final

1) You will collect at least 10 sources through our library databases. You may use the same topic from our previous assignments, and you may even upcycle the 5-source annotated bibliography. However, you may also choose to investigate a new topic altogether.

2) Choose to write a Literature Review or a White Paper. The paper will be between 2000 to 2500 words, properly cited, and formatted in APA style. Do not break word count.

Due Dates:

Bring hard copies of your rough draft to class on February 26th for our Peer Review Session.

Upload the final draft to the online Assignments folder by Tuesday.

Literature Review or White Paper? The choice is yours.

Literature Review:

• Purpose:
• To summarize, synthesize, and critically evaluate existing research on a specific topic.
• Audience:
• Researchers, like yourself, academics, or students within the same field.
• Focus:
• Identifying gaps in current knowledge, providing context for future research, and demonstrating the writer’s understanding of the field.
• Characteristics:
• Includes a critical analysis of sources, identifies trends and patterns, and often presents a clear thesis or argument.
• Examples:
• A section within a dissertation, a stand-alone paper summarizing the state of research on a specific disease, or a review of literature on a particular teaching method.

White Paper:

• Purpose:
• To present a problem, propose a solution, and often promote a specific product, service, or point of view.
• Audience:
• Often external to the author’s field, including potential customers, policymakers, or the general public.
• Focus:
• Persuading the reader to adopt a particular course of action or solution.
• Characteristics:
• Usually shorter than a research paper, structured with a problem-solution format, and may include marketing or promotional elements.
• Examples:
• A document outlining the benefits of a company’s new software, a report arguing for a particular policy change, or a paper explaining the advantages of a new technology.

Key Differences Summarized:

FeatureLiterature ReviewWhite PaperPurposeSummarize, synthesize, and critically evaluate existing researchPresent a problem, propose a solution, and advocate for a specific viewpoint or productAudienceResearchers, academics, studentsExternal audience, potential customers, policymakersFocusAnalyzing knowledge, identifying gaps, and providing contextPersuading the reader to adopt a specific solutionToneObjective, critical, analyticalPersuasive, promotional, informativeStructureMay follow a standard research paper structure or be a stand-aloneProblem-solution structure, often with marketing elements