Essay 4 – Position Paper
This essay is the culmination of your semester-long research project. At this point, you should have a good understanding of your topic, the relevant context surrounding it, and the arguments that others make about it. Through your research, I hope you have learned much more about your topic and have been challenged by the rhetoric and arguments you encountered along the way. Now it is time for you to argue your position. This essay differs from Essay 3: Discourse Analysis because it is centered on your argument and you are writing it for a specific target audience that you will choose.
A position paper is a persuasive essay where you cleary state your research question, make an argument about it, and demonstrate how your argument relates to other arguments on the issue.
You need a clear thesis statement explicitly stating your research question, your position on it, and all of your main points. Develop your main points with supporting explanation, examples, evidence, data, or by any other appropriate means. You must present and respond to counterarguments as well. Show how your argument relates to others. Summarize, analyze, and respond to them. This is how you demonstrate how your position fits into the larger discourse on the question.
For this assignment, you must also choose a specific audience. You could choose something like Moraine Valley students, Republican voters, low wage workers, or readers of a specific publication like
Block Club Chicago. Choose an audience that has some connection to your issue, whether they agree or disagree with you, and tailor your rhetoric to your audience. Choose language and style appropriate for the audience and situation. Provide background information and any context that you feel is relevant to your specific audience.
Here is more on audience and situation.
No matter who your audience is, you must cite your sources. This is a writing assignment for a college class first and foremost, so follow MLA rules for in-text and Works Cited. You are free to incorporate any relevant material from your previous essays into this one (no need to quote or cite yourself). You must use at least six secondary sources.
Assignment Requirements
· Below the header and title and just above the first paragraph of your essay, state specifically who your intended audience is. Use this format:
Audience –
(state a specific audience for your essay here)
· Your essay must be a minimum of 1,500 words
· It is worth 200 points
· You must use at least six secondary sources
· Follow MLAformat and rules for in-text and Works Cited
Grading Rubric
Clarity and effectiveness of argument – 50 pts
· Clearly define your issue and your position on it in a thesis statement
· Organize your essay so it’s easy to follow and effectively highlights your argument in relation to others
· Demonstrate a command of persuasive rhetoric (logos, ethos, pathos)
Research and use of sources – 50 pts
· Demonstrate your knowledge of the topic through your quality and variety of sources
· Quote, paraphrase, or summarize your sources by providing relevant context, identifying significant arguments, and supporting all points
· Present and respond to a range of opinions on the issue
· Use sources appropriately (ex. memes are different than scholarly articles)
Audience – 50 pts
· Choose a specific, defined audience and use language, messaging, and style to appeal to that audience
· Tailor your rhetoric for your specific audience
MLA format and citation – 50 pts
· Follow MLA essay format (header, double spaced, etc…)
· Clearly introduce and cite all sources following MLA rules for in-text citations
· Have a complete, properly formatted Works Cited page in MLA style
