English for Academic

and Professional
Purposes
Module 6
Writing a Position
Paper

____________________
Name of Student

Aizel I. Madrigal
Subject Teacher
 I. Lesson Proper
Specific Learning Objectives:
• Determine the characteristics of a position paper.
• Explain the relationships of certain elements in the position paper.
• Crafts position paper based on available facts and evidences.

LESSON: Definition of Position Paper

A position paper is a written proposition of stance on a particular issue by way of sound and logical arguments
supported with evidence. A position paper is a tool in airing a person’s side on a particular issue. It has an important
role in the different segments of the society.
1. In Academe
Position paper enable discussion of emerging issues without the use of extensive research or
experimentation.
2. In Politics
Position papers are most useful in contexts whereby an analysis of another’s point of view is taken into
consideration.
3. In Companies or Organization
Position papers are tools used in conveying their official stance on a pressing issue.

LESSON: Characteristics of an Effective Position Paper

1. It must be clear
The assumption or thesis at the outset bears this responsibility on clarity. Knowing what is to be proven
requires careful understanding of any phenomena.

2. It should consider facts as basis for elaboration of assumption

One can never be totally defended what needs to be defended if evidences are not met. Appeal to false
authority is usually the go-to method here by some people who fail to recognize the significance of an authority
to speak about specialized topic or idea.

3. It should have a clincher that echoes the assumption

Like a tail cut off, the clincher could look the same if not found in the position paper. Clinchers or conclusions
create closure to the previous discussion on the topic. It serves to iterate the very notion that starts off the
entire discussion. Not being able to clinch means not being able to grasp what the entire position is about.

4. It provides resolutions such that further actions could be considered

It could be responded to more quickly if an identified proposal exists. This is usually making the whole process
easier to go through because not just the policy/proposal is determined but also the prongs that are needed
for it to be executed efficiently. Prongs are the safety nets that guard the proposal.
 LESSON: Contextualizing the Position Paper

Writing Guidelines
Introduction
Consider your audience. Start with a topic sentence or two that attracts attention and summarizes the issue.
Inform the reader of your point of view.
Body
Focus on three main points to develop. Each topic is developed with:
1. A general statement of the position
2. An elaboration that references documents and source data
3. Past experiences and authoritative testimony
4. Conclusion restating the position
Establish flow from paragraph to paragraph
1. Keep your voice active
2. Quote source to establish authority
3. Stay focused on your point of view throughout the essay
4. Focus on logical arguments
5. Don’t lapse into summary in the development—wait for the conclusion
Conclusion
1. Summarize, then conclude your argument
2. Refer to the first paragraph/ opening statements as well as the main points:
a. Does the conclusion restate the main ideas?
b. Reflect the succession and importance of the arguments
c. Logically conclude their development?
3. Share a draft with others to better develop the paper and ensure that your argument is clear.
4. Revise, spell-check, and succeed in building your case.
(Source: https://www.studygs.net/wrtstr9/htm)
English for Academic
and Professional
Purposes
Writing a Report
Module 7
Survey/Field
Report/Laboratory/
Scientific Report

____________________
Name of Student

Aizel I. Madrigal
Subject Teacher
 I. Lesson Proper
Specific Learning Objectives:
• Understand the format of technical report.
• Determine the difference introduction, method, result, and discussion.
• Write a various report.

LESSON: Technical Reports

In the field of engineering, technical reports could include analysis reports, design reports, and other reports
that account for engineering matters. These documents are vital for engineering undertakings since they could help in
the expansion of innovations. Hence, they should be properly communicated to the intended recipients.
It is high important to know your audience for technical report. Your report must therefore be clear and
concise enough so that even those without any technical background will have a thorough understanding of whatever
is communicated. With proper communication, objectives of reports are successfully attained.

1. Title and author

This section may be written on a separate page or on the top of the first page of the report. The title captures
what the topic is all about and will give the reader an idea about what is going to be reported. Title should not
be too long to remember. Further, they must be concise yet the thought must be complete and if possible,
attention-grabbing.

2. Table of contents
For long reports, it is advisable to provide table of contents to guide the readers to the various sections of the
document.

3. List of figures
In general, technical reports include figures. This part is useful for readers’ guidance.
List of tables. It is also expected that the technical reports generally make use of tables to present various
data. List of tables should provide table numbers and titles.

4. Abstract
This section provides the summary of the whole report. Other call this an executive summary. Abstract is a
brief presentation of the summary of major findings.

5. Introduction
This part gives the background of the topic and the reasons for undertaking topic or study. It gives the readers
an over-all picture of a status quo, the need to address certain issues, the importance of knowledge
expansions, and enhancements of certain conditions.

6. Proposed Solution
If the technical report presents issues or problems to be solved, this section mentions the potential solutions
to the challenges at hand and the reasons for suggesting such solutions.

7. Results and Discussion

 The main substance of the report is discussed in this part. Important concepts, engineering process,
procedures, descriptions of equipment, software, codes and standards, calculations and other information
about technical system are presented. Also, important results such as the system/s discussed are presented.
8. Conclusion
This brief section is the interpretation of the results of the study. It gives a succinct interfere after arriving at
certain significant findings.

9. Recommendations
Based on the conclusion, this part details the proposals and actions in moving forward and improving areas,
which could still be improved.

10. References
This is a list of the sources cited and quoted in the report and is usually placed at the end part of the manuscript
or document.

11. Appendixes
This part displays supplemental materials used to make the study feasible.

LESSON: Scientific Reports for Academic

Scientific reports for Science and Social Sciences follow academic and professional writing conventions.
Experimental and other types of academic researches follow the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion
(IMRAD) format.

1. Introduction – Why was the study undertaken? What was the research question, the tested hypothesis or
the purpose of the research?
2. Methods – When, where, and how was the study done? What materials were used or who was included in
the study groups (patients, etc.)?
3. Results – What answer was found to the research question; what did the study find? Was the tested
hypothesis true?
4. Discussion – What might the answer imply and why does it matter? How does it fit in with what other
researchers have found? What are the perspectives for future research?
 Writing a Report Survey/Field Report/Laboratory/ Scientific Report
Module 7: SELF-EVALUTION

Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

Section: ____________________________________ ID no:_______________________

I. Directions: Read the statements below. Write your first name if the statement is correct and your surname if
it is incorrect.

______________________1. Appendixes displays supplemental materials used to make the study feasible.
______________________2. The title captures what the topic is all about and will give the reader an idea about
what is going to be reported.
______________________3. Abstract is a brief presentation of the summary of major findings.
______________________4. List of tables should provide table numbers and titles.
______________________5. Title should be too long to remember.

II. Directions: Answer the following questions.

1. How important the title to a given report paper?

______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

2. Does the content of the report necessarily be detailed?

______________________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

3. How important to you, as student, to know specific format in writing a report?

______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
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English for Academic
and Professional
Purposes Module 8-9
Experimentation,
Observation, and
Other Data-
Gathering Methods

____________________
Name of Student

Aizel I. Madrigal
Subject Teacher
 I. Lesson Proper
Specific Learning Objectives:
• Identify the data-gathering methods.
• Appreciate the Q’s of questionnaire construction.
• Apply one of the data-gathering methods.

LESSON: Experimentations, Observation, and Other Data- Gathering Methods

A writer or reporter has to gather data for his paper. Because he is not omniscient (all-knowing) as God, he
still needs to read books, interview people, conduct a survey, and resort to other means of collecting information.
Therefore, he must have an ample knowledge regarding the ways of gathering data. These methods of data- gathering
include but are not limited to the following:

1. Reading: Books and periodicals are considered secondary sources of information, yet they are always
valuable sources of information specially for someone doing a survey of related literature ad studies for his
thesis or dissertation.

2. Experimentation: When independent and dependent variables are involved in the study, the most likely
approach to use is the experimental method.

3. Observation: Merely looking closely at surrounding things is a means to gather data. In fact, Galileo
discovered gravity by simply observing two objects fall from Learning Tower of Pisa. Observation is of two
kinds: participant and non-participant. The participant observer takes part in the activities being observed,
while a non-participant observer does not.

4. Interviewing: Conducting an interview is another method. It can be done in any of three ways: personal
(direct/in-person) interview; mail (letter) interview; telephone (phone) interview.

5. Conversation//Chat: Opposed to the interview which is structures, a conversation is an unstructured way of

gathering data. The data-gatherer elicits information from the conversation between him and other party or
parties.

6. Internet Surfing: Inasmuch as online sources are plenty students of today’s generation are more at home
with surfing the net than any other method. The Internet is a rich and good source of information coming from
all corners of the world.

7. Conducting a Survey: Surveys have become one of the more common sources of data.

LESSON: Techniques to Record Observations

1. Note Taking
This is the most commonly used and easiest method of recording your observations. Tips for taking notes
include: organizing some shorthand symbols beforehand so that recording basic or repeated actions does not
impede your ability to observe, using many small paragraphs, which reflect changes in activities, who is
talking, et., and, leaving space on the page so you can write down additional thoughts and ideas about what’s
 being observed, any theoretical insights, and note to yourself that are set aside for further investigation. See
drop-down tab for additional information about note-taking.
2. Photography
With the advent of smart phones, high quality photographs can be taken of objects, events, and people
observed during a field study. Photographs can help capture an important moment in time as well as document
details about the space where your observation takes place. Taking a photograph can save time in
documenting the details of a space that would otherwise require extensive note taking. However, be aware
that flash photography could undermine your ability to observe unobtrusively so assess the lighting in your
observation space; if it’s too dark, you may need to rely on taking notes. Also, you should reject the idea that
photographs are some sort of “window into the world” because this assumption creates the risk of over-
interpreting what they show. As with any product of data gathering, you are the sole instrument of
interpretation and meaning-making, not the object itself.
3. Video and Audio Recording
Video or audio recording your observations has the positive effect of giving you an unfiltered record of the
observation event. It also facilitates repeated analysis of your observations. This is can be particularly helpful
as you gather additional information or insights during your research. However, these techniques have the
negative effect of increasing how intrusive you are as an observer and will often not be practical or even
allowed under certain circumstances and in certain organizational settings.
4. Illustrations/Drawings
This focuses not refer to an artistic endeavor but, rather, refers to the possible need, for example, to draw a
map of observation setting or illustrating objects in relation to people’s behavior. This can also take the form
of rough tables or graphs documenting the frequency and type of activities observed. This can be
subsequently placed in a more readable format when you write your field report. To save time, draft a table
on a separate piece of paper before an observation if you know you will be entering data in that way.

LESSON: Survey and Survey Questionnaires

Questions are classified into open-ended and closed-ended. Open- ended question are those that require
sentences and paragraphs as answers; closed-ended question- require only words and phrases as answers, the
second group is divided into recall questions, in which the one answering is simply asked to recall an answer to be
written on the blank. Recognition questions require the one answering to choose his answer from among the given
options.
In constructing questions, the researcher must bear in mind the Q’s of questionnaire construction which this
writer devised. These are:

1. Quality: The researcher should ask questions which are clear, objective, concise, relevant, ethical, and simply
worded. Double or multiple questions, the kinds of questions in one interrogative sentence should be avoided.
Moreover, questions should be devoid of biases, non-essentials, irrelevances, obscenities, and high-falutin
words.

2. Quantity: A researcher should be concerned not only about the kinds of questions, but also about the number
of questions to be asked.

3. Quest: A researcher is in search of answers to solve the problem he has in mind. As a searcher, he must
ask questions that are within the bounds of his quest.
A sample of a research questionnaire is presented below.

November 3,2003

December Respondent:

The following is a survey questionnaire dealing with the analyzing and reasoning
language learning strategies of AB English scholars.

Being an AB English scholar, you are selected to accomplish the said

questionnaire.

You are requested to answer the given questions as honestly as possible. Please
be assured that your answers will be treated with confidentiality.

Kindly accomplish the questionnaire by either filling in the blanks or placing

checkmarks on the space provided.

Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,

JESUS Z. MENOY

EXAMPLE OF QUESTIONNAIRE:
Name Age Date
Kind of Scholarship Full Partial

Analyzing and Reasoning Strategies of AB English Scholars

Always Usually Sometimes Rarely Never

1. I apply grammar rules to understand
items in the new language.
2. I apply rules other than grammar rules
to understand items in the new
language.
3. I break down new words into prefixes,
suffixes, and roots to understand such
words.
4. I break down phrases into words and
sentences into phrases and clauses to
understand such phrases and
sentences.
5. I determine the similarities between
grammatical and other items in the
new language and my native
language.
6. I determine the differences between
grammatical and other items in the
new language and my native
language.
7. I translate words in the new language
into words in my native language.
8. I translate phrases and sentences the
new language into phrases and
sentences in my native language.
9. I apply previous knowledge in my
native language to facilitate learning
items in the new language.
10. I apply previous knowledge in the
new language to facilitate learning
items in the same language.
 Experimentation, Observation, and Other Data- Gathering Methods
Module 8: SELF-EVALUTION

Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

Section: ____________________________________ ID no:_______________________

Directions: Conversation/ Chat is one of the data-gathering methods we discussed in this module. For your activity,
you will chat or have a conversation with your classmates or your schoolmates at Divine Word College of Calapan.
The following questions below will be asked. (NOTE: Please take a picture of your answers for this activity
because you will be needing this for the next module. Thank you! )

Answer of your classmate/schoolmate no.1:

1. What is the language they are using in their home?

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__________________________________________________________________________________

2. How English language is important to you as a student?

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3. Is it important to follow the grammar rules in using the language?

__________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

4. In what way, do you think you can improve the use of the language?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Answer of your classmate/schoolmate no.2:

1. What is the language they are using in their home?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. How English language is important to you as a student?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
 __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Is it important to follow the grammar rules in using the language?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

4. In what way, do you think you can improve the use of the language?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Answer of your classmate/schoolmate no. 3:

1. What is the language they are using in their home?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

2. How English language is important to you as a student?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Is it important to follow the grammar rules in using the language?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

4. In what way, do you think you can improve the use of the language?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________