Position Paper
The Assignment
The assignment asks that you take a position from your three viewpoints discussed in exploratory topic and do further research to support it. You should envision your position paper as a very well developed 4-6 page academically researched opinion piece (1200-1600 words) that would appear in a highly esteemed academic joural. The support in your paper is to be logical, scientific, researched, factual information with backup statistics and verified data. Put your passion for the subject into your research so that you can write with authority and can be very persuasive. Remember to analyze the rhetorical situation and to consider logos, pathos, and ethos. You may write a claim of fact, value, policy, cause, or a claim of definition. You will be expected to state a specific claim and provide support through research. Narrow your focus down before you begin the process of drafting. You should include in-text MLA citations to note the ideas of your sources and include a works cited page as well.
Papers handed in without in-text citations or a works cited page will not be accepted.
As noted in the exploratory essay assignment, I will not accept issues on abortion rights, the legalization of any drug, capital punishment, or religion. I also do not accept papers that rely on religious beliefs as their major support. Certainly, no one wants to persuade you to change those beliefs.
Your written text should be accompanied by three images that support your position on your issue. They should function as argumentative texts and be incorporated into your position paper. Be sure that you label each image with a caption that briefly states the image’s importance (i.e. Fig. 1 This World War I propaganda poster offers a wealth of detail about perceptions of women during that time period).
PURPOSE
What do I want to accomplish with this essay?
The goal of this paper is to argue a specific position on an issue and to support that position using evidence that appeals to an audience's sense of ethos, pathos, and logos.
Your claim will be one sentence that clearly takes a stance on the issue (for or against). It should also be qualified and reasonable.
NOTE: Because the purpose of this piece is to argue, NOT INFORM, you do not have to use qualifiers when using your own voice. However, you must use author tags AND citations when relating the ideas of others.
AUDIENCE
How will audience affect the content of your paper? Who am I writing for?
Imagine you are writing this essay for an academic, peer reviewed journal.
This would mean you are specifically addressing experts in their fields, professors, scholars, and academics. Based upon their educational levels and levels of expertise, you need to consider what they likely already understand about your topic. In other words, if you are discussing the obesity problem in America, you really don't need to define the word "obsese." This would be basic, common knowledge for someone of this level of intelligence. Please keep this in mind.
Keep in mind that you audience is made up of individuals who disagree with your stance on the issue. Your goal is to convince them to listen to your position and perhaps to even persuade them to agree with your view.
How will audience affect diction (word choice)?
Since your audience is highly educated and you are essentially writing an academic piece, how will this affect the type of language that you will use?
Since you are essentially writing an academic, researched paper, your essay should have a very formal tone. You should NEVER use first person, personal pronouns, or contractions. In addition, you should completely avoid the use of slang and explicit language.
RESEARCH REQUIRED
The Annotated Bibliography is the majority of the research portion of this assignment. However, it is highly likely that will need to find additional sources (3-5 to support your view and to use as evidence for subclaims. You must use information found in the library or on the library's databases. YOU CANNOT USE SOURCES FOUND ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB.
You should have a Works Cited page and should clearly introduce each source the first time you use it, make use of author tags when quoting and paraphrasing from the source, and use qualifiers when using your own academic voice. This assignment will also require in-text MLA ciations. Essays that do not meet these requirements will receive a grade of zero.
Format
Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. Please refer to your textbook or owl.english.purdue.edu for other questions about format.
REQUIREMENTS FOR POSITION PAPER:
Your essay must be a minimum of four pages and not more than six (this does not include the works cited page; 1200-1600 words). You must include a copy of each source with all information used, paraphrased, or quoted highlighted. Each copy of a source must be clearly identified as to author, publication, and clear page numbers.
NOTE: Keep all planning work (i.e., sructuring the evidence of your position paper worksheet, workshop questionnaires, reflections and versions of the essay to hand in with the final version of the essay--Remember: NO PROCESS, NO GRADE.
Your paper will be graded based on the following:
Total Possible Points: 60/
•
Claim: is clearly stated, is arguable, is qualified appropriately (13 points)
Claim: is clearly stated, is arguable, is qualified appropriately (13 points)•Focus: you stayed focused on proving your claim (8 points)
Focus: you stayed focused on proving your claim (8 points)•Introduction: includes background (exigence), definitions (3 points)
Introduction: includes background (exigence), definitions (3 points)•Conclusion: reflects entire issue presented (3 points)
Conclusion: reflects entire issue presented (3 points)•Support: (18 points)
Support: (18 points)--sufficient and credible, reliable sources of evidence
--logical, balanced tone
--knowledge of opposition(s) and refutation of opposition(s)
--the paper is convincing
--your own voice is in the paper. After you introduce a source and explain their perspective, and quote from the source, then it is time for YOU to speak. Either explain the quote, respond to the quote, or question the quote (or the information). In other words, this is your time to show that you understand what the source is talking about, that you have thought about it, evaluated it and have an objective idea to express. Always watch that you keep a fair and balanced tone because you do not want to alienate your audience. You want to keep them reading your paper. Your voice is your contribution to the conversation on the subject. Be a part of that conversation by putting your own voice into the paper using a fair, informed, unbiased, balanced tone.
--images that accompany text are properly labeled and identified and adequately support the author’s position.•Organization (5 points): Do ideas and paragraphs proceed in logical and apparent sequence or pattern? Does writer use sufficient audience cues to let the reader know what has been discussed, what is being discussed, or what will be discussed? Does writer use attention-getting title and lead-in, paragraph hooks, transitional words and phrases? Does writer guide the reader from beginning to end?
Organization (5 points): Do ideas and paragraphs proceed in logical and apparent sequence or pattern? Does writer use sufficient audience cues to let the reader know what has been discussed, what is being discussed, or what will be discussed? Does writer use attention-getting title and lead-in, paragraph hooks, transitional words and phrases? Does writer guide the reader from beginning to end?•Style (5 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone?
Style (5 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone? •Mechanics (5 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
Mechanics (5 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?-5 NO 1ST DRAFT ON DUE DATE
-5 NO PEER CRITIQUE
-5 NO REFLECTION
NO DRAFT, SOURCES OR PROPER DOCUMENTATION OF SOURCES = NO GRADE
Grading Scale:
A 54-60
B 48-53
C 42-47
D 36-41
F 0-35
