issue in a different perspective so you can present a unique approach.
8. Limit your position paper to 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 the active voice as much as possible to achieve a dynamic and firm tone.
12. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or deductive approach.
a. 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.
b. 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 a general theory and moves to a specific hypothesis.
13. Check your argument for fallacies and eliminate them.
FALLACIES, or errors in reasoning, weaken your argument.
14. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeal.
POSSIBLE TOPICS:
1. The RH Law should be implemented.
2. Homosexual marriage should be implemented.
3. Uniforms should no longer be a requirement in school.
4. Smart phones should not be allowed in school.
5. There should be sex education in schools.
6. Arranged marriages are better than romantic marriages.