How to Write a Position Paper and Why It's Important

Ideas shape the world, but only when backed by strong arguments. The ability to present a well-supported argument makes it easier to convince an audience, whether it's an opposing side or a review committee.

This article will explain how to make a position paper, from introduction to conclusion. You can also learn about proper formatting with an example, so by the end you’ll understand how to defend your stance, which makes all the difference.

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What Is a Position Paper?

A position paper is an academic work that defends an author’s position through writing relevant evidence, statistics, and other factual data. Interestingly, a good position paper is something that exists beyond educational institutions. For example, government policies or healthcare needs a position discussion, too. Hence, someone working there may express their precise position on a matter through writing. Then, a committee might approve and put the discussed position into practice. Overall, the purpose of writing a position essay falls into three categories:

• To persuade
• To inform
• To provide a clear argument

This way, everybody can address their position via writing.

Position Paper vs. Argumentative Essay

Although a position paper can share similarities with an argumentative essay, the table demonstrates the key differences, while also addressing the question - how long should a position paper be?

How to Write a Position Paper - Step By Step Guide

So, we discussed the peculiarities of position essays. The following section of our article will address a position paper format and all its writing stages. 

Thinking of a Theme

Understanding what subject is the most optimal may be a challenge. Most importantly, a good topic for a position essay should be debatable. For example, there’s no point in proving a position like ‘pollution is harmful.’ Hardly anyone wants to argue with this stance. Instead, focus on writing a statement with other sides and counter arguments.

Furthermore, this step ensures that the position has enough evidence. What if there are too few statistics? If nobody in history has discussed this position before, there’s no way to prove yourself right. So, choose wisely.

Researching the Topic 

When talking about convincing the opposing side, always conduct research thoroughly. Mainly focus on selecting reliable knowledge sources. Indeed, preliminary research is a challenge, too, but it pays off immensely. Here are the best-proposed solutions:

• Use the college or university library. The book collection is there for a reason.
• Believe only reliable authors who have a long history of writing expert materials.
• Refer to the freshest data. A good position paper defends the author’s stance only with up-to-date evidence.

Collecting Supporting Evidence

The point in a position essay thesis statement needs various sources of proof, like these:

• Government websites. Usually, they contain reliable statistics, such as economics.
• Statistical sites. They typically group stats by topics, countries, or years, which is convenient.
• Specialized forums. People’s replies may reveal hidden gems, like monographs or other evidence.
• Legal texts. They are necessary if the statement relates to law or government policy.

Creating Position Paper Structure

Consider writing the position paper outline after finishing the preliminary research and gathering evidence. It contains three sections, starting with an introduction:

3.1. Introduction

• Hook (attention-grabber) - any position paper introduction example has a catchy phrase or interesting fact to interest readers.
• Background information describes the history of the problem and the rest of the available information on a position.
• The thesis statement (your stance in one sentence) is a central point or opinion.

3.2. Body Paragraphs (3-5 paragraphs)

Each paragraph should focus on:

• A central point supporting the thesis is defending just one side.
• Evidence ( for example, facts, statistics, expert opinions) - to prove the statement.
• Counter arguments and rebuttals - they refute the opposite position.

3.3. Conclusion

• Summarize key points - the final section recalls every discussed significant point.
• Reinforce the stance - rewrite the thesis statement.
• Call to action or final thought - write some proposals or memorable words.

Editing and Proofreading 

The time to rest hasn’t come yet since the position paper requires polishing. Even a good topic and an excellent stance may suffer from punctuation or spelling errors. Undeniably, it would be a catastrophe to ruin a thesis statement with a simple mistake. So, a student, for example, can challenge their group mate to proofread their text. It should be easy, especially if a work takes just one page.

Position Paper Checklist

Let’s refine your paper by going through this checklist. The more boxes you check, the stronger and more polished your paper will be!

Position Paper Example

After we’ve discussed the theory, let’s look at the next section with a position paper example. Visual learning always helps with understanding!

College Should Be Free

College Should Be Free

Recommendations for Creating a Strong Position Paper

Keep these key strategies in mind to ensure your paper is both compelling and logically sound.

• Keep your stance clear and well-supported. Only in this case will readers believe the statement. Otherwise, the lack of clarity and support might scare people away.
• Use logical and factual arguments: official documents and numbers work more effectively than attempts to influence audiences with emotional words.
• Always anticipate counter arguments: be ready to oppose and disprove different stances using strong evidence.
• Format properly using MLA/APA if required: in most cases, it depends on the individual demands of every educational institution, so follow the official rules for a better grade.

Common Errors in Position Papers

Even a well-researched paper can lose its impact due to common mistakes. Watch out for these pitfalls to make sure your position paper remains strong and persuasive.

• Weak thesis statement: knowing how to write a good position paper begins with mastering a thesis statement. If it’s illogical or undebatable, the whole work makes zero sense.
• Lack of evidence: arguments or counter arguments carry minimal weight without factual proof. A student might as well delete them completely.
• Overly emotional arguments: a position paper has too little room for emotion. They can undermine logical argumentation by showing that an author is biased and takes the matter too close to heart.
• Ignoring counter arguments: one thing about a position paper is that half of its audience is supposed to deny the thesis statement. Hence, a writer must build a defense instead of ignoring attacks.
• Poor structure: Such a simple mistake may cost all the time and effort spent writing. An unstructured position paper is impossible, like a house without a carcass.

Sum Up

So, the general recommendations for position paper writers are as follows:

1. Editing and proofreading for clarity and coherence (it means taking a break and returning to reread the position paper multiple times.)
2. Checking for logical consistency and factual accuracy (avoid contradicting your position, present actual proof.)
3. Formatting according to guidelines (APA, MLA, etc.) (so, there should be one formatting style throughout the whole text, without exceptions.)
4. Seeking feedback from peers or mentors (consider a second opinion that sometimes gives a new look at the work, adding ideas for improvement.)

Even with all the rules for writing a position paper, problems can still arise. No worries, EssayService is here to help whenever you're stuck!