Purpose, Introduction, and Previous Approaches:
1. Copy and paste the white paper’s purpose statement:
2. YES/NO What is the writer’s informative purpose for writing to the audience(s) – is this clear in the purpose statement?
3. If NO, what revision suggestions can you offer to clarify the purpose of writing the white paper?
4. YES/NO Does the introduction clearly explain the topic (often a problem) that the white paper will address?
5. If NO, what revision suggestions can you offer to clarify what the topic is?
6. YES/NO Does the white paper offer more in-depth details about the topic (often a problem) and previous approaches (past trends, history/duration the topic (problem) has existed, impact of the topic/who it affects, etc.)?
7. If NO, what revision suggestions can you offer to make the Introduction and Previous Approaches
sections even better to meet the audience’s needs?
8. What other revision suggestions can you offer about the purpose, introduction, and/or previous approaches sections to meet the audience’s needs?
New Findings and Conclusion
9. YES/NO Does the white paper offer new findings to highlight the topic (a new solution) that helps the audience arrive at an independent decision?
10. If NO, what revision suggestions can you offer to strengthen the new findings section and highlight the
topic (a new solution) to meet the audience’s needs?
11. YES/NO Does the white paper conclusion reinforce the purpose and support independent decision
making?
12. If NO, what revision suggestions can you offer to strengthen the conclusion to meet the audience’s needs?
13. What other revision suggestions can you offer about the new findings (a new solution) and conclusion sections to meet the audience’s needs?
Use of Sources
- Look at the writer’s “References” list and answer the following questions:
1.1. How many sources (entries on the References list) are provided? And are all sources listed actually used/cited in the draft?
1.2. What year is the oldest source?
1.3. What year is the newest source?
1.4. How many sources come from an academic/scholarly journal?
1.5. How many sources come from the library database?
1.6. How many sources are web-based publications?
1.7. How many sources do not have an author?
1.8. Are any sources potentially questionable to you as “unreliable” or “irrelevant”? If so, which one(s)?
1.9. In what ways might the writer improve the selection of sources?
- Examine how the writer integrates sources:
2.1. How does the writer “set up” and introduce the sources in the paragraph? In other words, what signal phrases are used to preface a source (such as “According to X,” “As X notes in her article,” “While X claims “xyz,” Y disagrees pointing out that…”)
2.2. How does the writer “reflect on” and comment on the significance of the source’s ideas? In other words, after the writer presents the source’s ideas, what commentary does the writer offer the reader to understand the meaning of the source’s ideas?
- In what ways might the writer improve the integration of sources in the white paper? Provide at least one revised version of introducing, integrating, or commenting on source materials.