Writing a Position Paper

What is a Position Paper?

Is an essay that expresses a position about an issue. It gives arguments that
support the opinion of the writer based on the facts collected. Its goal is to
convince an audience that the opinion raised underwent thorough
investigation and data collection and that it is therefore valid.
Elements of a Position Paper
1. Introduction
-This part of the paper identifies an issue that is being discussed by
the author emphasizing his position about the issue.

Example:
Should schools serve healthier food?
Many schools today serve food that is high in sugar and
fat, leading to unhealthy eating habits among students. This has
become a growing concern for parents and educators. I believe schools
should provide healthier food options because it helps improve
students’ health and focus in class.

2. Body
-This part illustrates the central argument which can be presented
through a brief description of the argument. Details, point of view,
evidences are used to support claim. It can be divided into these
sections namely: background information, evidence supporting
the author’s position and a discussion which addresses and
refutes arguments that present both sides of the issue.

3. Conclusion
-This part restates the main points, then summarizes the arguments
made in the paper and then provides a call of action.

What is a Manifesto?
Derived from the Latin word “manifestum” ,meaning clear or conspicuous. It
is a published declaration of the intentions, motives or views of the issuer, be
it an individual, group, political party or government. It is most often
concerns art, literature or politics.
Position paper is an argumentative essay that presents an opinion and
makes a claim(statement) about an issue based on facts that provide a solid
foundation for argument.
Arguments are a mixture of assertion, acknowledgement, confirmation,
refutation, and concession.
A good position paper will not only provide facts but also make proposals for
resolutions of an issue, and overshadow the thought based on factual
evidence with fair analysis.

Claim
• defines your paper’s goals, direction, and scope supported by
evidence, quotations, argumentation, expert’s opinion, statistics,
and telling details.
• It is specifically focused on the argument that persuades, proves,
or suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially
agree with the writer’s stand.
Types of Claims
1. Fact and Definition
--a text that presents a fact or definition along with a strong argument
and put forward a strong argument that the readers can’t ignore.
• Example: Net lingo, as the written slang of the young generation,
assures them of “inness” or of belonging to that group, but
strangers within could bring trouble, although the young are
wary of them, and protect themselves by blocking subsequent
messages of undesirable online friends.

2. Cause and Effect

-used when an effect is being discussed with the support of the
arguments describing the cause of an issue.
Example: Consequently, the bad language on television
programs has kept young children imitated cussing and swearing
that totally deviate from the values taught at home.
3. Value
-is a statement used to argue over a value of something or how a
certain thing should be valued, this concerns researching an issue that
is being ignored generally. The writer is advocating judgment about
 something good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly, moral or
immoral.
• Example: We should find ways of creating not only clean but also
cheap sources of energy that would halt climate change and
transform the lives of the poorest families.

4. Policy
-is a statement where you either support or oppose a solution or a
policy. It provides strong reasons for opposing and should not be
biased or personal.
• Example: Instead of searching for more oil fields, we should
increase the use of renewable energy and reduce the oil
consumption.
Goals
• To convince the audience/reader that your opinion is defensible.
Ideas that you are considering need to be carefully examined in
choosing a topic, developing your argument, and organizing your
paper.
• 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.
• To take one side of the argument and persuade your audience
that you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being
presented.
• To show how your stand relates to other positions.
Purpose
• To generate support and describe the author’s position on an
issue incorporating supportive evidence based on facts that
provide a solid foundation for the author’s inductive reasoning,
which addresses both strengths and weaknesses of the author’s
opinion.
Criteria of an Issue
• Choose what you can prove instead of writing ambiguous claims
that you find difficult to prove later. Your thesis statement is the
final point so you should write your claim with strong evidence
and arguments in mind. They should be true and capable enough
to support your claim.

Analyzing an Issue and Developing an Argument

Once your topic is selected, you should:

 • do some research on the subject matter from printed materials,
online sources, or personal references through a conversation;
• have an opinion on your topic about which side of the argument
you want to take either you agree or disagree;
• ensure that your position is well supported with valid
information; and
• make a list of the pro and con ideas of the topic to support your
counterclaims, along with a list of supporting evidence for both
sides.
Supporting evidence includes the following:
a) Factual knowledge is the information that is verifiable and agreed
upon by almost everyone.
Example: Doublespeak is a language which pretends to communicate
but rather makes the bad seem good, the negative seem positive, the
unpleasant seem attractive or at least tolerable. It is a language which
avoids, shifts, or denies responsibility; a language which is at variance
with its real or purported. It is the language which conceals or prevents
thought. (Adapted from: William Lutz, Doubts About Doublespeak p.
127, English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Textbook.
Deped- BLR)
b) Statistical Inferences denotes the interpretation and examples of an
accumulation of facts.
Example: Based on the table presented, it shows that the F-value is
1.96 and the p-value is 0.156 which is higher than 0.05 level of
significance, thus the null hypothesis is accepted. This means that
there is no significant difference in the performance of students under
the three different methods of teaching. This further means that
students performed the same in any of the 3 teaching methods applied
by the teachers. (LMN)
c) Informed opinion is the opinion developed through research and/or
expertise of the claim.
Example: Classroom research suggests that more talk is associated
with higher social status or power. Many studies have shown that
teachers (regardless of gender) tend to talk for about two-thirds of the
available time. But the boys dominate the relatively small share of the
talking time that remains for pupils. In this context, where talk is
clearly valued, it appears that the person with most status has the
right to talk most. The boys may therefore be asserting a claim to
higher status than the girls by approaching the majority of the time for
pupil talk. (Adapted from: Janet Holmes, “Women Talk Too Much, p.
 132 English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Textbook. Deped-
BLR)
d) Personal Testimony
-focuses on the personal experience related to a knowledgeable party.
Example: “This is really an extension of what teenagers have always
done: recreate the language in its own image. But this new lingo
combines 11 writing and speaking to a degree that we’ve never seen
before,” says Neil Randall, an English professor at the University of
Waterloo and author of “Lingo Online: A Report on the Language of the
Keyboard Generation.” (Adapted from: Kris Axtman, ‘r u online?’: The
Evolving Lexicon of Wired Teens, p. 142, English for Academic and
Professional Purposes textbook, Deped-BLR)
Language used in writing a Position Paper
Position paper is an academic journal written in formal language of
appropriate vocabulary. It communicates strongly and effectively with
uncomplicated language and sentence structure.
Many position paper writers thought that the content of their paper is all
that matters. Although, the content is important it doesn’t mean much if
the reader cannot understand what you are trying to emphasize despite
great ideas in your paper but you failed to communicate effectively. Keep
the following in your design;
a) Diction
-It refers to the choice of words for the expression of ideas; the
construction, disposition, and application of words in your essay with
clearness, accuracy, variety, mode of expression; and language.
b) Paragraphs Clear paragraphs are essential that comes in so
many patterns of two basic principles to remember:
 A paragraph is a means of developing and framing an idea or
impression. As a general rule, you should address only one major idea per
paragraph.
 Indicate a shift of focus in between paragraphs and clearly organize its
order of information details to logically position your paper with the use of
transitions.
Transitions
-Transitions establish the logical connections of ideas between
sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your position paper to convey
information clearly and concisely. These words, phrases, sentences
signal readers what to do with the information you present them and
how to piece together your ideas into a coherent argument. They
function as signs for readers that tell them how to think about,
organize, and react to old and new ideas as they read through what
you have written. In providing the reader with these important cues,
transitions help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit
together. See the transition table below;

Transition Table
Logical Relationship Transitional Signals/Expressions
Similarity also, in the same way, just as…so
too, likewise, similarity
Exception/Contrast but, however, in spite of, on the
one hand…, nevertheless,
nonetheless, notwithstanding, in
contrast, on the contrary, still,
yet
Sequence/Order first, second, third…next, then,
finally
Time after, afterward, at last, before,
currently, during, earlier,
immediately, later, meanwhile,
now, recently, simultaneously,
subsequently, then
Example for example, for instance,
namely, specifically, to illustrate
Emphasis even, indeed, in fact, of course,
truly
Place/Position above, adjacent, below, beyond,
here, in front, in back, nearby,
there
Cause and Effect accordingly, consequently,
hence, so, therefore, thus
Additional Support of Evidence additionally, again, also, and, as
well, besides, equally important,
further, furthermore, in addition,
moreover, then
Conclusion/Summary finally, in a word, in brief, in
conclusion, in the end, in the final
analysis, on the whole, thus, to
conclude, to summarize, in sum,
in summary
d) Grammar and Spelling Mechanical errors are usually the main
reason for lack of clarity in essays, so be sure to thoroughly proofread
your position paper which is free from grammar and spelling mistakes.

Points to Remember in Writing a Position Paper

A writer’s stand is not only supported with valid evidence rather should
feel strongly about the issues, strive to persuade the readers to accept
their valid and reasonable opinions, and make use of emotional
appeals as well as intellectual appeals to convince an audience. The
following features may help
a) Well-defined controversial issue
-The controversial but arguable issue may be complex and should
be carefully defined and easy to understand its importance. The
issue includes matters of opinion-judgments rather than certainties.
A matter of fact and matter of faith should be brought to bear but
cannot easily be resolved.
Example The talkativeness of women has been gauged in
comparison with men but with silence. Women have not been
judged on the grounds of whether they talk more than men, but of
whether they talk more than silent women.
b) Clear position to an issue
-A position paper makes explicit the opinion it advocates by
informing directly into a thesis statement, and can be modified in
the course of the argument qualifying a position to accommodate
objections or limiting the conditions under which strengthens rather
weakens an argument. The claim must be clear, certain, and
specific.
Example The widespread belief that women talk more than men.
When women and men are together, it is the men who talk most.
Proverbs and saying in many languages express the view that
women are always talking in developing their social confidence.
(Source: Janet Homes’ Women Talk Too Much, English for Academic
and Professional Purposes Reader p.133 – Deped-BLR)
c) Convincing argument
-A position paper does not merely assert an opinion or claim; it also
persuades readers that an opinion is valid and reasonable. The
arguments are realistic to persuade the readers and thereby accept
the legitimacy of the writer’s position on the issue and
accommodate the information.
Example: Evidence collected by American, British, and New Zealand
researchers show that men generally talk more in formal, public
contexts where informative and persuasive talk is highly valued and
 where talk is generally the prerogative of those with some societal
status and has the potential for increasing that status. Women are
more likely to contribute in private, informal interactions where talk
more often functions to maintain relationships and in other
situations where for various reasons they feel socially confident.
d) Reasonable tone
-Typically, the writers adopt a tone that is reasonable and
trustworthy, inspire respect and confidence in presenting
challenging arguments that attempt to demonstrate goodwill and
understanding by accommodating legitimate objections and explain
their reasons for rejecting them.
Example: Do women talk more than men? It all depends on many
different factors including the social context in which the talk is
taking place, the kind of talk involved and the relative social
confidence of the speakers which is affected by such things as their
social roles (e.g. teacher, host, interviewee, wife) and their
familiarity with the topic. (Adapted from Janet Homes’ Women Talk
Too Much, English for Academic and Professional Purposes Reader
p.137 – Deped-BLR)

Writing a Survey Report

A. Kinds of Various of Reports

 Survey Report
- It is written after getting data from a survey.
 To collect people’s responses or answers about a particular
issue or topic.
 Laboratory or Scientific Technical Report
- It is commonly called lab report. It is written in a formal and
organized manner.
 To present results or findings from experiments.
 Field Report
- It is sometimes called trip report.
 To describe and analyze a systematic observation.
B. Survey Questionnaire
 - It is a data gathering tool having set of questions used in a survey and is
utilized in various fields such as politics, research, marketing, media and so
on. It is intended to gather data, views, opinions and others from individuals
or a particular group of people.

C. Methods of Administering a Survey

 Personal Approach
- -involves the person himself/ herself conducting the survey.
 Face-to-Face Structured Interview
-the interview is set personally and the people involved face
each other in order to gather the necessary information.
Questions on the survey are asked directly to the respondent by
the researcher.

 Telephone Survey
-is done using telephone or cellular phones. The calls are made
to ask individuals on particular questions. This method can be
used for asking consequential questions.

 Self-Administered Approach
-is administered by the researcher himself/herself.
 Paper and Pencil Survey
-is a traditional method wherein the respondents who usually
preferred the manual method must be present in the
administration of the survey.

 Online Survey
-also known as internet survey, is one of the most famous
sources of data collection, where a set of survey questions is
sent out to respondents and the members of this sample can
respond to the questions over the internet. Respondents receive
online surveys in various ways such as email, embedded over
website, social media or forms.

 Mail Survey
-this popular tool requires an easy- administering of the survey
where survey questionnaires are mailed to individuals who are
given enough time to read and ponder on the information asked.

D. Guidelines of a Survey Questionnaire

-A survey questionnaire should be well – constructed so that the respondents
could read carefully and understand thoroughly and be motivated to
complete it. Therefore, a questionnaire should:

 Use words that have clear meaning.

 -The questions should not be vague and difficult to comprehend so
that the questionnaire will not be left unanswered.
 Cover all possible options.
-The respondents should just be given at most five ranking options and
should cover all so that they will not be tired of choosing a lot of options
which do not give the choices they look for. If this will not be observed, this
will lead to an abandoned questionnaire.
 Not ask two or more questions in one sentence
-The question should focus on one topic or item at a time so that the
respondents will not be confused which to answer and what to choose.
 Provide an out- option.
-The survey should give the respondents the option to choose “Does
not apply “ or “None” for questions they do not feel answering.
 Consider appropriate time reference.
-Respondents could not easily recall past long experiences and be
doubtful as to the exact measurement or time they spent.
 Have a clear question structure.
-Survey questionnaire should follow the three parts: the question stem,
additional instructions and response options so that the respondents will not
be confused what to answer or choose. This will result to unreliable gathered
data.
 Have open specific response options
-The respondents should be guided on what to choose. So the survey
should provide specific options to choose from so that respondents will not be
confused in answering.
 Not have any bias or prejudice
-Questions should be objective and lead to an honest answer. The
respondents should not be lead to a biased option that they may fail to give
their truthful response.
 Not include too personal or too embarrassing questions.
-Questions should be gender and culture sensitive so that the
respondents may not feel awkward or embarrassed in giving their responses.
 Avoid double negative questions.
-Double negatives may occur when respondents are asked of their
agreement on a certain issue. This should be avoided so that the respondents
‘response will be clear and precise.
 Outline instructions or directions clearly and understandably.
-Clear instructions will lead to positive, appropriate and clear answers.
If respondents are clearly asked and told what to do, they will also foster
positive attitude towards answering the questionnaire.

E. Three Steps in Conducting a Survey

1. Decide on a four or five-option survey question. Then make a tally
chart having its heading with appropriate title.
 -The question should follow the guidelines of making an effective survey
question. Formulate questions that address the aim and need of the research.
The question should be clear, concise and efficient. The heading and the title
should reflect the focus of the survey.

2. Conduct a survey then tally all the answers.

-In conducting a survey, ethics should be observed. You should be polite and
show respect to the respondents. You should maintain a friendly atmosphere
so that respondents may not feel so intimidated. Make sure all answers are
noted. Plan for a more systematic way of tallying.

3. Count the answers marking the item having the least to the
greatest tallies. Then make a graphic representation of the
results.

-Observe accuracy and honesty in tallying. Results can be presented using

any graphics. Most commonly used are charts and organizers. Choose the
most appropriate graphics that best represent the result of the survey.

NOTE:
When you conduct a survey, you should write a letter of consent emphasizing
that the information given by the respondents/ participants will be held with
utmost confidentiality. If the respondent is a minor, prepare an assent.

Informed consent -is the voluntary agreement of a person, or the

representative, who has the capacity to give consent, and who practices free
power of choice to involve in research.
Assent is a term used to show willingness to participate in survey by persons
who are too young to give informed consent but who are old enough to
understand the proposed survey in general. Assent by itself is not enough,
however. If assent is given, informed consent must still be acquired from the
parents or guardian.

F. Types of Survey Questions

 Open-Ended Questions
- do not have predetermined options or answers. The respondents are
allowed to answer the questions freely. Responses must be recorded
verbatim-especially because coding and analysis will rely on the
subject’s exact responses. Open-ended questions often need probing
or follow-up questions to clarify certain items in the subject’s response.
These questions typically ask the “how” and “why” of something.

Example: Why did you choose to vote for candidate X? Kindly explain.
 Dichotomous Questions
-have two possible answers, often either yes/no, true/false, or agree/
disagree. These questions are used when the researcher wants to
clearly distinguish the respondent’s opinion, preference, experience or
behavior.

Example: HIV/AIDS is transmitted through saliva:

True False

 Multiple Response Questions

necessitate the respondents to provide more than one answer. For
example, a typical advertising survey would ask the question, “How did
you find about the particular service or item”? A respondent may have
encountered more than one of the probable ways.
Example: How were you able to know about the graduate program of
Development Policy offered in De La Salle University? Check all that
apply.

Print Advertisement
By word of mouth (friends, families, etc.)
DSLU Website
Telephone inquiry
DSLU Social Networking
Physical appearance/ inquiry page
Others(please specify):____________________

 Matrix Questions
-involve instances where a number of questions you intend to ask have
the same set of possible answers. Thus, it is possible to construct a
matrix of items and answers for the sake of streamlining the survey.

Example: Qualities of a Good Leader

Beside each of the qualities of a good leader, kindly indicate how well
the person in inquiry manifests the said quality with 1 being the lowest
and 5 as the highest.

Sample Matrix Question Set

Qualities/
1 2 3 4 5
Rating
Integrity
Inclusivene
ss
Information
-driven
Innovative
  Likert Scale tries to assess the subject’s agreement/disagreement or
approval/ disapproval on a five point scale-with one end being the
most positive answer, and the other end being the most negative
answer. The categories correspond to the numerical values 5, 4, 3, 2,
1, and are encoded as their numerical equivalent (Singh 2007:75). The
total score per item is determined. From here, you formulate your
inference.

Example: Performance-Based Incentive System

The new performance-based incentive system encouraged me to work

over-time.

(5) Strongly Agree

(4) Agree
(3) Undecided
(2) Disagree
(1) Strongly Disagree

 Contingency Questions
-are intended for certain respondents only, depending on the provided
answers. A familiar example would be a follow-up question provided
after a respondent agrees to a certain item. A respondent is asked
whether they used any illegal drugs or substances. Only those who
answered yes are required to answer the succeeding items.
Example:
4. Have you ever tried any illegal drugs and/or substances?
Yes No
4.1 If yes, what illegal drugs and/or substances have you used? Check
all that apply.
Crystal Meth
Cocaine
Heroine
Marijuana
Ecstasy
Others, please specify:__________________

G. Points to Remember in Crafting a Survey Questions

1. Keep the questionnaire as short as possible.

2. Ask short, simple, and clearly worded questions.
3. Start with demographic questions to help respondents get started
comfortably.
4. Use dichotomous (yes/no) and multiple-choice questions.
5. Use open-ended questions cautiously.
6. Avoid using leading-questions. Make your question ask for the other
person’s opinion.
Do not make it clear what your own opinion is (this would be called a
biased question or a leading question).
A bad example would be: Fishing is a very cruel pastime. Do you agree?
A better question might be: Do you think that fishing is a cruel
pastime?
A. strongly agree B. agree C) neutral D. disagree E. strongly
disagree
7. Pilot test a questionnaire on a small number of people.
8. Think about the way you intend to use the collected data when preparing
the questionnaire.

Data, according to Cambridge International Organization( May 2009:917-

937), can be organized in several ways. The chosen method largely depends
on the type of data being collected. A simple way of recording the results is
by constructing a tally and frequency table.

 Tally and Frequency Table

For example, a survey is carried out to test the manufacturer’s claim
that there are ‘about 36 chocolate buttons in each packet.’ The
number of buttons in each of 25 packets is counted, given the figures
below.
35 36 34 37 36 36 38 37 36 35 38
34 35 36 36 34 37 38 37 36 35 36
36 37 36

Displayed as a list, the numbers are not clear, however, they are easier
to analyze if they are recorded in a tally and frequency chart like this.

Number Tally Frequency

34 lll 3
35 llll 4
36 lllll lllll 10
37 lllll 5
338 lll 3
 Pictogram
-One of the simplest and most effective way to gather data.
-This method uses pictures to represent the frequency. The chocolate
button data can be displayed on a pictogram like this, using one circle
to represent one chocolate button.
 Example:

Number of Chocolate Buttons Frequency

34
35
36
37
38

 Probably the most common way of displaying data is the bar graph or
frequency diagram. It is quick and easy to draw, and straightforward
to understand.

Subject Frequency

Sport 40

Science 20

Math 30

Art 15

Languages 15

Total 120

A school of 120 students carry out a survey to see which subjects are
most popular. The results are shown in the frequency table.
Show this information on a frequency diagram
Frequency diagrams can also be used to display grouped data, such as
the ages of the residents in the care home.

 Another way of displaying data is on a pie chart. On these, each

frequency is represented by a fraction of a circle.
Worked example
Look again at the data about students’ favorite subjects. Show
this information on a pie chart.

1/8
Languages

1/3
1/8 Sport
 1/4
Math
1/6
Science

Sports is 40 = 1 of the total

120 3

Science is 20 = 1
120 6

Math is 30 = 1 of the total

120 4

And Art and Languages are 15= 1 each.

120 8

H. Tips in Writing a Survey

I. Structure
Introduction
State the purpose/aim of the report, when and how the information
was gathered.
Main Body
All the information collected and analyzed is presented clearly and in
detail (break down the respondents into groups according to sex, age
and place of residence, state the main differences between groups).
Subheadings, numbers or letters can be used to separate each piece of
information.
Conclusion
Sum up the points mentioned above. If necessary, a recommendation
can be included as well (one way of summing up is making some
general comments).