A white paper is an authoritative document intended to fully inform the reader on a particular topic and help them understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. White papers are typically written by groups and organizations, such as governments and businesses, and meant to be read by people in or considering joining said group or organization. A white paper’s rhetorical purpose is to attract readers to the group or organization by offering top-quality knowledge about them. Typically, white papers first explain the purpose of the white paper and have an introduction. Then, they have a background of the group or organization and it’s history. This is followed by a description of the problem or need for the white paper. After this is the solution or findings about this need or problem, and the benefits or the solution or findings. Typically, white papers are about 6-8 pages long.
For my discipline, I am writing about auditing and accounting. Reports and documents written by this profession are supposed to be accurate and truthful, as they are submitted to the government through the Securities and Exchange Commission, and then to potential investors and creditors so that they can decide whether or not to invest in a company. As for how students learn to do this, many classes have students read over financial documents and then write their own report on the company. Professionals have to write about much more than students though. They have to write reports about the company’s financial health, internal health, future health, as well as reports about production, and more. These documents are used by internal users and external users. These documents must be objective, detailed, descriptive, and meticulous. Accountants base these documents off of financial statements and documents, depending on what they are reporting. A financial report that is sloppy, confusing, or misleading will most likely cost a professional their jobs, potential jail time, and have residual impacts on a company. In extreme cases, the government may have to step in if companies are reporting to misleading or sloppily, and institute new regulations. This was most notably seen in 2002 with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which tightened the regulations placed on financial reporting.
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