Context
One of the challenges of developing credibility within an industry is showing that you have reliable, trustworthy expertise. For a lot of individuals and businesses, this is a problem that a white paper can solve!
A white paper is a deeply researched document that addresses a problem within an industry, substantiates the problem’s significance, and then offers a well-researched solution. The goal is to not only introduce a solution that may urge others to follow your lead, but also to show your own credibility and expertise. This is not so that a person or company can advertise (though the positive effects of demonstrating expertise may lead to that!). For more information, see the Writing a White PaperLinks to an external site. resource.
Purpose/Project Sequence
Your job on this project is to identify a problem in an industry that matters to you, to consider a unique solution, and then to write a thoroughly researched white paper on the matter. You will incorporate elements of academic writing (such as finding sources, citing and referencing them), business writing (such as breaking paragraphs more frequently, writing concisely, using images and graphs), and general writing (showing strong revision, maintaining flow from one idea to the next). Your final product should show that you are a trusted person in your field.
The first step is to narrow down what you want to write about. Consider:

Your major or industry of primary interest;
A specific problem for which you believe you have a creative solution;
The type of research you’ll have to find in order to support your stance.