overview | purpose | white paper | powerpoint | revision | calendar

as a first step towards preparing an open source software implementation and feasibility report for a real client (project #3), this project asks you to work as a member of a team to learn about the historical and contemporary contexts and applications of open source software. You will learn to use the Open Source Development and Documentation website to explore and discuss possible projects.

during this stage, teams will produce three deliverables:

• a white paper investigating an issue related to those being discussed in the OSDD project forum
• a powerpoint presentation summarizing your white paper findings for the class
• a revision of a white paper written by someone else that is posted on the OSDD project website

   

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• gain experience writing white papers
• practice finding resources that already exist (library research) and/or gathering and analyzing new information (field work)
• learn to summarize findings and suit the summary to the audience
• collaborate with others on the open source project through revision of existing documents written by others

a white paper is an investigative report that serves two functions: 1) identifies key issues, 2) helps the readers and writers to be better educated about a potential solution. This report should provide a balanced view of the topic. Who the audience is and how they will use the information provided in the document should guide the selection of information presented.

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the white paper includes:

• academic title
• information about preparer
• abstract/executive summary
• introduction
• current issues prompting this investigation
• research findings
• conclusions based on audience and findings

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Sample White Papers (outside PWO)

reports:

• The Rhetoric of Report Writing
• Types of Reports in Professional Communication
• Sample Reports

audience analysis:

• Understanding Readers
• Audience Analysis Worksheet (word doc)

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a professional white paper:

• fully achieves the communicative purpose of the assignment: to explore a current topic in open source documentation and to provide viable solutions
• contains a detailed and thorough analysis of the issue/topic being discussed
• provides a detailed explanation of possible solutions that relate to the issue/topic analysis
• provides a conclusion that accounts for the needs of the audience
• demonstrates a thorough understanding of the writing context
• conforms to all conventions of formatting and presentation
• is free of all typographical and grammatical errors

a competent documentation plan:

• generally achieves the communicative purpose of the assignment: to explore a current topic in open source documentation and to provide viable solutions
• contains an adequate analysis of the issue/topic being discussed
• provides an adequate explanation of possible solutions that relate to the issue/topic analysis
• provides a conclusion that considers the needs of the audience
• demonstrates a sound understanding of the writing context
• conforms to most conventions of formatting and presentation
• is mostly free of all typographical and grammatical errors

an inadequate documentation plan:

• fails to achieve one or more of the communicative purposes of the assignment: to explore a current topic in open source documentation and to provide viable solutions
• contains an inadequate analysis of the issue/topic being discussed
• proposes solutions that do not meet the needs of the issue/topic analysis
• includes a conclusion that does not consider the needs of the audience
• has two or more sections that are significantly underdeveloped
• misunderstands or does not address the writing context
• does not conform to conventions of formatting and presentation or contain unwarranted departures from those conventions
• contains multiple typographical and grammatical errors

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powerpoint presentation

the powerpoint presentation will present your findings to the class in a succinct manner that is suited for members of the class as your audience.

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components & specifications
a powerpoint presentation should:

• use visuals to enhance the information being provided
• consider the audience and presentation conditions when designing the background and/or color scheme
• provide enough text to keep the audience focused on the information being presented

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revising a document involves knowing the subject matter being discussed and the conventions of the genre being revised.

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the revision should address:

• content
  • accuracy of the information
  • depth of the information
• audience
  • depth of information appropriate
  • the audience can make use of the information provided
  • the solutions are realistic for the audience
• clarity and style
• formatting and grammar

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week 1: white paper introduction

• introduce Open Source Development and Documentation Project
• introduce white papers

week 2: powerpoint presentations

• writing the white paper and workshopping it in class
• rhetoric of powerpoint

week 3: presentations

• presentation of findings
• introduction of revision of white paper

week 4: revisions

• stylistic revisions
• workshop revisions of the paper

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