The Chairs' Tips for Position Papers
Hello Delegates! Welcome back to the UNCSW blog.
Now that we have introduced ourselves, I invite you to introduce yourself in the comments of this blog post (I would love to hear about your academic interests, a piece of media you have enjoyed recently, or anything at all you would like to share)! With that said, here are some good things to consider as you all write and prepare to submit your position papers. To get us started, here are a few criteria and tips from your chairs.
As a reminder, UNCSW will be using the standard Position Paper format detailed in the Committee Page on the BMUN website. Besides the general format, we wanted to offer some tips on the research process and the formation of your paper.
Research
The biggest favor you can do for yourself in the writing process is to apply adequate time and effort into understanding the topics beforehand. Not only do we recommend reading the topic synopsis, but we hope that you will interact with it. Ask questions, make connections, and reflect on what you have learned. To familiarize yourself with the topic synopsis is to ensure a smooth research process.
After reading the synopsis, don’t stop there! This step is just a stepping stone for the research that we hope you will complete. Think about reading some additional case studies and keeping up with current events in your assigned country. Ultimately, the sign of a well-researched paper is taking the information within the topic synopsis a step further.
Our advice: don’t simply reiterate the synopsis. Interact with it! This could look like researching your country's stance on a certain issue or policy, or a recent development(s) relevant to your take on the topic. Your position papers should be composed of information learned both within and outside of the scope of the information provided in the topic synopsis.
For more guidance on the research process, please refer to this page on the BMUN website.
Writing
The biggest favor you can do for yourself in the writing process is to apply adequate time and effort into understanding the topics beforehand.
After researching, you should have a good sense of what you want to include in your paper. We suggest first creating an outline of this important information first, then adding commentary on why these points are important. A sign of a great position paper is one that not only contains important information but also elaborates on it, providing clear and effective commentary.
Be sure to leave yourself enough time to write, revise, and properly cite your sources — don’t hesitate to ask for help or an extension if needed!
For more guidance on the writing process, please refer to this page on the BMUN website.
Position Papers
A reminder that position papers are due on February 18th, 2024, to be considered for a research award, and February 25th, 2024, to be considered for any committee award. Again, we would be happy to grant an extension if necessary!
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at uncswbmun72@bmun.org for any questions or concerns regarding your research and writing process.
Though we will be reviewing and grading your position papers once you submit, I want to emphasize that BMUN is a learning conference above all. Please try your best to craft a well-written and thoughtful paper, and feel free to reach out to us with questions about the topic and the research & writing processes. We are so excited to see what you bring to committee next month. Happy writing!
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