HOW TO WRITE A (Research Comparison)

WHITE PAPER(on Halloween or otherwise)

White Papers = informal literature published by organizations (government, companies) that help readers solve a problem or make a decision on a given issue.

Our problem is how to get down off this line and bite the face of the jerk who put us up here.

1. Those with a social or political focus.2. Those used to market IT products.3. Those that present scientific or technical research

findings.

THREE KINDS OF WHITE PAPERS:

Research Comparison White Paper Sections

• Title Page

• Introduction

• Methods

• Results/Discussion

• Recommendations

TITLE PAGE

Title Page: Poor Design Choices

Notice how color choices and design elements convey meaning.

Clearly, these are not the best rhetorical design choices.

Title Page: Improved Design Choices

Notice how color choices and design elements convey meaning.

These rhetorical design choices match the purpose of the white paper.

INTRODUCTION

• Products tested (brief description)• Why they were tested.• Who performed the test.• Description of users you identified when

designing the test.

Introductions create a permanent record of…

Rhetorical Moves for Writing the Introduction

Example:

This white paper describes the findings from a usability test of two free blogging tools: Tumblr and Blogger.

Example:

This white paper evaluates how Gimp, a free cloud computing tool, compares to its pricey counterpart: Adobe Photoshop.

Option 1: Start the introduction with a purpose statement.

Rhetorical Moves for Writing the Introduction

Example:

Weebly and WordPress are [write a concise definition/description of these two

tools]. This white paper describes the findings from a usability test of these two products.

Example:

Image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop often have steep learning curves, deterring most novices from trying them. This white paper describes the findings from a comparison of two image editing products aimed at novice users: [name the two products].

Option 2: Start with a definition/description, then move on to purpose statement.

METHODOLOGY

• Tasks• Test environment• Evaluative criteria/rating scale.

Methodology consists of…

RESULTS

Results “digest” the data for readers.

• Analyze data: what was significant about your test findings?

• Provide clear, concise technical descriptions.

• Organize the data to help make your argument.

• Incorporate visuals (screen shots).

For results,

Possible organizational strategies for results:1. Abbreviate criteria in the methodology section. Use complete criteria statement with Likert Scale in the results section.

Task 1: Create a web site and assign a theme.[List each task and describe what happened when you did the task. Include screenshots as needed. End your description with the criteria statement and LikertScale with score.]

[Insert criteria statement used to evaluate usability.]

List each criteria statement you applied with the corresponding score.

2. Abbreviate criteria in the methodology section. Use complete criteria statement with Likert Scale in the results section.

• Task 1: Create a web site and assign a theme.[List each task and describe what happened when you did the task, include screenshots as needed, but without the actual Likert Scale. Do this by abbreviating the criteria and include the corresponding score for each abbreviated criteria statement.

For example, if one of your criteria statements in the methodology is aimed at evaluating the time it took to do the task, you can make the connection between criteria and score clear by abbreviating the statement using just the word “time.” Make certain your criteria abbreviations correspond to the criteria statements and in the same order listed in the methodology section. ]

At the end of your results section, compare scores earned per criteria statement for each product. You could graphically represent the scoring data in a table or bar chart.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Make recommendations to potential users of the product. Consider if it is useful to explain which product might be best for a novice vs. a product for a more experienced user.