THE NATURE OF A POSITION PAPER OR

Lesson A MANIFESTO

1
What is It

A Position Paper or a Manifesto Defined

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. In the same
manner, Munro (2019) defines manifesto as a document or letter publicly declaring the position
or program of its issuer. It advances, but it a set of ideas, opinions, or views can also lay out a plan
of action. It is posted or distributed to the public that announces information such as the motive,
reasoning, or demands of a person or group. Topics of position papers or manifestoes are:
political, artistic, scientific and educational, professional, and technology. The main objective of
writing a position paper is to take part in a larger debate by stating your arguments and
proposed course of action.
A position paper has the following parts:

Introduction
 Introduces the issue, provides history or background of the issue on hand.
 Provides general statement of the writer’s stand through a thesis statement.

Body

 States the arguments on the writer’s stand about the issue.

 Provides strong evidence (statistics, interviews with experts, testimonies).
 Provides counterarguments against possible weaknesses of your arguments.

Conclusion
 Restates the claim or stand of an issue.
 Suggests a course of action.
 Ends with a powerful call for action (quotation, challenge or question).

Moreover, the parts of a position paper are best understood if you have background knowledge
on the following terms which are commonly used for this purpose.

• Issue – refers to the important topic or problem discussed in the paper.

• Argument – refers to the set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others.
• Evidence – refers to the facts or information indicating whether a belief is true or valid.
• Claim or stand – refers to a demand or request for something considered one’s due.

(source: google.com)
All of these terms will guide you in understanding the sample position paper given
Structure of a Position Paper

The structure of a position paper is flexible, but it should generally follow a simple flow that
clearly conveys the problem and the position of the author(s). A position paper should begin by clearly
stating the problem and its relevance to the scientific community or even to the society as a whole. It
should then address the main position of the author. For example:

1. Background: For decades, the WHO has urged the adoption of a tax on unhealthy foods to
discourage the consumption of products that are harmful to our health.

2. Relevance: Sugar has been shown to have a negative impact on health and play a major role
in the rising obesity rates in America.

3. Position: The United States should adopt a tax on drinks with added sugar, to reduce the
consumption of sugar, and promote healthier eating habits.
The author should clearly list the common arguments and possible objections against this
position. To continue with our example:

1. Argument 1: A sugary drink tax that focuses on soda may not impact other products that have
an equally negative health impact such as fruit juice or candy.

2. Argument 2: A sugary drink tax is regressive and places a financial burden on the poorest
consumers.

A strong position paper acknowledges the validity of the counter- arguments and then puts forth
reasons why the author’s position is still the correct one. In our example paper, the author can address
the counterarguments in the next section like so:

1. Counterargument 1: It is true that a sugary drink tax would not impact all sources of added sugar
in the average American diet. However, it would still have a significant impact on a major source
of added sugar to achieve its goal of reducing overall sugar consumption.

2. Counterargument 2: All consumption taxes are regressive. A sugary drink tax would be most
effective accompanied by subsidies for healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables.

Finally, summarize your main points and re-state your position in your conclusion. All arguments
in the paper should be backed up by facts, data, and evidence, with proper citation attributed to your
sources. In this way, a position paper is no different from an ordinary research paper. If you wish, you
can include a brief literature review in your
discussion of the background of the issue. While such a literature review is not essential, it can make
your paper stronger.

Choosing an Issue

1. The issue should be debatable. You cannot take any position if the topic is not debatable.
2. The issue should be current and relevant.
3. The issue should be written in a question form and answerable by yes or no.
4. The issue should be specific and manageable.

Source: Jessie S. Barrot, P. (2016). Academic Reading & Writng For Senior High School. Quezon City: C&E
Publishing, Inc.
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Ten Tips for Writing a Strong Position Paper

Now that we know what a position paper is, let us review some tips to write a great position
paper.

1. Select a timely, relevant topic with two clear opposing sides.

2. Conduct thorough preliminary research and collect evidence to support arguments for and
against your position.

3. Identify your intended audience. You should tailor your tone depending on who the paper is
written for (the public, other scientists, policy makers, etc.).

4. Clearly state your position on the topic.

5. List and refute the counter-arguments to your position.
6. Include supporting data and evidence to back up your argument.
7. Properly attribute your sources using correct citation.
8. Keep it simple! Position papers don’t need to go into excessive detail. Present your points
clearly and briefly.

9. Each paragraph in the paper should discuss a single idea.

10. Have someone proofread your paper to ensure it reads well and looks professional.

A position paper can be a great way to expand your horizons and write a new type of research
paper. While position papers are unlike ordinary research papers, they still contribute valuable
perspectives to the scientific community. Use these ten tips to write an effective position paper!
Source:https://www.enago.com/academy/top-tips-writing-position-paper/

Let us familiarize the following words:

Manifesto, a document publicly declaring the position or program of its issuer. A manifesto
advances a set of ideas, opinions, or views, but it can also lay out a plan of action. While it can
address any topic, it most often concerns art, literature, or politics. Manifestos are generally written in
the name of a group sharing a common perspective,
ideology, or purpose rather than in the name of a single individual.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/manifesto

An argument is usually a main idea, often called a “claim” or “thesis statement,” backed up with
evidence that supports the idea.
Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=argument+in+position+paper+meaning&oq=argument
+in+position+paper+meaning&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30j0i390l3.13455j1j4&sourceid=chrome& ie=UTF-8

A claim defines your paper’s goals, direction, scope, and is supported by evidence, quotations,
argumentation, expert opinion, statistics, and telling details. A claim must be argumentative. When you
make a claim, you are arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your subject.
 Claims are, essentially, the evidence that writers or speakers use to prove

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their point. Examples of Claim: A teenager who wants a new cellular phone makes the following
claims: Every other girl in her school has a cell phone.
Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=claim+in+position+paper&oq=Claim+in+pos&aqs=ch
rome.0.0j69i57j0i22i30l8.18952j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF -8

Assumption is information not stated in the argument that has to be true in order for the
argument’s logic to hold. Simply put, an assumption is something an argument takes for granted in
reaching its conclusion.

Example: All kids are excited when they get new toys. Therefore, Tim will be thrilled when he gets the
new radio- controlled car we bought him.
In this argument, the author, says two things explicitly:
- All kids are excited when they get new toy
- Tim will be thrilled when he gets the new radio – controlled car we bought him.

Steps in identifying assumptions:

- Identify the conclusion of the argument
- Identify what is stated in the authors reasoning

Evidence is the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition
is true or valid.
Example: All kids are excited when they get new toys.
Conclusion: Tim will be thrilled when he gets the new radio- controlled car we bought him.
Author’s Assumption: Tim is a child.
https://www.slideshare.net/rheiheartYOU/identifying -assumptions

Read the sample article below.

Smart Technology is Here

- Francis J. Kong 
(The Philippine Star) - June 24, 2018 - 12:00am

Technology is changing things. Sometimes, we are so enamored with all the new gadgets
and other shiny objects; we scrape up a lot of money from our hard-earned savings just to make
sure we have them lest we lag behind.

Technology does not only change things, it has transformed the way we lived and the rate
of change is accelerating. Consider the changes that have happened over the years. After the
years following the Civil War, there were a handful of technologies that reconfigured existence.
 Thomas Edison’s light bulb extended the working day and may have created the
workaholic.
The air-conditioner provided cool and comfort for hot and humid days and it pushed us
indoors all day, causing the reduction of our vitamin D levels.

The jet engine has shrunken distance but increased the scope of business as in warfare.

Radio and television spread information on massive scales which penetrated homes and
private spaces, and shaped culture.

Appliances sped up our tasks and chores, but reduced our physical strength.

Computers reduced outdoor activities but, in instead, created an industry called fitness
gyms.

Smart phones become the universal device for almost every technology application, and at
the same time have raised our stress and tension levels.

Social media has been able to bridge people from across the world, yet has isolated the
people nearest them.

This is strange but it seems like the more social media one uses, the less social he or she
becomes.

Technology has now created new businesses that the world has never seen before.
Suddenly, YouTube stars that would ever have had the slightest opportunity to flash their faces on
the TV or movie screens and become overnight stars, and earn millions to the consternation of
their parents who still believe that they should get a “real job.”

Even the way I go to sleep and the way I wake up from my sleep has been altered by
technology. For the past two to three years, I have not physically set my alarm clock to the time I
need to get up to start the day. I have always said, “Alexa, wake me up tomorrow morning at 6:15
a.m. to the sound of classical music.” And then, my A.I.-enabled cylinder that I purchased from
Amazon.com will respond: “Alarm set tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock to classical focus on amazon
music.” And it does.

Now, expect more of this to happen. More people will be talking to their devices. Google
home products, Apple’s Home pod, and Amazon’s Echo are all competing in this field. This might
pose as a challenge for people to be reminded that when they talk to humans, they should still
communicate with grace and respect. With machines, one can be rude, impatient and be ill-
mannered wanting to get the information we want but humans are not machines. I can be
awakened by Alexa with its classical music playing and in my still foggy mind and half-wakefulness
say, “Alexa, shut up: and it does stop. But can you imagine me talking this way to my clients or my
family?

Smart technology is now similar to media in its ability to shape our lives in a thousand ways
and in even more pervasive means. We have even witnessed the rise of fake news and false
content, and have seen how many young people have become bashers and bullies, cussing and
cursing in loud voices instead of improving their arguments through intelligent conversations to the
benefit of no one but perhaps, to a handful of marketing people whose sole mission in life is to
create noise, traffic, and click counts to raise up ad revenues for their sites. Technology can
diminish emotional intelligence as those who are immersed in it become socially and emotionally
lazy, thanks to all the screens in our lives.

Geoffrey Fowler already has a sinister name for this fake news and false contents in social
media as he calls it: “counterfeit reality.” I guess what has happened over the years is that
civilization driven by mass media and technology has replaced our preference from a culture of
character to a culture of personality.

Technology will not go away. It is not a passing fad. Businesses will be challenged, jobs will
possibly be replaced, and so we should learn it, know more about it and most importantly use it for
good and not as a means to justify the means and in many case….the “mean-ness.”

Famous book author and Professor Adam Grant whom I had the privilege of meeting and
interviewing years ago says this beautifully:

“We could” – refers to the creativity we can employ through smart technology.

“We should” – refers to the ethical and moral decisions we need to consider in its usage.

I am interested in technology developments. I am sure it will improve many people’s lives,

but the same materials can also be used to advance evil and harm. Therefore, we need to be
reminded that technology is moral-neutral. It is still the heart of the person using it that matters.
Use technology for what matters most and that is for the good — for everyone’s sake.

Source:
https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/06/24/1827252/smart-technology-
here#7dKHY4z5uOELgVFO.99

What’s More

Activity 2. Briefly answer the following questions:

1. What does the issue talk about? What is the writer’s stand about the issue?
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2. What are the writer’s arguments? Mention and analyze each argument.
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3. What evidences are cited to support his claim?
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4. How is the conclusion stated?

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