The purpose of a position paper is to describe your position on an issue. The rationale for your position should be based on facts that provide a solid foundation for your argument. This paper should be a critical examination of a position using facts and analytical reasoning and addressing both strengths and weaknesses of your opinion.
Sections of the Position Paper
Your position paper should contain four main sections:
1. Introduction: identify the issue that will be discussed and state your position on that issue.
2. Body of the paper: present the main argument. In this section, you should include the following sections:
o Provide background information on the issue.
o Provide evidence supporting your position on the issue.
o Discuss both sides of the issue, which address and refute arguments that
contradict your position.
3. Conclusion: restate the key points and, where applicable, suggest resolutions to the issue.
4. References: The references page should acknowledge all the sources used for obtaining
information. Use the APA guidelines.
While I do not have a hard rule about the exact number of sources, I expect at least 5 peer reviewed sources – these include articles, books, chapters in edited volumes — published by reputable sources (university presses, major commercial publishers, research institutes, etc.). You can also use other sources (web, non- peer reviewed academic or policy publications, official websites, or publications of int’l organizations, etc.). Note that Wikipedia-type sources should not be used as these can be edited by anyone and are not subject to rigorous review by scholars in the field.