Contemporary Issues Fall 2010 Position Paper

What is a Position Paper? A position paper asks you to take a stand on an issue and provide the reasoning and evidence on which you base your opinion. Though a position paper is rooted in your opinion, you must integrate information from at least three current, credible sources to support your position. Remember that this is not a piece of persuasive writing. You are not directly trying to convert people of opposing positions.

Topic Selection Your topic needs to be timely (i.e., relevant in the present). If the issue has already been resolved, there is no real point to explicating your opinion of it. Select a topic about which you are interested, but not so emotionally attached to that you cannot look at it logically. Avoid topics that are overdone. Topics must be approved by the instructor prior to beginning research.

Brainstorm Time!

Evaluation Criteria Clearly states a single controlling idea (i.e., position) Acknowledges and explains contradictory evidence Maintains a consistent tone Uses a logical and effective pattern of organization Includes a well-developed introduction, body, and conclusion Uses transitional words and phrases to show relationships among ideas Adheres to the basic rules of Standard Written English Adheres to proper MLA guidelines

Technical Requirements Typed 12 point, plain-faced font (Calibri or Times New Roman) Double-spaced (with no additional spacing before/after) One inch margins on all sides MLA Heading (name, teacher’s name, class, date) Page numbers at top right with author’s last name In-text citation of outside information (MLA format) Works cited page (MLA format) Length: 2-3 pages (i.e., no shorter than two full pages, no longer than three full pages)

Conducting Internet Research The internet has a bad reputation regarding research, but when used wisely can be a valuable resource. Using search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) can be useful for general information, but will often result in unwanted materials. Specialized search engines (e.g., Google Scholar) can be more useful. Databases (e.g., Ebsco, etc.) usually feature articles that are more scholarly and can be a good place to find credible information.

Developing Search Terms Brainstorm search terms in advance. Be sure to consider synonyms and other related words to use as search terms. To refine search terms, use Boolean Operators AND – searches for additional terms (non-consecutive) OR – searches for either of two terms NOT – eliminates specific non-relevant results Can also use plus and minus signs for AND and NOT.

Evaluating Sources First need to consider how each source may contribute to your writing. Functions of outside sources: Provide background information/context Explain unfamiliar terms or concepts Provide evidence for your arguments Lend authority to your argument Offer alternative interpretations to your arguments Scan search results to gauge usefulness. Consider what the title, author, date, publication, length, and sponsoring organization say about the text.

Evaluating Sources Authorship: – Is there a clear author? – If so, is the author credible? Sponsorship – Is there a group that sponsors the site? – What does the URL tell you (e.g.,.com,.org, etc.)? Purpose & Audience – Why was the site created? – Who is the site’s intended audience? Currency – When was the page last updated? – Are the links all current and active?

The Wikipedia Thing Wikis are community developed websites that can be modified by any user. While there is the community policing entries, some questionable and undocumented information will always exist on the sites. Though Wikipedia can be quite useful for general knowledge and links to outside sources, it is not considered a reliable source for scholarly research and thus should not be used in your writing.

Project Timeline 9.27 – Introduce project and interweb research 9.28 – Interweb Research (meet in Shirk’s lab) 9.29 – Interweb Research 9.30 – Documentation (integrating and citing information) 10.1 – Work Day (research if necessary, begin drafting) 10.4 – Work Day (drafting paper) 10.5– Draft Due; Writing Workshop 10.6 – Revision/editing; Papers due at end of class