Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Position Paper
Position Paper
Position Paper
PAPER
PRESENTED BY: THE GROUP OF WISE
POSITION PAPER
A position paper is an essay that presents an
arguable opinion about an issue – typically that of the
author or some specified entity. Position papers are
published in academia, in politics, in law and other
domains. The goal of a position paper is to convince the
audience that the opinion presented is valid and worth
listening to. Ideas for position papers that one is
considering need to be carefully examined when
choosing a topic, developing an argument, and
organizing the paper.
POSITION PAPER
Conduct Preliminary
Research
•Preliminary research is necessary to determine whether sufficient
evidence is available to back up your stance. You don’t want to get too
attached to a topic that falls apart under a challenge.
Search a few reputable sites, like education (.edu) sites and government
(.gov) sites, to find professional studies and statistics. If you come up with
nothing after an hour of searching, or if you find that your position doesn’t
stand up to the findings on reputable sites, choose another topic. This
could save you from a lot of frustration later.
CHALLENGE YOUR OWN TOPIC
You must know the opposite view as well as you know your own stance when you take a position.
Take the time to determine all the possible challenges that you might face as you support your
view. Your position paper must address the opposing view and chip away at it with counter-
evidence. Consider having friends, colleagues, or family debate the topic with you to get
alternative points of view that you might not have readily considered yourself. When you find
arguments for the other side of your position, you can address them in a fair manner, and then
state why they are not sound.
For decades, the FDA has required that warning labels should be placed
on certain products that pose a threat to public health.
It would be difficult and expensive for any entity to determine which
restaurants should adhere to the policy.