- Written for a well-educated lay audience, think NPR listener
- Check out this article from Nature entitled “Two Minutes to Impress” which provides tips on science communication
- Answers a funding agency’s need; describes a problem and solution
- Helps sponsor to decide to invite/not invite/fund
- May or may not receive a response or review; lead to a proposal/grant; considered confidential
- Often it is used to find reviewers, find consultants, validate research or technology, impress board of directors/stakeholders, etc.
- One-two pages in length; government policy white papers are typically much longer
The format of a white paper:
- Optional cover page with overview/abstract
- Small sections with clear headings
- Introduction/background
- What is the problem/question to be addressed and why is it important to sponsor and proposer
- How does proposer know about the problem
- Proposed solution to current situation/problem
- Include several options with levels of complexity, sophistication, time, cost, risk, etc.
- Use graphs, illustrations, sufficient detail to demonstrate that the proposer can handle this
- Include preliminary data which demonstrates this solution can work
- Case studies, comparisons, success stories
- Describe risks and risk management, i.e., what if and alternatives
- Future direction/long-term goals; clarify steps, timelines
- What does this future world look-like, i.e., long-term benefits to sponsor, proposer, society, nation, and world
- Recommendations/results/conclusions; prioritized proposed activities; review recommended solutions and provide rationale
- Biosketch, CVs
- References
- Appendices, e.g., letters of support, highly-relevant journal article, etc.
- Introduction/background
