Block Chain

WRITING A POSITION PAPER

The following material explains how to produce a position paper (sometimes called a point of view paper). A template is provided that outlines the major parts of a good position paper.  

Like a debate, a position paper presents one side of an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that your opinion is valid and defensible. Ideas that you are considering need to be carefully examined in choosing a topic, developing your argument, and organizing your paper. It is very important to ensure that you are addressing all sides of the issue and presenting it in a manner that is easy for your audience to understand. Your job is to take one side of the argument and persuade your audience that you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented. It is important to support your argument with evidence to ensure the validity of your claims, as well as to refute the counterclaims to show that you are well informed about both sides.

Issue Criteria

To take a side on a subject, you should first establish the arguability of a topic that interests you. Ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you will be able to present a strong argument:

·  Is it a real issue, with genuine controversy and uncertainty?

·  Can you identify at least two distinctive positions?

·  Are you personally interested in advocating one of these positions?

·  Is the scope of the issue narrow enough to be manageable?

Analyzing an Issue and Developing an Argument

Once your topic is selected, you should do some research on the subject matter. While you may already have an opinion on your topic and an idea about which side of the argument you want to take,  you need to ensure that your position is well supported. Listing the pro and con sides of the topic will help you examine your ability to support your counterclaims, along with a list of supporting evidence for both sides. Supporting evidence includes the following:

 

Type of Information	Type of Source	How to find these sources
introductory information and overviews	directories, encyclopedias, handbooks	Use the Library catalogue
in-depth studies	books, government reports	Library catalogue, web sites
scholarly articles	academic journals	Article indexes
current issues	newspapers, magazines	Article indexes
position papers and analyses	association and institute reports	Library catalogue, web sites

Many of these sources can be located online through the library catalogue and electronic databases, or on the Web.

** You do not have to use all of the above supporting evidence in your papers. This is simply a list of the various options available to you. Consult your separate assignment sheet to clarify the number and type of sources expected.

 

Organization 

I. Introduction ___A. Introduce the topic ___B. Provide background on the topic to explain why it is important ___C. Assert the thesis (your view of the issue). Your introduction has a dual purpose: to indicate both the topic and your approach to it (your thesis statement), and to arouse your reader’s interest in what you have to say. One effective way of introducing a topic is to place it in context – to supply a kind of backdrop that will put it in perspective. You should discuss the area into which your topic fits, and then gradually lead into your specific field of discussion (re: your thesis statement).

II. Your Argument ___A. Assert point #1 of your claims _____1. Give your educated and informed opinion _____2. Provide support/proof using more than one source (preferably three) ___B. Assert point #2 of your claims _____1. Give your educated and informed opinion _____2. Provide support/proof using more than one source (preferably three) ___C. Assert point #3 of your claims _____1. Give your educated and informed opinion _____2. Provide support/proof using more than one source (preferably three)

You may have more than 3 overall points to your argument, but you should not have fewer.

III. Counter Argument ___A. Summarize the counterclaims ___B. Provide supporting information for counterclaims ___C. Refute the counterclaims ___D. Give evidence for argument

You can generate counterarguments by asking yourself what someone who disagrees with you might say about each of the points you've made or about your position as a whole. Once you have thought up some counterarguments, consider how you will respond to them--will you concede that your opponent has a point but explain why your audience should nonetheless accept your argument? Will you reject the counterargument and explain why it is mistaken? Either way, you will want to leave your reader with a sense that your argument is stronger than opposing arguments.

When you are summarizing opposing arguments, be charitable. Present each argument fairly and objectively, rather than trying to make it look foolish. You want to show that you have seriously considered the many sides of the issue, and that you are not simply attacking or mocking your opponents.

It is usually better to consider one or two serious counterarguments in some depth, rather than to give a long but superficial list of many different counterarguments and replies.

Be sure that your reply is consistent with your original argument. If considering a counterargument changes your position, you will need to go back and revise your original argument accordingly.

IV. Conclusion ___A. Restate your argument ___B. Provide a plan of action but do not introduce new information

The simplest and most basic conclusion is one that restates the thesis  in different words and then discusses its implications.