POSITION PAPER

The purpose of a position paper is to generate support on an issue. It describes the author’s position on an issue and the
rational for that position and, in the same way that a research paper incorporates supportive evidence, is based on facts that provide
a solid foundation for the author’s argument. It is a critical examination of a position using facts and inductive reasoning, which
addresses both strengths and weaknesses of the author’s opinion.

An author who writes a position paper is making an argument which has to be built upon evidence. The structure used to do
this is very similar to that used when writing a critical essay.

ELEMENTS OF THE POSITION PAPER

The classic position paper contains three main elements:

An Introduction, which identifies the issue that will be discussed and states the author’s position on that issue.

The Body of the paper, which contains the central argument and can be further broken up into three unique sections:

Background information

Evidence supporting the author’s position

A discussion of both sides of the issue, which addresses and refutes arguments that contradict the author’s position

A Conclusion, restating the key points and, where applicable, suggesting resolutions to the issue.
ARTICLE CRITIQUE
An article critique has four main parts:

1. Introduction
Include an introductory paragraph that includes the following:

 The author’s name(s) and the title of the article

 The author’s main point
 A thesis statement that previews your analysis

2. Summary
After your introduction, discuss the following in your own words:

 The main points of the article

 The arguments presented in the article
 The findings of the article

3. Critique
After summarizing the article, critique the article by doing the following:

 Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the article that you noted while critically
reading the article.
 State your informed opinions about the clarity, relevancy, and accuracy of the article,
using specific examples from the article to support your statements.
4. Conclusion
Finally, end your article critique with a conclusion that does the following:

 Summarize the key points in the article, as well the key points from your own analysis.
 Close with a comment about the significance of the research or a statement of future
research needed in the field.

Writing a Short Story Review

A review of a short story should include the following:

1. Introduction

In the introduction, you should include some basic facts about the story, including
the title, the author and the story genre. You should also say something about

your opinion of the story, along with your reasons for liking or disliking it.

2. Summary

Briefly summarise the story. Discuss the setting, the main character(s) and the

main events or problems that the characters experience. Do not give the ending

away!

3. Personal reflection

Discuss what you like or dislike about the story. Give reasons to support your

opinion. You may want to compare and contrast the story with other stories you

have read by the same author or in the same genre. You can also compare the

story to your own personal experience or a current event in the news.

4. Critical analysis

In the critical analysis, some questions to explore are:

 What is the author’s purpose for writing the story? Is the author
successful in achieving this purpose?
 What is the setting of the story? Is it appropriate to the genre?
 How well are the characters developed? Do they think, feel, speak and
act in a believable way?
 How well is the plot structured? Is the action suspenseful enough? Are
the events too predictable?
 What is the theme, or the central idea, of the story?
 Does the story have a ‘coda’, or a lesson? What is it?
 Does the story have a ‘twist’, or an unexpected ending?
 Does the author use any literary devices, such as metaphor, simile, or
alliteration?

5. Conclusion
 In the conclusion, you should evaluate the story and either recommend it or not

recommend it to others, depending on whether you think it is worthwhile reading.

Before you begin writing the review, make sure you read the story closely and take

good notes.
What is an article critique?
An article critique requires you to critically read a piece of research and
identify and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the article.