1. English 309 Rhetorical Style Page 1 of 3
Project 3:
White Paper: Solving a Problem for a
Professional Audience (150 points)
The traditional goal of white papers - a professional writing genre used for a wide variety of
governmental, institutional, and corporate purposes - is to educate readers about a
complicated subject for the purpose of helping them make a decision. In this assignment we
will be focusing on defining a problem for an audience of professional stakeholders and making
recommendations about how they might address this problem.
Your problem you define in your white paper will grow out of your semester topic proposal,
and will depend almost entirely on the audience you choose. You will need to successfully
convince your audience not only that this is, indeed, their problem, but that it’s of sufficient
magnitude and importance for them to actually act on the recommendations that you’ll
provide.
In addition to emulating the written style of professional documents (which we will analyze at
home and in class), you’ll also be expected to replicate the visual style of white papers, since
this is a critical part of the genre. To help you, we will also delve (lightly) into document design
as well.
2. English 309 Rhetorical Style Page 2 of 3
Learning Objectives
After completing this project, you should be able to…
Know how to build a rhetorical case around the needs, knowledge, and capacities for
action of a given professional audience.
Accurately identify a problem and make it compelling for a given audience using
appropriate research, reasons, and evidence.
Successfully analyze and reproduce the verbal and visual style of professional
documents.
Project Deliverables
1. An 8-10 page white paper that defines and provides recommendations for some problem
related to your semester topic. Your audience will be a group of professionals with something
at stake in the issue, and capable of carrying out your proposed recommendations. You’ll define
a problem in a compelling way for this audience, and suggest concrete ways that they can
address it. Your white paper should include the following components:
Title page.
Abstract (this will be the second page).
Table of contents.
Well-researched introduction to the problem, aimed at one specific audience – see the
“Stopping Bullies” white paper for a good example.
Background or history (if necessary and relevant) of the problem.
Effects/results of the problem – this section will vary according to specific problems.
Concrete recommendations for addressing the problem (these must be within the
audience’s capacities to act upon, and should match the problem defined).
Works Cited page.
Grading Chart, White Paper (Final)
Audienceawareness. The audience isspecificallyandclearlyidentified(through
title,directorindirectaddress).Theyhave the appropriateneeds,knowledge,and
capacityto act on the problemdefined.
25 points
Qualityand use of research. The sourcesusedare relevant,significant,and
authoritative forthe designatedaudience.
25 points
Qualityof problemdefinition. The white paperestablisheswhythisproblem
shouldbe compellingtoitsparticularaudience,usingappropriate reasonsand
evidence.
25 points
Qualityof recommendations. The recommendationsprovidedare concrete,
addressthe problemdefinedinthe paper,andare withinthe definedaudience’s
capacitiesforaction.
25 points
Organization and visualdesign. The informationislogicallyorganizedand 25 points
3. English 309 Rhetorical Style Page 3 of 3
accessible,bothinaverbal andin a visual sense.
Qualityof execution. The final productiswell polished,stylisticallyappropriate,
and error-free.
25 points
TOTAL 150 points
