White paper

For our purposes in this class we are defining a White Paper as follows: “A white paper is a persuasive essay that uses facts and logic to promote a certain product, service, or viewpoint” (Graham). Students must write a White Paper approximately five to seven pages in length. Our text defines as White Paper as “an argument typically 10-20 pages long [about] a company’s product or service that will solve a technological or business challenge in an industry” (Johnson-Sheehan and Paine 180). Our own White Papers, by contrast, will be from 5-7 pages long. As indicated in our text, the readers of White Papers “are technical experts who implement technology and managers who make purchasing decisions” (Johnson-Sheehan and Paine 180). We will be supplementing our text with White Papers for Dummies by Gordon Graham (2013). I will post excerpts from it on Blackboard. This assignment will account for 20% of your final grade.

We will be writing a kind of White Paper known as a “Backgrounder” to supplement a new product launch (see pp. 103-118 in White Papers for Dummies).

Requirements:

To write your White Paper you will need to do the following things:

● Choose an appropriate product or service about which to write the White Paper and that topic is subject to my final approval.

● Research your intended readers (see p. 111 in White Papers for Dummies)

● Focus on the purpose of your backgrounder (supplement a product launch)

● List the key features of the product or service

● List the key benefits of each if those features

● Write a call to action at the end (see p. 112 of White Papers for Dummies)

● Your White Paper should have a clear title that indicates the product or service (see p. 116).

● Simple photograph(s) or graphic(s) should accompany your White Paper when necessary, depending on the product or service, to make it as clear as possible.

● Your White Paper should contain numerical data, examples, expert testimony and visual evidence (your sources are already inside the company or on company site(s)).

● Divide the White Paper into three main sections: front matter (cover page), main body (the introduction, features and benefits) and back matter (brief set of conclusions, call to action, brief section about the company) (see pages 114-116).

● Write persuasively about the product or service without selling it.

● Keep your writing spare and concise: strike a balance between wordiness and too little information.

I will provide you with model Backgrounder White Papers written by professionals. You may wish to explore online to find other good samples of Backgrounders. You are free to use online models of clearly written White Papers. Be careful not to plagiarize from any models that you use. Also be sure to properly cite your sources using MLA format.

You will be graded on the criteria listed on the Grading Rubric that I will post on BlackBoard. Please study it closely. Be sure to check your White Paper against the grading rubric before you submit it to me for a grade.

Graham, Gordon. White Papers for Dummies. Theory. John Wiley & Sons, 2013, https://thatwhitepaperguy.com/. Accessed 14 November 2018.