13 Tips in Writing a Position Paper

Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper


1. Begin the writing process with an in-depth research about the issue at hand.

2. Be aware of various positions about the issue and explain and analyze them objectively.

3. Reflect on your position paper and identify its weaknesses.

4. Establish your credibility by citing reliable sources.

5. Present a unique way of approaching the issue.

6. Limit your position paper to two pages.

7. Analyze your target readers and align your arguments to their beliefs, needs, interests and motivations.

8. Summarize the other side’s counter arguments and refute them with evidence.

9. Define unfamiliar terms at first mention.

10. Use an active voice as much as possible. This will make your tone dynamic and firm.

11. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or deductive approach.

12. Check your paper for fallacies and revise accordingly.

13. Use ethical, logical and emotional appeals. Ethical appeals relate to your credibility and competence as writer; logical appeal refers to the rational approach in developing an argument; emotional appeal pertains to feelings evoked during the arguments. Make sure to check your appeals to ensure that they are not fallacious.



source: Barrot (2016). Academic Reading and Writing for Senior High School. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guidelines in Writing an Article Critique (EL 11)

Image
  Guidelines in Writing an Article Critique 1.      Read the article or book to be reviewed carefully to get its main concept. 2.      Reread it to get the arguments being presented. 3.      Relate the content of the article to what you already know about the topic. This will make you more engaged with the article. 4.      Focus on how the article treats the topic and not the topic itself. Start your sentences with phrases such as “This book presents…” and “The author argues…” 5.      Examine whether the claims or findings are adequately supported or not. 6.      Analyze the type of analysis the writer used (e.g. quantitative, qualitative, case study) and how it supports the arguments or claims. 7.      Suggest some ways on how the writer can improve his/her reasoning or explanation. 8.      Discuss how the sample topic is explained from another perspective. Compare the writer’s explanation of the topic to another expert from the same field of study. 9.      Point out
Read more

Airplane

  I woke up to the sound of the alarm clock going off. Groaning, I rolled over the bed and could not find you. I hastily got up, stride down the stairs and the first thing I saw was your back. It was evident that you were busy cooking in the kitchen. I hugged you tightly as if it were our last moments together. Christmas is coming and I can feel the chilly weather in this hot country. You told me tales during the winter when you were in Hong Kong. You said a layer of clothes is a must, plus a thick padded jacket on top. You spoke as if you had spent half your life there. I continued to listen and savor the delicious food in front of me. You watch me carefully as I eat with gusto while you sip your favorite brewed coffee. You stared at me and said, "It’s been so long since I last saw you. You have grown so much." Those words choked me. I silenced my voice; I don’t want you to hear it. I don’t want to appear weak in front of the strongest person I have known.   After breakf
Read more