WRITING A

POSITION PAPER
 Welcome, Class!

 What is Position Paper?  Identify the essence of writing a position paper;

 Parts of a Position Paper  Define the context for a position paper;
 Guidelines in Writing a Concept Paper  Write a good example of a position paper; and
 Kinds of Appeal  Use reasonable arguments and factual evidence to
 Fallacies defend a stand.
 Is it important to have
a stand on a certain
issue?
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What is a Position Paper?
﹡ A position paper is a composition in
which a person presents his/her
stand/viewpoint about something and
demonstrates why he or she believes it
is valid and worth reading/listening to.
 Parts of a Position Paper
Introduction
﹡ Start with an introduction which
presents the issue while grabbing the
attention of readers.
﹡ Define the issue and discuss its
background.
﹡ Provide a general statement of your
position via your thesis statement.
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Body
﹡ State your main arguments.
﹡ Provide sufficient evidence for each
argument such as statistical data,
interview with experts, and
testimonies.
﹡ Provide counterarguments against
the possible weaknesses of your
arguments. 7
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Conclusion
﹡ Restate your position and main
arguments.
﹡ Suggest a course of action.
﹡ State what makes your position superior
and more acceptable.
﹡ End with a powerful closing statement
such as a quotation, a challenge, or a
question. 9
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 Guidelines in Writing a
Position Paper
1. Choose an issue. When choosing one, keep the following
guidelines in mind.
﹡ The issue should be debatable.
﹡ The issue should be current and relevant.
﹡ The issue should be written in a question form and
answerable by yes or no.
﹡ The issue should be narrow and manageable.

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2. Begin the writing process by conducting an in-depth
research on the issue.
3. Make sure to define unfamiliar terms when you first
mention them.
4. Be aware of the various positions about the issue and
explain and analyze them objectively.
5. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.

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6. Cite valid and reliable sources to establish the credibility of
your arguments.
7. View the issue in a different perspective so you can present a
unique approach.
8. Limit your position paper to two pages.
9. Analyze your target readers and align your arguments to
their beliefs, needs, interests, and motivations.
10.Summarize the other side’s counterarguments and use
various evidence and data to refute them.

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11. Use an active voice as much as possible to achieve a
dynamic and firm tone.
12. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive
or deductive approach.
13. Check your argument for fallacies and eliminate
them.
14. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeal.

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 Three Kinds of Appeal in
an Argument
Ethical, Logical, Emotional

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﹡ ETHICAL APPEAL relates to your credibility and
competence as a writer.

﹡ LOGICAL APPEAL refers to a rational approach

in developing an argument.

﹡ EMOTIONAL APPEAL uses arguments in a way

that evokes feelings.

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 What are fallacies?
These are errors in reasoning which can weaken an argument.

Types of Fallacies:
﹡ Faulty cause – Event A happened before Event B, then Event A caused Event B.
“Every time I go to sleep, the sun goes down.”

﹡ Hasty generalization – making a conclusion based on a small sample.

“If my brother likes to eat a lot of pizza and French fries, and he is healthy, I can
say that pizza and French fries are healthy and don't really make a person fat.”

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﹡ Ad hominem – attacking the person making the argument instead of
addressing the argument.
“Don't listen to Dave's argument on gun control. He's not the brightest bulb in
the chandelier.”

﹡ Appeal to authority – supporting an argument by citing a personality who

supports the argument but is not a credible source on the topic.
“A commercial claims that a specific brand of cereal is the best way to start
the day because athlete Michael Jordan says that it is what he eats every day
for breakfast.”

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 Thank you for joining today’s class!
Any questions?

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