Position Paper

Contemporary IssuesFall 2010Position PaperWhat is a Position Paper?A position paper asks you to take a stand on an issue and provide the reasoning and evidence on which you base your opinion.Though a position paper is rooted in your opinion, you must integrate information from at least three current, credible sources to support your position.Remember that this is not a piece of persuasive writing. You are not directly trying to convert people of opposing positions.2Topic SelectionYour topic needs to be timely (i.e., relevant in the present). If the issue has already been resolved, there is no real point to explicating your opinion of it.Select a topic about which you are interested, but not so emotionally attached to that you cannot look at it logically.Avoid topics that are overdone.Topics must be approved by the instructor prior to beginning research.

Brainstorm Time!Evaluation CriteriaClearly states a single controlling idea (i.e., position)Acknowledges and explains contradictory evidenceMaintains a consistent toneUses a logical and effective pattern of organizationIncludes a well-developed introduction, body, and conclusionUses transitional words and phrases to show relationships among ideasAdheres to the basic rules of Standard Written EnglishAdheres to proper MLA guidelinesTechnical RequirementsTyped12 point, plain-faced font (Calibri or Times New Roman)Double-spaced (with no additional spacing before/after)One inch margins on all sidesMLA Heading (name, teachers name, class, date)Page numbers at top right with authors last nameIn-text citation of outside information (MLA format)Works cited page (MLA format)Length: 2-3 pages (i.e., no shorter than two full pages, no longer than three full pages)Conducting Internet ResearchThe internet has a bad reputation regarding research, but when used wisely can be a valuable resource.Using search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) can be useful for general information, but will often result in unwanted materials.Specialized search engines (e.g., Google Scholar) can be more useful.Databases (e.g., Ebsco, etc.) usually feature articles that are more scholarly and can be a good place to find credible information.

Developing Search TermsBrainstorm search terms in advance.Be sure to consider synonyms and other related words to use as search terms.To refine search terms, use Boolean OperatorsAND searches for additional terms (non-consecutive)OR searches for either of two termsNOT eliminates specific non-relevant resultsCan also use plus and minus signs for AND and NOT.

Evaluating SourcesFirst need to consider how each source may contribute to your writing.Functions of outside sources:Provide background information/contextExplain unfamiliar terms or conceptsProvide evidence for your argumentsLend authority to your argumentOffer alternative interpretations to your argumentsScan search results to gauge usefulness. Consider what the title, author, date, publication, length, and sponsoring organization say about the text.Evaluating SourcesAuthorship: Is there a clear author?If so, is the author credible?SponsorshipIs there a group that sponsors the site?What does the URL tell you (e.g., .com, .org, etc.)?Purpose & AudienceWhy was the site created?Who is the sites intended audience?CurrencyWhen was the page last updated?Are the links all current and active?

The Wikipedia ThingWikis are community developed websites that can be modified by any user.While there is the community policing entries, some questionable and undocumented information will always exist on the sites.Though Wikipedia can be quite useful for general knowledge and links to outside sources, it is not considered a reliable source for scholarly research and thus should not be used in your writing.

Project Timeline9.27 Introduce project and interweb research9.28 Interweb Research (meet in Shirks lab)9.29 Interweb Research 9.30 Documentation (integrating and citing information)10.1 Work Day (research if necessary, begin drafting)10.4 Work Day (drafting paper)10.5 Draft Due; Writing Workshop10.6 Revision/editing; Papers due at end of class