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A Position paper is a document containing a few paragraphs about a one-

sided arguable opinion on a particular topic. The paper is mainly written by


the delegates of a country in a conference to show their position in a
specific matter. The main goal is usually to reason logically and
compellingly, hence convincing the audience that your policy is both valid
and defensible. A position paper assignment requires students to leverage
facts, statistics, opinions, and any other forms of attestations to express
their point of view on a specific controversial issue in their country or
globally.

Writing a good position paper is sometimes challenging even to the best


students. Luckily, we have many professional essay writers ready to
provide a solution irrespective of your country. Moreover, we have provided
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killer position paper.

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What are the three parts of a position paper?
You may (or may not) be asked to include a thesis at the beginning and
references at the end of your position paper. However, these three
essential parts must always be there: introduction, body, and conclusion.
Read on to find out what to do under each paragraph of your position
paper.

1. Introduction

The introductory part can make the reader or audience either dismissive or
interested to know more. Begin with a few opening sentences that capture
their attention. You also want to use suspense so that your reader is
hooked. Most importantly, however, the introduction paragraph should
inform your reader about the issue you have chosen.

2. Body

The body of a position paper has three parts: background information,


evidence to support your opinion, and a discussion of both sides of the
matter. You need to conduct thorough research and have enough facts to
back up your claims. However, don’t forget to address both sides of the
argument.
It shows the reader that you were not biased in your considerations and,
ultimately, gives you a better shot at convincing them. Of course, the
arguments supporting your position should be more than
counterarguments. Also, remember to mention the idea before the
evidence to back it up and then go on to explain that evidence.

3. Conclusion

A good conclusion provides a summary of your key points and lets the
audience in a conference know where you stand. You can restate your
thesis at the beginning of the conclusion, then go on to summarise the key
points. Your stand must always come out clearly before you wrap up.
What’s more, you must suggest the way forward at the end.

How do I write a good position paper?


Now, knowing the parts that your essay should have is not enough when
you have to write an attractive and convincing position paper. You should
have a few other tricks up your sleeve to guide you in terms of selecting a
topic, developing the argument, conducting research, etc.

Picking the topic


A good position paper is centered about a subject matter that has enough
findings to support it as well as a bit of controversy to create an argument.
If the topic is not given, ensure that you go for something that has enough
points so you can build a case and reach to as many people as possible in
the conference.

If you are a student writing an assignment, you might want to ignore your
personal beliefs on the matter and focus on what can get you the best
grade. Your abilities to give a sound and logical argument outweigh the
subject matter, which can range from simple to complex. Ask yourself the
following queries:

 Is the issue real, and does it have a genuine uncertainty in the


country?
 Are there at least two distinctive sides that you can take?
 Can you advocate for either of those positions?
 Can you manage the scope of the issue, or is it too big?
But don’t get too attached to any subject just yet.

Preliminary research

Conducting a little research in advance helps you find out whether there is
adequate information to support your stance. Try visiting a handful
of authority sites such as government and education websites in various
countries. In case you don’t already know, they are sites that end with
“.gov” and “.edu” respectively. This research will also give you a clue
concerning which side of the argument you wish to take. If you discover
that your subject of choice does not have enough data surrounding it in
your country, try another one. Otherwise, you might lack content down the
line.

Developing an argument
The next task in line is taking a side and building on your case. You will
most probably have an opinion by this point but be sure to write down the
pros and cons as well as the supporting evidence for both sides in your
paper.

Having a lot of information on the topic is not enough – consider your point
of view concerning your audience’s beliefs. Think of yourself as a delegate
of a committee or representing your country in an international forum.
Remember that besides your judgment, the audiences in real-life situations
are diverse and full of opinions.

Also, keep in mind that your professor / TA will probably have to read a few
other essays on a similar topic. Therefore, you have to be unique,
exhibiting innovativeness, and show that you have a thorough
understanding of the topic. Furthermore, make decisions about the terms
that you will explain as well as the background information to give. For
example, writing for an economics professor is not similar to writing for a
history professor. There are terms that you might want to explain and
others that will be obvious.

Write with clarity and integrity


Do not make the mistake of assuming that the content is everything but
rather consider your diction too. That is your choice of words to the
expression of your ideas, tone, clarity, variety, and accuracy. More so, don’t
be tempted to use complicated words that will force someone to open their
dictionary. They might get bored or go to the next point without fully
understanding the previous one.

Finally, avoid plagiarism. You can get the ideas from other people’s work
but never copy directly. Just check online with platforms like Grammarly to
ensure that your work is not plagiarised.

What is a sample position paper?


A sample, in this context, is simply a position paper or an outline that helps
you figure out what to say, the format to follow, and how to organize the
flow of information in your assignment. You can stick to the guide below
when writing a position paper.

1. Introduction:

  Introduce the topic in a brief way.


 Give a little background information explaining why the topic is
essential to your country or target audience.
 Declare your thesis.

2. Content argument:

 Give a summary of the counterclaims (ask yourself what someone


would say to disagree with you).
 Outline information that supports the counterclaim.
  Contest the counterclaims.
  Provide evidence for your argument.

3. Your opinion

 Give your first informed and educated opinion.


 Prove that you are right by using at least two reliable sources.
 Repeat the same with the next points that you have.

4. Conclusion

 Restate your point of view.


 Provide a resolution.

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