The basic idea of a position paper is that it expresses the author's opinion about a given topic, provides evidence from several sources to support that opinion, and explains how each piece of evidence serves to support the opinion. The position paper is in many respects the model academic essay, requiring the writer to offer an opinion and to situate that opinion among those already present.
Students in ENG 102 are asked to write two such papers during the term. Each will assert an opinion developed in consultation with the instructor, treating a given cultural artifact or phenomenon (i.e., something a group of people make or something a group of people do). The thesis must be generally argumentative in nature; that is to say, it must express some inherent meaning in the artifact or phenomenon. The rest of the paper will then argue that the meaning is readable from within the artifact or phenomenon (if, perhaps, with reference to outside material) before concluding with a summative statement of the importance or value of carrying out such a reading.
Papers will be evaluated in six categories:
Clarity and appropriateness of the thesis
Clarity and appropriateness of evidence
Clarity and appropriateness of explanation of evidence
Clarity and appropriateness of organization
Adherence to assignment and formatting guidelines (including paper length of four to five full pages and MLA-style citation)
Adherence to prescribed standards of mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.)
Each category will be assigned a score, A+ through 0, and the average of the six category scores will be entered as the assignment grade.
The assignment must be submitted as an attachment via email to geoffrey.b.elliott@gmail.com prior to the beginning of class on the day the course calendar indicates the assignment is due. Acceptable file formats for the attachment are limited to Rich Text Format (.rtf) and Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx); no other file formats will be accepted. Typed hard copies may be submitted only with PRIOR approval of the instructor, offered on a case-by-case basis by direct consultation. Handwritten copies are not acceptable in any case. Failure to follow stated submission guidelines will result in the submitted assignment being discarded.
Students are reminded that appropriate citation must be provided for any externally referenced information, and all included information must be justified. That is, any time external information is included, there must be a reason, expressed along with that information, for its inclusion. Such materials must also be appropriately integrated into the student's writing. Acceptable standards for doing so appear on the Purdue University Online Writing Lab, here; be sure to follow MLA rules. FAILURE TO ACCOUNT FOR SOURCES IS PLAGIARISM AND WILL BE DEALT WITH HARSHLY.
The kind of writing desired for the assignment can be found here. Please keep in mind that the content corresponds with the assigned guidelines, but the format (owing to the medium of publication) does not. Do not follow the model too closely.