ACADEMIC

WRITING
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL
WRITING
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

DEFINE A POSITION
PAPER AND PURPOSE.
RESEARCH A DEBATE AND
IDENTIFY POSITION.
OUTLINE AND WRITE A
POSITION PAPER.
WHAT IS POSITION
PAPER?
POSITION PAPER
PROVIDES A RESEARCHED,
REASONED, AND LOGICAL
DEFENSE OF POSITION WITHIN
A CURRENT DEBATE.
YOU WILL ARGUE ONE
POSITION AND ASSUME YOUR
READER WOULD ARGUE THE
POSITION PAPER
THINK OF IT AS A
DEBATE ON PAPER
WHERE YOUR PURPOSE
IS TO PERSUADE YOUR
AUDIENCE.
WHAT ISN’T A POSITION
PAPER?
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE
“RIGHT”.
POSITION PAPERS TACKLE
LARGE PHILOSOPHICAL,
MORAL, SOCIAL, AND
CULTURAL PROBLEMS
THAT CANNOT BE BOILED
DOWN TO “RIGHT” AND
THINK ABOUT HOW
YOU CAN BE MORE
PERSUASIVE THAN
YOUR OPPONENT
WHAT IS THE “WHY” BEHIND THE TRY?
 HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?

 STEP 1: SELECT A CURRENT

DEBATE
 STEP 2: IDENTIFY AND REVIEW
SOURCES
 STEP 3: IDENTIFY AT LEAST TWO
POSITIONS.
 THIS WILL BECOME YOUR
 YOURSELF!

1. Is the debate you identified current,

controversial, real, and active?
2. Are there at least two distinct
positions that take different
perspectives?
3. Can you persuasively advocate for the
position you selected?
1. WHAT ABOUT MY AUDIENCE?

REMEMBER, THE PURPOSE HERE IS TO

PERSUADE YOUR AUDIENCE…. NOT
ALIENATE THEM!
A small dog sits in a dark, cold garage. His hair
is matted and dirty; he is skinny and weak from
going days without food. There is no water for
him to drink, no person to give him love and no
blanket to keep him warm at night.1 While this
might be a hard scenario to imagine, it is not
an uncommon one in America today. 
According to the Humane Society of the United
States, nearly 1,000,000 animals are abused or
die from abuse every year.2 As a veterinarian
with 30 years of experience, I have seen how
even one incident of abuse can affect an animal
for the rest of its life.3 As a society, we need to be
more aware of this terrible problem and
address this issue before it gets worse.
 WHAT COMES NEXT?

 STEP 1: SELECT A POSITION

WITHIN THE DEBATE
 STEP 2: IDENTIFY MAJOR
STRENGTHS OF POSITION
 IDENTIFY MAJOR
WEAKNESSES
 WHAT COMES NEXT?

 STRENGTHS MAKE UP THE

BODY OF THE PAPER; THE
WEAKNESSES ARE THE
COUNTERARGUMENT.
AM I READY TO OUTLINE?
 WHAT’S IN AN
INTRODUCTION?
SHORT EXPPLANATION OF THE DEBATE
BEING DISCUSSED
BACKGROUND OF DEBATE (MAJOR
PERSONS, DATES, EVENTS)
DESCRIPTIONS OF POSITIONS IN THE
DEBATE
THESIS THAT ASSERTS THE POSITION
BEING ARGUED AND WHY
 WHAT’S IN AN
INTRODUCTION?
THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE IN AN
INTRODUCTION SHOULD CORRESPOND
TO THE SCOPE OF THE PAPER.
WHAT’S IN A
COUNTERARGUMENT?
1. INTRODUCE THE OPPOSING POSITION
2. SUMMARIZE YOUR OPPONENT’S
COUNTERCLAIMS
3. PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS
YOUR OPPONENT’S POSITION
4. REFUTE OPPONENT’S EVIDENCE WITH
YOUR CLAIMS
5. PROVIDE EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF YOUR
WHAT’S IN A
COUNTERARGUMENT?
1. BEWARE THE “STRAWMAN” THAT CAN
RUIN A LEGITIMATE
COUNTERARGUMENT AND YOUR ETHOS!
WHAT’S IN A BODY
PARAGRAPH?
1. MAJOR CLAIM THAT SUPPORTS YOUR
POSITION
2. EVIDENCE FROM SOURCES THAT
SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM
3. ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE TO SHOW HOW
IT SUPPORTS YOUR CLAIM
4. REASSERT HOW THIS CLAIM AND
EVIDENCE SUPPORTS YOUR POSITION
WHAT’S IN A CONCLUSION?
1. REASSERT YOUR THESIS/ POSITION
2. SUMMARIZE THE MAJOR POINTS YOU
MADE IN THE BODY
3. PRESENT A CALL-TO-ACTION THAT
TELLS THE READER WHAT TO DO NEXT.