Position Paper
I am willing to pay extra if paper is finished before 11:30 pm of October 27 (Pacific Time)
Please include citations and reference list.
Length:
3-5 pages (not including cover pages or bibliographies if you’re using APA)
Purpose:
This shorter essay is the first, more formalized step towards your larger research project – the one wherein you take your brainstorming and begin to have a bigger think and do some deeper research on the topic that you find the most compelling from the Research Journal #2 assignment. At the end of this assignment, you will:
- Have a clearly defined research topic and guiding question
- Have begun researching your chosen topic using both non-academic and academic sources
- Enter the conversation that already exists on your topic, and begin to determine your position & solution(s)
- Break down the problem into background, your position, and potential solutions for your audience
Requirements:
- Your essay must have a clear question that is stated at the beginning of your essay and explored throughout
- Your position must be clearly articulated and plausible in scope
- You must use a minimum of three (3) outside sources – at least one (1) of these sources must be from an academic journal or other scholarly publication
- You must cite your sources and format your essay using correct MLA or APA citation forms – an abstract is not required if you have elected to use APA form
Instructions:
For this essay, your project is to begin thinking about your semester-long research paper argument. Therefore, you must pick a problem, whether in the United States or abroad, over which there is much debate and which lacks a clear-cut solution (use your ideas from the RJ#2 assignment to select your topic). Then, you will define the problem beginning with what your defining question will be (ex. should terminal patients be allowed to choose their own death?), explain how it has become a major issue in the first place (i.e. give a brief background for your audience as well as the major arguments on either side – pro & con), and finally, propose a workable solution(s) that domestic or international (or both) governments should implement in order to resolve this conflict (these can be very broad at this point – you’re just starting out, after all!). And, lastly, please note that it’s not enough to merely define the problem and discuss its background; you must make your position clear in both how you frame your argument as well as with your proposed solution(s).