For example, you wouldn’t want to write a paper arguing that children need proper care, as no one would disagree with that stance. A better topic may be taking a stance on what should be done if children are not receiving proper care.
Visit your local library to find books, journals, and newspapers. Access online databases, credible websites, and news sources. To decide if a source is credible, look for peer-reviewed journals, check the credentials of the author, locate the information in two separate sources, and check the date to make sure the information is the most recent available. You should also avoid self-published sources.
Looking at both sides not only helps you pick the best position, it will also help you choose a good counterargument. [3] X Research source For example, if you are writing a paper about whether or not your community should invest in new park equipment, your two sides would be either in favor of the new park equipment or against it. A pro of buying new equipment might be purchasing safer equipment, while a con would be the expense of the purchase.
In some cases, it’s easier to argue a position if you don’t have strong opinions either way. This is because you can focus on the evidence, not on your personal views.
While you don’t have to change your position to fit your audience, you may want to adjust your reasons behind the position or the counter-argument you choose.
If possible, look for supporting reasons that are shown through 2 or more different pieces of evidence, as this will make your argument stronger. Use your assignment sheet or the parameters of your paper to determine how many supporting reasons you should include. For many academic papers, you will use 2 to 3 reasons.
Use an organizing strategy that works for you. Compiling your evidence now will help you more easily write your paper. Keep in mind that it is important to cite your sources. If you use a direct quote from a source, then put it into quotation marks and identify the author when you use it. If you paraphrase or summarize something from a source, give credit to the author for the ideas. Don’t go overboard on including evidence! Remember that most of the ideas in the paper should be your own. It’s good to quote sources, but avoid quoting entire paragraphs from other sources. Keep your quotes to a sentence or two and try to avoid including more than one quote per paragraph.
For example, if you are writing a position paper arguing that your community should purchase new playground equipment, your counter-argument could be that the purchase will be too expensive. To strengthen your argument, you would cite this possible point against you but show why it’s not a valid reason to dismiss your position. A good way to do that would be to show that the equipment is worth the expense or that there is outside funding to pay for it. You will also want a piece of evidence that supports your counter-argument. This evidence, which should be easy to dismiss, will be included in your paper.
One easy way to set up your argument in your thesis is to include both your counter-argument and claim, preceded by the word “although. ” For example, “Although installing new playground equipment in the park will be expensive, new playground equipment would provide a safe play area for children and offer options for special needs children. ” If you’re an expert writer, you may not need to include supporting reasons in your thesis. For example, “As parents learn the benefits and dangers of outside play, communities across the nation are turning their eyes toward their parks, making safe, accessible equipment a public necessity. ”[11] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
Start with a hook that introduces your topic. For example, you could provide a statistic of how many children are injured on old playground equipment every year. Include a few sentences that provide more information on your topic, narrowing down toward your stance. End your introduction with your thesis.
Follow the requirements for your paper, which may state how many paragraphs you should include.
For example, you could write: “Installing new playground equipment would make the park more inclusive for special needs children because updated designs are accessible to those who are differently abled. ”
Facts Statistics Quotes Documented stories
Without commentary, there is no link between your evidence and your position, leaving your argument weak.
Restate your thesis. For example, “While new playground equipment is expensive, it’s worth the investment because it serves the best interests of the community by providing children with a safe area to play and making the park more accessible for special needs children. " Sum up your argument. End on a high note with a call to action. For example, “Children need a safe, accessible place to play, so the only choice is to install new park equipment in Quimby Park. "
If you don’t cite your sources, then you will be guilty of plagiarism. You could lose credit or face harsher penalties if you are caught stealing someone else’s words or ideas.
Before you change a word, re-read the sentence to make sure that the new suggestion fits. The spell checker may think that you mean one thing, while you really mean something else.
Waiting at least a day is best. If you are short on time, wait at least 30 minutes before reviewing what you’ve written.
If possible, have a friend or mentor read your paper and suggest edits or revisions.
Combine short, choppy sentences, and break up long sentences. Fix sentence fragments and run-ons.
If possible, ask a friend or mentor to proofread your final draft. They may be able to spot errors that you don’t see.
If you are presenting or turning in a printed paper, check to see if you should place it in a presentation folder.
