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Cover Sheet for Position Paper.......Sue Huff '02
State your
Topic
Author
Title of work
Your position:
Please check what you have included in your paper.
INTRO & RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
( ) Your introduction uses rhetorical analysis to identify the author.
( ) You have credited the author as qualified to speak on his or her subject.
( ) You believe the author is qualified to have an opinion.
( ) You do not believe the author is qualified to have an opinion.
( ) You have described the author's argument.
( ) You agree with the author.
( ) You do not completely agree with the author.
THESIS
( ) Does your thesis explain your position?
Write the words that are key to your thesis and appear throughout the paper:
BODY & CRITICAL ANALYSIS
( ) Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that makes a clarifying statement in support of your thesis?
Write some key words from topic sentences that relate to your thesis:
( ) Does each paragraph examine the author's issues and
( ) Do you relate these issues by taking a position for or against them?
( ) Do you support your position by giving the author's ideas from direct or indirect quotations?
( ) Do you support your position with outside research?
( ) Have you properly used MLA or APA citation?
( ) Are your paragraphs symmetrical?
USING ANALYSIS
( ) Have you thoroughly defined and analyzed your position?
( ) Have you built arguments by using evidence from the author's text or presentation?
( ) Are your facts accurate and ideas logical?
( ) Have you used key words throughout your paper to support your position?
( ) Have you related the author's ideas to your ideas?
CONCLUSION
( ) Does your conclusion make a solid argument for your position?
( ) Have you polished your thesis and caused it to be pondered in your conclusion?
( ) Do you appeal to the reader and make him or her understand the details of the topic, the author's point of view and your position on that viewpoint?
( ) Have you correlated your position with the author's?
( ) Do you leave the reader with something worthwhile to think about?
( ) Will your readers want to learn more about the topic and/or the author?
( ) Will your readers want to interview you as an authority on this topic?