In preparing for this assignment, you will want to review the following videos:
- "White Papers: An Introduction to the Genre and Its Expectations," from the Purdue OWL
- "What is a White Paper?" by Mak Pandit
You may take any of the following approaches:
- a white paper to an internal audience - written to individuals within an organization you work for or are a part of. The white paper might inform them about a trend in the field and/or to solve a problem in the organization.
- a white paper to an external audience - written to individuals in a particular industry or field of study, but not an organization you are a part of. The white paper could address a problem you are attempting to solve in the organization or to inform an external audience about a relevant trend.
- a white paper promoting a new product or service to potential customers. This is an example of a white paper to an external audience, but it features different rhetorical considerations than the typical white paper written to an external audience does.
All three options are discussed in the Purdue OWL video mentioned above. In addition, the video from Mak Pandit mentioned above provides excellent insight into how these approaches would work.
Your white paper should be 2000-3000 words in length. Again, you are required to use at least five sources, with at least one of them being acquired through UMUC Library OneSearch.
Graphics:
Your white paper should incorporate at least three graphics. Graphic can include tables, charts, or graphs showing some research findings. They can also be images that are relevant to the topic of the white paper.
At least two of the graphics must be original. Original graphics can include photos taken by you; tables, charts, or graphs developed by you; or screen captures showing a function on your computer (not a screen capture of an image off of the web).
To see examples of graphics used in white papers, see the Purdue OWL video, "White Papers: An Introduction to the Genre and Its Expectations," at the 3:27 mark, at the 5:29 mark, at the 6:58 mark, at the 7:01 mark, at the 7:11 mark, at the 7:43 mark, and at the 7:58 mark.