POSITION PAPER

 Like a debate, a position paper presents one side of an arguable opinion about an issue.
 The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that your opinion is valid and defensible.
 An author who writes a position paper is making an argument which has to be built upon evidence.
 The structure used to do this is very similar to that used when writing a critical essay.
Purpose
 The purpose of a position paper is to generate support on an issue.
 It describes the author’s position on an issue and the rational for that position. In the same way to that, a research
paper incorporates supportive evidence that is based on facts and provide a solid foundation for the author’s
argument.
 It is a critical examination of a position using facts and inductive reasoning, which addresses both strengths and
weaknesses of the author’s opinion.
THESIS STATEMENT:
 A thesis statement is one sentence that expresses the main idea of a research paper or essay. It claims, directly
answering a question.
 A thesis statement must be specific, summarizing points that are about to be made in your paper, and supported by
specific evidence.
 Thesis statement can be last line of the first paragraph in your research paper or essay.
EXAMPLE:
BAD: Everyone should exercise.
GOOD: Filipinos should add exercise to their daily morning routine because it not only keeps their bodies at a
healthy weight but also reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
BAD: The internet has improved the lives of many.
GOOD: The internet serves as a means of expediently connecting people across the globe, fostering new friendships
and an exchange of ideas that wouldn’t have occurred prior to its inception.
Elements of the Position Paper
The classic position paper contains three main elements:
Introduction
 Identifies the issue that will be discussed and states the author’s position on that issue.
Committee: Commission on Human Rights
Topic: Violence against Women THESIS STATEMENT
Country: The Kingdom of Denmark
Delegate: William Hayward Wilson, Shea University
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment.” Although this doctrine was adopted in 1948, the world has fallen quite short of this
goal. Violence against women pervades all states and it is the duty of the international community to ensure that all
persons are afforded equality and respect. Despite of cooperative efforts at combating gross human rights abuses, such as
the adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations has not been able to
alleviate the injustice women worldwide experience daily.
Body
 Contains the central argument and can be further broken up into three unique sections:
1. Background information
2. A discussion of both sides of the issue, which addresses and refutes arguments that contradict the author’s
position.
3. Evidence supporting the author’s position
The Kingdom of Denmark believes that in order to end violence against women, nations must look to empower women
in all aspects of society. This includes promoting equal gender roles in government, civil society, education and business.
However, Denmark also recognizes the need to combat human rights abuses against women as they occur, and no nation is
immune to gender violence. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 2002, the Danish Government launched an extensive action plan to combat domestic violence against women. The
plan includes measures to help treat abused women, identify and prosecute the perpetrators, and incorporate professional
medical and psychological staff into the rehabilitation process. The action plan currently reaches out to both governmental
and nongovernmental groups on the local level throughout the nation.
The Danish Centre for Human Rights in Copenhagen, Denmark’s foremost national human rights institution also
promotes and protects human rights. Based on the Centre’s research, Denmark’s parliament can promote human rights-
based legislation and education/awareness programs throughout the nation. The Centre also addresses the UN Commission
on Human Rights annually regarding human rights developments in Denmark and internationally. Denmark has no record of
committing major human rights violations, most importantly any targeted at women. In its 2003 Annual Report, Amnesty
International also found no human rights violations against Danish women.
Conclusion
 Restating the key points and, where applicable, suggesting resolutions to the issue.
Women are invaluable to Denmark’s society and have achieved significant economic and social gains in the 20th
century. Currently, 75 percent of medical students in Denmark are women. Denmark is confident that this Commission can
bring about an end to violence against women without compromising the sovereignty of member states. Education remains
perhaps the most useful tool in protecting victims of gender-based violence. Governments, UN agencies, and
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can plan a coordinated campaign that educates national populations on the various
ways women are violently targeted. Similarly, harmful traditions, such as honor killings and female genital mutilation, must
be stopped by reforming traditional views of women in society. Children of both sexes need to be taught at an early age to
value the rights of women in order to prevent such violence in their generation. RESTATING KEY POINTS
 Another way to stop gender violence would be to reproach member states that consistently violate treaties such as
the Convention on Political Rights of Women (1952), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (1979), and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993). Although this
Committee cannot impose sanctions, it can pass resolutions verbally condemning states that commit human rights violations.
The UN High Commissioner for Human. SUGGESTING RESOLUTION OF AN ISSUE

COMPONENTS OF A POSITION PAPER

It must be persuasive.
• It should assert an arguable claim.
• It must explain both sides of the argument or the controversy.
• It must contain reasoning and evidence to support the claim.
• It should have a reasonable tone.
Position Paper Format
• Choose the font size 12
• Use Times New Roman font
• Use a single inch margin
• Keep the entire text single spaced
• Write in paragraph form
• Write maximum one page per topic
• AVOID including graphs, maps, pictures, and charts. You can add statistics to the format (if applicable).
Pick a topic – When you pick your position paper topic, make sure that it has many sides. If your topic is challenged, it
must hold up a position.
Therefore, before you select your topic, make sure that you do thorough research. Pick the one that you can defend. You
can choose a simple or complex topic as per your wish, but make sure that your argument must be logical in sound.
Note: The topic must be controversial with two sides that can be argued upon.
NOTE:
Doing effective research is mandatory to determine whether there is enough evidence available to position your argument.
For that, you need to understand your position paper topic and defend it.
It is vital to consider the background information and the reasons behind each side. Make sure that you develop supporting
evidence for both sides.
Note: Even after hours of research, if you find that there is limited information on your chosen topic, pick another
topic.
TOPIC:
SCHOOL UNIFORM
ARGUABLE VIEWPOINTS:
FOR OR AGAINST SCHOOL UNIFORM
Collect supporting evidence – Once you are clear about your topic, collect supporting evidence. Based on your findings,
write down the reasons why you are considering taking (for and against). Look at both sides of the topic. Choose a position
that can be easily defended based on the evidence that you have collected.
VIEWPOINT:
FOR SCHOOL UNIFORM:
SAVES MONEY
ENSURE EQUALITY

AGAINST SCHOOL UNIFORM:

EXPENSIVE TO BUY
ELIMINATE FREE EXPRESSION
SUPPORTING REASONS:
FOR SCHOOL UNIFORM:
ENSURE EQUALITY
AGAINST SCHOOL UNIFORM:
ELIMINATE FREE EXPRESSION
State the thesis statement – The first thing that you need to do once you gather your supporting evidence is to write the
thesis statement. There are many ways to write a thesis statement for the position paper. One possible approach could be
including both sides of the argument.
THESIS STATEMENTS
FOR SCHOOL UNIFORM:
A uniform policy ensures true equality and saves enough money.
AGAINST SCHOOL UNIFORM:
A uniform policy can eliminate one’s free expression and can be too expensive to buy.
Write the introduction – Use the introduction to inform your readers about your point of view. It mainly has two primary
goals. One is to identify the issue and the other to state your assertion.
Begin your introduction with a strong hook – include everything that will grab your reader’s attention. Keep in mind that
you are writing a research-based paper. Therefore, make sure to write it in the third person.
Write the Body paragraph – The body of your position paper must consist of a minimum of three body paragraphs.
Depending on your paper’s length, you might decide to add more content.
Make sure that each paragraph states the main argument to support your position.
Conclude your position paper – Write a strong conclusion that restates your position. Stress the importance of your thesis.
Sum up your argument on a high note.