REQUIREMENT
Additional Guidance for Position Paper
As you prepare your assignment # 2, the position paper, I thought it might be helpful to provide some additional insight on the paper in terms of areas where historically there have been some questions and/or confusion.
It is important to remember that this additional guidance does not purport to cover all of the requirements and instructions for the assignment and you MUST read, understand, and adhere to all of the requirements for the assignment set forth in Week 6.
In this communication, I hope to provide some clarity on points that have been the source of confusion in the past. Here we go:
1. Introduction-one of the parts of the introduction that students have had trouble with is the requirement to state the thesis. The thesis is your view of the issue and in this paper the points of view to choose from are either:
A. "Multinational companies have an obligation to assist the citizens in poverty-stricken countries in which they do business."
Or
B. "Multinational companies do not have an obligation to assist the citizens in poverty-stricken countries in which they do business."
These are your ONLY choices for the thesis statement. DO NOT give me any other permutation. In your introduction, choose which point of view is going to be your position.
2. Presenting the counterclaims-in a position paper one of the ways that you strengthen your position in addition to arguing your position is by refuting the contrary point of view. In the counterclaim section of the paper you will be summarizing the counter to your argument, presenting the arguments in support of the counterclaim, and refuting the arguments in favor of the counterclaim, citing evidence in support of your refutation. If you select "A" as your thesis in the introduction, then "B" is your counterclaim. If you select "B" as your thesis in the introduction, "A" is your counterclaim.
3. Argument-this is where you make the affirmative case for your point of view or thesis. You are required to make at least 3 arguments in support of your position and cite at least 2 sources in support of each argument. This is what is meant in the instructions by "assert point # 1, assert point # 2, assert point # 3."
4. Conclusion-Summarize your argument. This is your last opportunity to convince the reader that your position is the more persuasive. The conclusion should also contain your reflection as to the importance of the arguments made.
To REPEAT, this communication is intended to provide clarity on certain elements of the assignment and you MUST adhere to and follow the requirements and instructions for the assignment in week 6. Please do not hesitate to raise any questions with me regarding the assignment.
Project 2: Position Paper
Instructions
Project 2: Position Paper
Purpose: You will research and exam a real-world ethical issue. Once thoroughly researched, you will write a position argument regarding the ethical issue. In writing the position paper, the choice of words is important because it is necessary to persuade the audience that the position you take is the best position.
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse.
You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed.
(Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only). Serious sanctions can result from violations of any type of the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism including a zero on a project, a zero for the course or dismissal from the University.
Step 1: Getting Started
A position paper provides a point of view and can be viewed as taking a side in a debate. What you want to keep in mind as you research and write the paper is that the viewpoint is yours but it is necessary to support your ideas, reasoning and conclusions.
Before starting, read the topic in Step 4 and lay out a plan for researching the topic. You will note that you have been given a few articles to get you started but the research you will do goes beyond these articles and must focus on identifying the ethical issue and taking a stance based on the ethical nature of the statement.
To present a fair and convincing argument, you will research and present the counterclaims to the position you take and refute the other positions.
Step 2: Research
Read the article below to gain a sense of the issue at stake. Thoroughly research the issue further so that you are able to take a position.
Do Multinational Corporations Have an Ethical Obligation to Assist Those in Need?
Step 3: Introduction
Create the introductory paragraph. Within this paragraph, provide a brief overview of the scenario. Then, provide a thesis statement and tell the reader the main topics covered in the paper. The introduction comes at the beginning of the paper and tells a reader the main topics covered in the paper.
Step 4: Write the Position Paper
You will write a position paper in response to the quote below:
Quote:
"Multinational companies have an obligation to assist the citizens in poverty-stricken countries in which they do business."
To write a position paper, you will first organize and outline the counterclaims and your viewpoints on the issue. Be sure to frame the discussion to define the key points covered in the paper. Establish credibility by supporting the reasoning and conclusions using the course readings and your research.
Step 5: Writing Steps
•Use the topic provided in Step 4
•Gather sources using the library, the classroom and the Internet (scholarly articles). Make sure that you have information that supports more than one viewpoint.
•Read the source documents and decide on a claim statement. The claim statement is the thesis of your paper.
•Use the gathered sources to prepare the thesis.
•Consider preparing an outline based on the steps provided in Step 2.
•Identifying the ethical issue.
•Present the counterclaims, and your position on the counterclaims including evidence to refute the counterarguments.
•Then, write your paper by presenting your position. Argue your position by making three appropriate reasons with at least two supporting details for each reason;
•Lastly, conclude the paper by restating/summarizing the argument. Refer to the opening statements and main points made throughout the paper. Reflect on the importance of the arguments and conclude their development.
Step 6: Review the Paper
Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present. Use the grading rubric to ensure that you gain the most points possible for this assignment.
Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical issues, and third person writing.
•Read the paper aloud as a first measure;
•Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a second measure;
•Have someone who has excellent English skills proofread the paper;
•Consider submitting the paper to the Effective Writing Center (EWC). The EWC will provide 4-6 areas that may need improvement.
Step 7: Submit the Paper in the Assignment Folder (The assignment submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered a student's final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor. It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission. No exceptions will be considered by the instructor).
Completing the Paper
•Read the grading rubric for the project. Use the grading rubric while completing the project to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.
•Third person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words such as "I, me, my, we, or us" (first person writing), nor is there use of "you or your" (second person writing).
•Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.
•Paraphrase and do not use direct quotation marks. Paraphrase means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, but put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document. Not using direct quotation marks means that there should be no passages with quotation marks and instead the source material is paraphrased as stated above.
Provide the page or paragraph number when using in-text citations. Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.
•You may not use books as source material.
How to Set Up the Paper
Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced, 12-point font. The final product will be between 4-6 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page. It is important to write clearly and concisely.