difference between a white paper and a research paper
There is a difference between a white paper and a research paper. A white paper focuses on a business and offers solutions to a problem related to a business enterprise by informing policy. A research paper, on the other hand, is focused on linking the findings to literature review, and thus, does not offer solutions to business problems.
Writing white papers is an attractive option for me as I will be able to serve as a consultant to businesses, and this may yield some income to me. This is unlike conducting my research, which I may not have any monetary gain out of it.
There are some notable differences and similarities on the questions asked, the evidence put forward, and the expertise that is valued between the podcast, traditional research and the white paper created by an academia lab. One of the similarities is that all the questions revolved around the same theme. Besides, the evidence that was put forward was the same. However, the point of difference is on the expertise that is valued, with the white paper valuing the consultancy expertise, the traditional research focusing more on academic expertise while the podcast valuing social expertise.
White papers do not have issues of originality as is the case for academic research. The main point of concern is the validity of the solutions arrived at in the white paper. The means to which the solutions were arrived at does not matter. The report cites the work of Hanushek in a similar manner as academic research.
Communicating ideas through visuals make the concept stick. This is unlike the use of words only, which may be forgotten with time.