Centre for Nursing and Health Studies

A position paper presents an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that your opinion is valid and worth listening to. 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 address the counterclaims to show that you are well informed about both sides.

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Writing a Position Paper

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 distinctly identify two positions?
• Are you personally interested in advocating one of these positions?
• Is 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 out 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:

• Factual knowledge - Information that is verifiable and agreed upon by almost everyone.
• Statistical Inferences - Interpretation and examples of an accumulation of facts.
• Informed Opinion - Opinion developed through research and/or expertise of the claim.
• Personal Testimony - Personal experience related by a knowledgeable party.

In considering your audience, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is your topic interesting?
• Can you manage the material within the specifications set by the tutor?
• Does your topic assert something specific and propose a plan of action?
• Do you have enough material to support an opinion?

Organization

Your introduction should lead up to a thesis that organizes the rest of your paper. There are three advantages to leading with the thesis:

• The audience knows where you stand.
• The thesis is located in the two strongest places, first and last.
• It is the most common form of academic argument used.

Generic Sample Outline for a Position Paper

Introduction

• Introduce the topic
• Provide background on the topic
• Assert the thesis [your view on the issue]

Counter Argument

• Summarize the counterclaims
• Provide supporting information for counterclaims
• Refute the counterclaims
• Give evidence for argument

Your Argument

• Assert point #1 of your claims
• Give your opinion
• Provide support
  
  
• Assert point #2 of your claims
• Give your opinion
• Provide support
  
  
• Assert point #3 of your claims
• Give your opinion
• Provide support

Conclusion

• Restate your argument
• Provide a plan of action

Quotations

When a passage from a text is particularly useful in supporting your interpretation of some author's views, it may be helpful to quote the passage directly. (Be sure to specify where the passage can be found.) However, direct quotations should be used sparingly. It is seldom necessary to quote more than a few sentences. Often it will be more appropriate to paraphrase what X says, rather than to quote him directly. When you are paraphrasing what somebody else said, be sure to say so. (And here too, cite the pages you're referring to.)

Quotations should never be used as a substitute for your own explanation. And when you do quote an author, you still have to explain what the quotation says in your own words. If the quoted passage contains an argument, reconstruct the argument in more explicit, straightforward terms. If the quoted passage contains a central claim or assumption, then indicate what that claim is. You may want to give some examples to illustrate the author's point. If necessary, you may want to distinguish the author's claim from other claims with which it might be confused.

Grammar, Writing Style, and Editing

Spelling, punctuation, grammar, as well as the overall appearance and readability of the paper, will also significantly influence your grade. Every written product or presentation you turn out, now and in the future, will be judged on both its content and appearance. As such it will reflect directly on you as a professional and will influence the effectiveness of your presentation. Do not submit any paper that you would not be willing to give a client or your manager. Prepare your position paper carefully and turn in a quality product.

[Reference: University of Hawaii-West O'ahu. (1998). Writing a position paper. UHWO Writing Center]