ILOCOS SUR

POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
LESSON 8

Purposeful Writing in the Disciplines

This part of the module discusses about the unique features of composing
academic writing. It helps you to learn the foundational concepts and to gain
familiarity with the different writing disciplines. Each writing discipline is followed by
writing activities to practice and engage your critical thinking, reading and writing.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you shall be able to:

1. identify the unique features of and requirements in composing texts that are useful
across disciplines
a) Book Review or Article Critique
b) Literature Review
c) Research Report
d) Project Proposal
e) Position Paper

LET’S LEARN!
8.1 Writing a Book Review or Article Critique

What is a Book Review or Article Critique?

A book review or article critique is a specialized

form of academic writing in which a reviewer
evaluates the contribution to knowledge of scholarly
works such as academic books and journal article.
A book review or article critique, which is usually
ranges from 250 to 750 words, is not simply a
summary. It is a critical assessment, analysis, or
evaluation of a work. However, take care not to
equate the word “critique” to cynicism and
https://www.freepik.com/search? pessimism. As an advance form of writing, it
dates=any&format=search&page=2&query=book+review&sort=po
involves your skills in critical thinking and
recognizing arguments. A book review or article critique is different in movie review that
you see in a newspaper. Although movie review involves the analysis of one’s work, they
are written for a general audience and primarily aim to offer a persuasive opinion. An
academic book review or article critique, on the other hand, addresses a more specific
audience and usually offers a critical response to a published scholarly work. Moreover,
book review must not be mistaken for book reports. Book reports focus on describing the
plot, characters, or idea of a certain work.
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
Book and article reviewers do not just share mere opinion; rather, they use both
proofs and logical reasoning to substantiate their opinions. They process ideas and
theories, revisit and extend ideas in a specific field of study, and present analytical
responses.

Structure of a Book Review or Article Critique

Introduction (around 5% of the paper)
 Title of the book/article
 Writer’s name
 Writer’s thesis statement

Summary (around 10% of the paper)

 Writer’s objective or purpose
 Methods used (if applicable)
 Major findings or claims

Review/Critique (in no particular order) (Around 75% of the paper)

 Appropriateness of methodology to support the arguments
 Theoretical soundness
 Soundness of explanation in relation to other available information and experts
 Sufficiency of explanation
 Other perspectives in explaining the concepts and ideas
 Coherence of ideas

Conclusion (around 10% of the paper)

 Overall impression of the work
 Scholarly value of the reviewed article/book
 Benefits to the intended audience
 Suggestion for future directions

When writing a book review or article critique, make

sure to ask the following:

1. What is the topic of the book or article?

2. What is its purpose?
3. Who are its intended readers?
4. Does the writer explicitly state his/her thesis
statement?
5. What theoretical assumptions (i.e., a
https://www.freepik.com/search? scientific/logical explanation without evidence)
dates=any&format=search&query=book
%20review are mentioned in the book or article? Are they
%20writing&selection=1&sort=popular&type=vec
explicitly discussed?
6. What are the contributions of the book or article to the field (e.g., language, psychology)
it is situated in?
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
7. What problems and issues are discussed in the book or article?
8. What kind of information (e.g., observation, survey, statistics, and historical accounts)
are presented in the book or article? How they are used to support the arguments or
thesis?
9. Are there other ways of supporting the arguments or thesis aside from the information
used in the book or article? Is the author silent about these alternative ways of
explanation?
10. What is your overall reaction to the work?
Guidelines in Writing a Book Review or Article Critique

1. Read the article or book to be reviewed carefully to get its main concept.
2. Reread it to get the arguments being presented.
3. Relate the content of the article or book to what you already know about the topic.
This will make you more engaged with the article or book.
4. Focus on discussing how the book treats the topic and not a topic itself. Start your
sentences with phrases such as “this book presents…’ and “The author argues…”
5. Situate your review. This means that your analysis should be anchored on the
theories presented by the book or article writer.
6. Examine whether the findings are adequately supported or not.
7. Analyze the type of analysis the writer use (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, case study)
and how it supports the arguments and claims.
8. Suggest some ways on how the writer can improve his/her reasoning or explanation.
9. Discuss how the same topic is explained from other perspective. Compare the
writer’s explanation of the topic to another expert from the same field of study.
10. Point out other conclusion or interpretations that the writer missed out. Present other
ideas that need to be examined.
11. Examine the connections between ideas and how they affect the conclusions and
findings.
12. Show your reactions to the writer’s idea and present an explanation. You can either
agree or disagree with the ideas, as long as you can sufficiently support your stand.
13. Suggest some alternative methods and processes of reasoning that would result in a
more conclusive interpretation.
Completing a book review or article critique means that you can pinpoint the
strengths and weaknesses of an article or book and that you can identify different
perspectives. This task also equips you with more skills to engage in discussions with
an expert and makes you a part of a community of scholars.
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3

INTENDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 8.1: Write a book review by following the writing process outlined
below. You may assume the persona of a university professor writing a review for a
particular book or article in your chosen field.

A. Read the book or article to be reviewed. Complete the following details.

Article/ Book Title:

___________________________________________________________________

Article/Book Author:
___________________________________________________________________

Topic: ___________________________________________________________________

B. Complete the given information to come up with a writing situation for your
book review or article critique.

General purpose:
___________________________________________________________________

Specific Purpose:
_______________________________________________________________

Target Output:
___________________________________________________________________

Audience:
___________________________________________________________________

Writer’s Persona:
___________________________________________________________________

Tone/Formality:
___________________________________________________________________
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
8.2 Writing a Literature Review
What is Literature Review?

A literature review is a type of academic writing that provides an overview of a

specific topic. It surveys scholarly work such as academic books (but not textbooks),
computerize databases, conference proceedings, dissertation’s/theses, empirical studies
government reports, historical records, journal article, monographs, and statistical
handbooks.

As an advance form of academic writing, a literature review critically analyzes the

relationship among the scholarly works and the current work. It can be written as a stand-
alone paper or as part of a research paper explaining a theoretical framework and related
studies. Unlike an annotated bibliography which presents a summary and synthesis (i.e.,
linking different sources).

Below are the differences among the sources.

Annotated Book Review Literature Review

Bibliography
Summarizes the Evaluates a book Review Reviews a significant
references and explain number of scholarly work in
how important they are in order to identify what is
addressing the research known and not known
questions about a topic

Doing a literature review will test your ability to seek literature efficiently and identify
useful scholarly work. It will also test your ability to evaluate studies for their validity and
reliability. Hence, writing a literature review involves research, critical appraisal, and writing.
Everything else included, a student may take 40 hours to finish a well- written literature
review.

Functions of a Literature Review

This type of a review has the following roles.

 Justifies a research questions, method or theoretical and conceptual framework

 Establishes the relevant of the topic
 Provides necessary information to better understand a specific topic or study
 Shows reviewers familiarity and mastery of the topic
 Establishes a niche of the study
 Resolves conflict among contradictory studies
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
Structure of a Literature Review

Introduction

 Purpose for writing literature review and the importance of the topic being reviewed
 Scope of the review
 Criteria used for selecting the literature
 Organizational pattern of the review

Body

 Historical background
 Relevant theories
 Relationship between and among the studies, and how each study advanced a
theory
 Strengths and weaknesses of each paper
 Various viewpoints on the topic

Conclusion

 Restatement of the main argument or thesis

 Main agreements and disagreements in the literature
 If stand-alone paper: conclusions; implications; and direction for future studies
 If part of a thesis or research paper: linking of the literature review to the research
questions
 Overall perspective on the topic.

Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review

Writing a literature review is composed of three distinct parts ---literature search,

evaluation and analysis of articles and writing the literature review –all of which are
discussed below.

Literature Search

1. Review the documentation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) that you will adopt and
be familiar with its format in relation to writing a literature review.
2. Choose and focus on a topic that you will explain.
3. Determine the kind and number of sources you will be using. Will your literature
review be exclusive to articles or will it include other documents? Will you focus on
experimental studies or will you also include theoretical papers that explain a theory?
4. Survey the available online databases relevant to your topic. These include
Proquest, Science Direct, JSTOR, or Google Scholar. As much as possible, include
only the references published by top journals and publishers.
5. Use relevant keywords when searching for scholarly documents or article. For
example, if you topic is about the impact of Facebook-based e-portfolios on the
writing skills of ESL learners, your possible keywords are Facebook, ESL writing, e-
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
portfolio, portfolio assessment, Facebook-based e-portfolio, and social networking
site.
6. Always include landmark studies or papers (i.e., studies which had remarkably
changed the field) related to your topic.
7. Always evaluate the sources for coverage and currency. Include only those article
directly related to your topic.
Evaluation and Analysis of Articles

Once you have identified and obtained the articles for your review, analyze them before
writing the actual literature review. To do this, you may apply the following steps.

1. Skim the articles and read their abstracts.

2. Group the articles and other documents according to their categories.
3. Take down notes. Focus on the research questions, methodology used, major
findings and their explanation, and conclusion.
4. Summarize the details using a concept map. In this way, you will see the
relationship, similarities and differences among the articles.
5. Write a synthesis of the references you have read before writing the actual literature
review.
6. Create an outline. You may look for other literature reviews to serve as models for
writing the outline.
Writing the Literature Review

Once all the materials are ready and you have clear outline of the ideas you want to
express, you may now start the actual writing process.

1. State clearly your thesis or main argument and be guided by it accordingly.

2. Below is an example of a thesis statement for a literature review.
3. If you say that no studies have been conducted on one aspect of your topic, justify it.
4. Because of Facebook’s popularity, many
Direct the educators have explored its reade
educational use in the tertiary level.
intend to cover. You may use the citation format “(see Author, year)” or follow the
format prescribed by your chosen documentation style.
5. Never treat a literature review as a series of annotated bibliography.
6. Use headings and subheadings to classify the parts of your topic. For each topic
heading, analyze the differences among studies and look for gaps.
7. Note that each paragraph should focus on one aspect of the topic.
8. Use effective transitions to make your review easier to read and understand.
9. The body of the literature review can be organized
thematically, methodologically or chronologically.
10. Use direct quotations sparingly.
11. Classify important definitions.

8.3Writing a Research Report

What is a Research Report?

 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
A research report is an expanded paper that presents interpretations and analyses of
a phenomenon based on experiments and previous information so that the readers can
better understand it. It is a laborious work produced through formal investigation and
scientific inquiry.

Parts of a Research Report

1. Title Page – contains an informative title that describes the content of the paper, the
name of author/s, addresses or affiliations, and date of submission. Examples of an
informative title are the following:
https://www.freepik.com/search?
a. Effects of Facebook on the Academic dates=any&format=search&query=research
Achievement of first Year Students %20report&selection=1&sort=popular&type=vec
tor%2Cpsd%2Cicon
b. Development and Validation of a Software for Detecting Plagiarism

2. Abstract – contains the summary of the research findings and conclusions. It briefly
presents the context of the study, research questions or objectives, methodology,
major findings, conclusions, and sometimes implications. An abstract does not
contain any citation or a great deal of statistical results. Its length ranges from 100 to
250 words.

3. Introduction – explains the current state of the field and identifies research gaps. It
is also the part where the research focus is presented by addressing the identified
gaps in the topic. It puts the research topic in context. It is usually three to five
paragraphs long.
4. Literature Review – contains the summary and synthesis of all available sources
directly related to the study. In a research report, the literature review is divided into
two sections: related concepts and related studies.
Related concepts present some of the fundamental concepts needed by the
readers to better understand the study. Concepts and theories are defined,
explained, and described. Unlike related concepts, related studies are based on
previously conducted studies directly related to the paper. Both the related concepts
and studies will help the writer explain the phenomena that may arise in the study.
This section ends with a paragraph that synthesizes all of the studies presented
and puts the study in context. Hence, the last paragraph may include the topic and
specific research problems. The length may range from two to three pages. Note that
some cases, the literature review is integrated in the introduction section.

5. Methodology – describes how the experiments or tests in the research were

conducted. It presents the context within which the study was conducted, the
participants, the instruments used, data gathering procedure, and the data analysis.
In discussing the context of the study and the participants, the number and the
demographic profiles of the participants are explained as well as the place where the
study was conducted.
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
The discussion of the instrument used presents the tools in gathering data. These
tools may be in the form of a questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion,
survey, and tests, among others. All of the instruments used should be described in
detail, along with the explanation of how they were validated. The data gathering
sections present the details on how the data were collected while the data analysis
section presents how the data were analyzed, either qualitatively (coding scheme) or
quantitatively (statistical tools). The past tense is used in writing the methodology.

6. Results – factually describes the data gathered and the tables and graphs that
summarize the collected data. Along with the tables and graphs are their respective
interpretations. The flow of the results section should follow the flow of the research
questions/problems/objectives. It is expected that for each research problem or
objective, corresponding results are presented.

7. Discussion – provides an explanation of all the results in relation to the previous

studies presented in the literature review.
In this section, the research problems or objectives, as well as the major findings,
are restated in the first paragraph. The succeeding paragraphs should explain
whether the study supports or rejects the previous findings and explain the reasons
for this. New findings uncovered in the research should also be stated. Similar to the
flow of the results, the discussion part follows the flow of the research problems or
objectives.

8. Conclusion – contains the restatement of the major findings, the limitations of the
study, the recommendations, and the implications. Note that in some cases, the
conclusion is integrated into the discussion.

9. References – contain the different sources used in the study. These may be
academic books, journals, and other online sources. Its format depends on the
school, teacher, or field of study.

Steps in Writing a Research Report

Writing a research report may seem like a

daunting task, but if you break down the
process into small steps, you will be able to
accomplish it effectively. The stages of writing a
research report also follow the basic writing
process, with the few additions to
accommodate and address the different parts of https://www.freepik.com/search?
the
report. dates=any&format=search&query=steps%20literature
%20review&selection=1&sort=popular&type=vector%2Cpsd
%2Cicon
1. Select and narrow down the topic. Use any of your preferred prewriting activities to
generate ideas.
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
2. Conduct a preliminary research by gathering the initial references.
3. Formulate the thesis statement and research questions. A good thesis statement
effectively guides and controls the flow of your paper.
4. Prepare a preliminary outline.
5. Gather additional references. Use the preliminary outline as a guide for this stage.
6. Prepare the pre final outline.
7. Prepare your instruments, such as your questionnaire. Below are some guidelines in
preparing a survey instrument.
Preparing a Survey Instrument

A survey instrument is a document that lists planned questions used to measure attitudes,
perceptions, and opinions of the respondents. It contains responses directly related to each specific
research questions. It can either be in the form of an interview guide or a questionnaire.
A survey instrument usually has four parts:
 Personal information section for participants/respondents (this is usually optional since, except for
disclosing the gender and age and other general demographic information, most participants wish
to remain anonymous)
 Basic questions that establish the eligibility of the participants/respondents
 Main questions that are directly linked to the research questions.
 Open-ended questions (optional)

When preparing a survey instrument, follow these steps:

a. Do a preliminary research. You may visit your library or use online sources for this.
b. Talk to a person who is knowledgeable in preparing survey instruments.
c. Master the guidelines in preparing a questionnaire or interview guide.
d. Clarify your research questions. Be sure that the items indicated in your survey
instruments are directly related to each specific research questions.
e. Write the instrument using the appropriate format. Get model instruments if needed.
f. Edit your instrument and match it with your research questions.
g. Revise when necessary.
h. Pilot your survey instrument to further improve its quality. This means that you have to
get some respondents (colleagues or a small sample of the target respondents) to try to
answer the instrument and give you feedback. Then, revise the instrument accordingly.

8. Implement the instrument and gather the data.

9. Analyze the collected data and interpret it through tables and graphs.

10. Write the methodology and result sections.

11. Write the introduction and literature review.

12. Write the discussion. Be sure to link the literature review to the discussion section.

13. Write the conclusion.

14. Prepare the reference list. Be sure to list all the items citied in the body of your paper. It
is useful to keep a separate word document or physical notebook where you can list your
reference as you come across them to make sure you do not leave anything out when you
have to prepare the reference list
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
15. Edit and format your paper. Observe the proper mechanics.

Guidelines in Writing a Research Report

Now that you are aware of the steps in writing a research report, follow the writing
guidelines below to ensure that your report is well-written.

1. Fifty to seventy-five percent of the paper should be devoted to results and

discussion.
2. Be sure to cite all your sources whether they are paraphrased or directly quoted.
3. As with the previous types of written works, use direct quotations sparingly;
paraphrase as much as possible.
4. Strictly follow the required documentation style.
5. Topics should be relevant, interesting, current, and manageable in terms of
resources, skills needed, and time. They should not be too sensitive and too
controversial.
6. Research questions should directly address the given topic or thesis statement.

Example:
Title: Effect of Facebook on the Academic Performance of Senior High School
Students
Thesis statement: Facebook has an effect on the academic performance of senior
high school students

Research questions:
(1) Does exposure to Facebook affect students’ performance during examination?
(2) Does exposure to Facebook affect students’ attention span during class
activities?
(3) Does exposure to Facebook affect students’ participation in curricular activities?

8.4 Writing a Project Proposal

WRITING A PROJECT PROPOSAL

A project proposal is a highly persuasive and informative documents that aims to

address a particular problem or issue. It is a bid or offer to initiate a project for an individual
or a group. It usually ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 words depending on the complexity of the
project being proposed.

A good project proposal specifies the following:

 Goals and objectives that the project wants to

accomplish;
 Project plan that details how the set goals and
objectives will be accomplished;
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
 Financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants), and technical (e.g., equipment and
facilities) resources useful in implementing the project; and
 Budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose it will be
spent. https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/
man-standing-flipchart-with-
Types of Project Proposal list_4950243.htm#page=1&query=man
%20reporting&position=49
There are four types of project proposals which vary
depending on the context of the problem and the receiver and sender of proposals.

1. Solicited internal
 It is used when the target reader is within the organization.
 It responds to a specific request within the organization.
 The problem has been identified within the organization and the decision to solve
it has been made.
2. Unsolicited internal
 It is used when the target reader is within the organization.
 It is a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for.
 The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists within the
organization; hence, no decision has been made to solve the problem.
3. Solicited external
 It is used when the target reader is not within the organization.
 It responds to a specific request from someone who is not within the company.
 The problem has been identified and the decision to solve it has been made.
4. Unsolicited external
 It is used when the target reader is not within the organization.
 It is self-initiated proposals that no one ask for.
 The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists; hence, no
decision has been made to solve the problem.
Parts of a Project Proposal

1. Cover letter
 Introduces the proposals to the reader
 States the project proposal title, date the proposal was requested (if solicited),
general purpose and scope of the proposal, and acknowledgement of people who
have contributed to the completion of the proposals
 Includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers to this highlights

2. Title Page
 Includes the project title that is concise and informative
 Includes the lead organization, place and date of project, client’s or donor’s name,
proponent’s name and the department or organization he/she represents, and date
of submissions
3. Abstract of Executive Summary
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
 Includes the objectives, implementing organization, major project activities and total
project cost
 Usually composed of 200 to250 words and highlights only the major points; some
abstract may be longer depending on the culture of the funding agency
 Uses a paragraph format

4. Context of the Proposal

 Describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background in which the
proposal is situated.
 Presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to the planning stage

5. Project Justification
 Provides a rationale for the project
 Includes the problem statement that specifies the problem addressed by the project
 Points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate attention
 Specifies the target group’s needs that arise from the adverse effect of the described
problem
 Presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address the problem
 Describes the capability of the implementing organization or group by stating its track
record
Note: When writing this section, justify why your organization or group is the best
group to implement the project.

6. Personnel Involved

 List the people involved in the project, their corresponding roles, and their summary
of qualifications

7. Project implementation

 Is divided into an activity plan which specifies the schedule of activities and a
resource plan which specifies the items needed to implement the project
 Describes the activities and resource allocation in detail, as well as the person in
charge of executing the activities
 Indicates the time and place of activities

8. Budget

 Presents the expected income and expenses over a specified time period
 Itemizes the budget

9. Monitoring and Evaluation

 Specifies when and how the team will monitor the progress of the project
 Specifies the method for monitoring and evaluation
 Specifies the personnel in charge of monitoring and evaluation
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
10. Reporting Scheme

 Specifies the schedule for reporting the finances and progress of the project

11. Conclusion

 Briefly describes the project, the problem it addresses, and its benefits to all
stakeholders through a summary
 Directs the readers back to the good features of the project
 Urges the readers to contact the proponent to work out the details of the project
proposals
12. References

 Lists all the references used in drafting the project proposal using the format required
the funding agency
Guidelines in Preparing for a Project Proposal

1. Decide what the problem is and prepare a rough idea on how this problem can be
addressed.

2. Develop or select a framework that will help you organize your ideas
systematically.

3. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies, and
foundations, and international funding agencies.

4. Build your project proposal team and appoint a project leader who is responsible for
coordinating activities and communicating with the funding agency.

5. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies and
foundations, and international funding agencies.

6. Hold an initial meeting with your team to discuss the plans in preparing the project
proposal.

7. Allot sufficient time for planning.

8. Involve all the team members by assigning specific responsibilities to them.

9. Be realistic with your project proposal. Make sure that your objectives and activities
are within the given time and resources.

10. Contact the funding agency if some items and requirements are not clear to you.

11. Always put yourself in the shoes of the receiver of the project proposal.

Guidelines in Writing a Project Proposal

 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
1. The title page must be unnumbered but it is considered page I; the back page of the
title page is unnumbered as well; but it is considered page ii. The abstract, which
follows after the title page, is considered page 1 and must already be numbered.

2. Do not use abbreviations on the title page.

3. Attach the curriculum vitae of the personnel who are part of them.

4. In the project implementation section, use a Gantt chart for presenting the timeframe.

5. Write the abstract after you have completed the report.

6. Study the successful proposals that are similar to yours.

7. Be factual but use technical terms sparingly.

8. Choose a reader-friendly format

9. Use section words to make your proposal more dynamic.

 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3

Here is a sample project proposal you can refer to:

I. Project Title:

“Bote Queen”

II. Project Proponents:

This project is headed only by the Supreme Student Government.

III. Project rationale:

In line with vision-mission of the school, this project will help Promote cleanliness and
awareness of the students about the 3Rs; Reduce, Recycle.

IV. Project objectives:

 To expose students in different environmental activities

 To raise fund and support the Supreme Student Government (SSG) projects
 To promote the awareness of the students

V. Project description:

This project will be accomplished through the help of our officers, faculty and staff, and
the support of the students. Each sections will have a representative queen and they
are required to bring bottles for the first and last counting. From their bottles and other
recyclable materials, they will make a presentable costume to be showcased by their
representative and the pageant will begin.

VI. Project Duration:

 Each section will start collecting bottles on march 1,2019 (Friday)

 The first counting will be on March 5,2019 (Tuesday)
 The last counting will be on March 11,2019 (Tuesday)
 The pageant will begin on March 15, 2019 (Friday)

VII. Target Beneficiaries:

The five section will start collecting bottles will receive an incentive from the
Supreme Student Government (SSG) on their Christmas Party. The collected money
will be used for the LPCA battle that is proposed to be held in October.
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
8.5 Writing a Position Paper
What is a Position Paper?
A position paper is a type of academic writing that presents one’s stand or viewpoint
on a particular issue. The main objective of writing a position paper is to take part in a larger
debate by stating your arguments and proposed course of action.

Parts of a Position Paper

1. Introduction
 Write the specific issue, together with its importance and effect to the society.
 Use a lead that grabs the attention of readers.
 Define the issue and provide a thorough background.
 Provide a general statement of your position through a thesis statement.
 End the introductory paragraph with a position statement or a stand on the issue.
Keep in mind that one could take only one side of the argument.

2. Body
 The part may have several paragraphs. It may begin with short background
information or a discussion of arguments on both sides of the issue. In each
paragraph, an explanation or observation to clarify the portion of the position
statement must be written and then followed by the supporting evidence.
 State your main arguments and provide sufficient evidence.
 The evidences that can be used are the primary source- quotation, interviews with
field experts, recommendation from scholarly articles and position papers, historical
dates or events, and statistical data.
 Provide counterarguments against possible weaknesses of your arguments.

3. Conclusion
 On the last part of writing the paper, summarize and reinforce the concepts and facts
presented without repeating the introduction and its content. It is also optional to
include the procedure used to deal with the issue and your suggested possible
solution or recommendation.
 Explain why your position is better than any other position.
 End with a powerful closing statement (e.g., a quotation, a challenge, or a question).

Choosing an Issue
1. The issue should be debatable. You cannot take any position if the topic is not
debatable.
2. The issue should be current and relevant.
3. The issue should be written in a question form and answerable by yes or no.
4. The issue should be specific and manageable

Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper

 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
1. Begin the writing process with an in-depth research about the issue at hand.
2. Be aware of the various positions about the issue and explain and analyze them
objectively.
3. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.
4. Establish your credibility by citing reliable sources.
5. Present a unique way of approaching the issue.
6. Limit your position paper to two pages.
7. Analyze your target readers and align your arguments to their beliefs, needs,
interest, and motivations.
8. Summarize the other side’s counterarguments and refute them with evidence.
9. Define unfamiliar terms at first mention.
10. Use an active voice as much possible. This will make your tone dynamic and firm.
11. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or deductive approach.
12. Check your paper for fallacies and revise accordingly.
13. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeals. Ethical appeals relate to your credibility
and competence as writer; logical appeal refers to the rational approach in
developing and argument; emotional appeals pertain to feelings evoked during
arguments. Make sure to check your appeals to ensure that they are not fallacious.
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3

INTENDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 8.5.A: Read the sample position paper. Then answer the questions that
follow.

Committee: General Assembly

Topic: Global Warming
Country: The Kingdom of Sweden
Delegates: *****************
Global warming’s effects and influence on the global climate
is visible all around us now. As time has passed in the past century,
Arctic ice has begun to gradually melt and sea levels have started to rise.
If this situation continues, then low-lying island nations such as Vanuatu
and Maldives will sink into the sea and will simply disappear.
Also, climate is changing in many parts of the world
because of global warming. For example, acid rain damaging soils and
forests, particularly in our country, serious droughts in Australia, and
abnormal weather patterns all over the world. These things are not
naturally occurring phenomena – they were caused by human actions.
Our nation is addressing global warming on a domestic level. For
example, we are separating household waste and recycling as much as
we can, and are imposing taxes on CO2 emissions. Our carbon dioxide
emissions are 0.4% of the global total.
We are raising public awareness of the environmental
problems they will face in the future, and we hope that our people will
address this issue. But individual nations cannot succeed – the only way
to secure our future is if we can get a consensus of nations to take action
to reduce these effects. Humans caused this problem and ultimately they
must address and deal with it.
We must, as global citizens, address this problem
actively. Thank you.

Reading Comprehension

1. What is the issue taken up in the position paper?

2. Do you agree with the assertions made in the article? Explain

3. Does the writer make a strong stand about the issue presented? How did he/she
convince the reader to believe in his/her claim?
 ILOCOS SUR
POLYTECHNIC STATE
Cervantes Campus
COLLEGE

MODULE 3
8.5.B: Write a position paper. Research evidences to support your claim on the issue
provided below.

Should parents limit teenager’s use of Social Media?

Issue
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________