Reading Response #8

 

For Project 3, I originally planned to use an A3 report format for my topic because I thought it would be an efficient way of displaying all my information. However, after I started doing the research, I realized that a white paper would be better because of all the medical information involved. Because I figured a lot would go into the makings of a cure for the zombie plague, the length of a white paper would benefit the project more by being able to offer more than an A3 report could.

Because of the way a white paper can be divided up, I can neatly display all my information (such as how to implement the cure, how it works, etc) and set it up in chapter-like sections that are informative but brief. It was also easier to work in pictures and maps in the white paper than it would have been with an A3 report, which has a limited amount of space that can be taken up.

Overall, I think switching to a white paper format was a good decision.  Information, while there is more than I could have fit onto an A3 report, is still easy to find despite the fact that there is more detail. I think the project turned out well!

Reading Response #7

When it comes to writing an informal white paper, there are some conflicts. White papers are meant to be a little longer than a typical informal report, which often involve a lot of summarizing and focusing on the general picture. White papers tend to look more at the specific aspects of a product, government policy, etc. In order for me to write a white paper that deals with an informal subject, I will need to find some kind of balance between summarization and providing enough detail to my audience.

On the subject of audience, white papers have a very technical audience—in my case, I’ll be writing to people who want to cure the zombie virus and are looking for a feasible medical cure that my company can provide. However, informal reports are, as I said previously, very general, and it can be hard to determine who exactly the reports are aimed at. However, I think in terms of my project, I’ll have to bypass generalization entirely because my topic is too specific.

Beyond these, though, I feel that the list we made comparing informal reports with white papers complement each other fairly well. Providing a clear subject line will be no problem! Focusing on a solution is easy, too—that’s what my project is all about. A division of strategy in terms of what will be done in a treatment for the virus will likely involve several steps, as will a strategy to implement the treatment.

White papers also focus on feasibility, and I’ll be able to work on that as well. I’m also looking forward to working with visual rhetoric in my white paper, because it’s not really something that’s a part of informal reports (which are usually just plain documents).  Using pictures is a good way of attempting to keep the audience’s interest while at the same time making sure they stay informed about what’s happening in the white paper.

Overall, I am fairly confident that I will be able to write a white paper on an informal subject because the two categories we looked at in class today fit together with relatively few problems. Those problems we did run into are easily taken care of in terms of my project topic, and I feel good about starting my project.