Research Guides: Bartlett: Position Argument Essay

Position Argument Essay

Your paper must be:

Typed, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, four to five pages, MLA format
You will need to include a chart, graph, or image within your paper.
You must include four sources on the Works Cited page. You also need to cite these sources internally.

Prompt: Write an essay on a controversial issue within your career field. Take a stand on the issue and support it with developed reasons. Be sure to acknowledge a counter argument. (See pages 272- 274 for guidance in organizing and developing your paper. Consider using one of the patterns on p. 253 for your thesis statement.)

Steps:

Brainstorm issues within your field.
Research information about your chosen issue, using databases. Take notes, which will be turned in with your final product. Be sure to use quotation marks around exact quotes from the text. Also be sure to write down page numbers.
Organize your notes according your learning style (formal outline, working outline, etc.)
Write a rough draft for your paper. (Again, I recommend using one of the formats on p. 253 for your thesis statement.)
Ask someone to peer review your paper. (Refer to page 276.)
Edit and revise your paper.
Finalize your paper for submission. Submit the final draft and the pre-writing materials (brainstorming, notes, outline, peer reviewed rough draft) to the Dropbox.

Helpful Websites

Argument Papers Information on the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion for Argument papers.
Easy Steps to Write a Position Paper On the Owlcation site, written by Virginia Kearney, who has been teaching university English for over 20 years.
How to Write a Position Paper (WikiHow) Just like an argument paper, a position paper supports one side of an issue, similar to in a debate. Your goal will be to provide convincing evidence to the reader that your position is the correct stance to take on an issue. You can write a great position paper by choosing your position carefully, developing your argument, drafting your paper, and revising and editing your work.

Recommended Resources

Gale Topic Finder
Not sure on a topic? Having trouble refining your ideas? Use the tiles in Gale's Topic Finder to refine or find a topic to start with! Articles will be shown on the right side of your screen that you can start with that align with these topics and ideas.

Gale In Context: Biography This link opens in a new window
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Gale In Context: Global Issues This link opens in a new window
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Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
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Gale In Context: U.S. History This link opens in a new window
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Information on significant people, events, and topics in U.S. History. Includes full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites.
Gale In Context: World History This link opens in a new window
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Information on significant people, events, and topics in World History. Includes full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search the majority of our ProQuest databases at one time. Subjects include the arts, business, health & medicine, history, literature, science & technology, and social sciences.
Political Science Database This link opens in a new window
Leading political science and international relations journals, providing full-text of many core titles. Also includes working papers, conference proceedings, country profiles, political news and other sources.
New York Times This link opens in a new window
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Articles from the printed paper, blogs, videos and web content from 1985-present. PCT users must log into their NYT account for full-text. Subscription is renewed every 4 years. Student accounts expire Dec. 31 after graduation.
PCT students, faculty, and staff must create their own account by first visiting the NYT Groupass page and search for Pennsylvania College of Technology. Users will create an account or log in with their username/password. Users will be asked to renew their subscription every 4 years. Student accounts expire Dec. 31 after graduation.
New York Times: TimesMachine This link opens in a new window
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Digital replica ofThe New York Times published between 1851 and 2002. PCT users must log into their NYT account for full-text. Subscription is renewed every 4 years. Student accounts expire Dec. 31 after graduation.
PCT students, faculty, and staff must create their own account by first visiting the NYT Groupass page and search for Pennsylvania College of Technology. Users will create an account or log in with their username/password. Users will be asked to renew their subscription every 4 years. Student accounts expire Dec. 31 after graduation.