{"id":706,"date":"2023-08-24T11:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T15:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/?p=706"},"modified":"2024-02-20T20:44:33","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T01:44:33","slug":"how-to-evaluate-white-paper-sources-4-factors-to-consider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/how-to-evaluate-white-paper-sources-4-factors-to-consider\/","title":{"rendered":"4 ways to evaluate white paper sources"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>So you&#8217;re writing a white paper&#8230;<\/h2>\n<h3>And it\u2019s time to cite an expert, define a term, or introduce a proof point.<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Where do you find a good source?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re like most writers, you do a few quick queries with <strong>Google<\/strong> and get a list of search results.<\/p>\n<p>Then you start scrolling and clicking on the most likely-looking links.<\/p>\n<p>Or maybe you ask an AI like <strong>ChatGPT<\/strong> or <strong>Bing<\/strong> to find some likely sources for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hint<\/strong>: Always, always fact-check any sources you get from an AI. They could have made them up.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, you gather a pile of research.<\/p>\n<p>But how do you pick the most effective sources for your white paper?<\/p>\n<h3>First things first: Who&#8217;s your audience?<\/h3>\n<p>The first thing to do is make sure you understand your target readers.<\/p>\n<p>Are they IT managers, HR professionals, C-level executives, or what?<\/p>\n<p>What else can you say about them?<\/p>\n<p>Three things I try to find out about any audience:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Demographics<\/strong> (facts like age, sex, and education)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Psychographics<\/strong> (attitudes and feelings, what keeps them up at night)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technographics<\/strong> (where they read: paper, phone, tablet, or desktop)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your client may not know all this in exact detail. But even an educated guess is better than nothing.<\/p>\n<p>For more help, <a href=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/quick-tip-understand-the-audience-for-your-white-paper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see this article on understanding your audience<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Use a TARP to cover the ground in your white paper<\/h3>\n<p>Once you know as much as possible about your ideal reader, you can look for sources that score highly with them.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11372 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Raindrops-tarp-704192-300x220.jpg\" alt=\"raindrops on green tarp\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Raindrops-tarp-704192-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Raindrops-tarp-704192-768x562.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Raindrops-tarp-704192.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then you can evaluate each possible source for these four factors:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Timeliness<br \/>\n<\/strong>\u2022 <strong>Authority<br \/>\n<\/strong>\u2022 <strong>Relevance<br \/>\n<\/strong>\u2022 <strong>Proximity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notice how these four make up a simple acronym: <strong>TARP<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>I remember that with a catchphrase like, &#8220;A TARP covers the ground!&#8221; or &#8220;A TARP has four corners!&#8221; or &#8220;A TARP holds water.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Those raindrops bouncing off the tarp?<\/p>\n<p>Those are all the questions and doubts in a reader&#8217;s mind. Your white paper must answer those questions and overcome those doubts.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to do that is to do enough research to find good sources.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7878\" src=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-264347098-timely-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"photo of calendar turning over from 2018 to 2019 to show timeliness\" width=\"653\" height=\"435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-264347098-timely-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-264347098-timely-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-264347098-timely.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>1. Timeliness: How recent is the source?<\/h3>\n<p>Everyone likes to keep up-to-date. The more recent a source, the better.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re trying to establish a hot industry trend, try to find sources from the past one or two years.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that some things are totally different before and after Covid-19. So a source from 2018 may be irrelevant today.<\/p>\n<p>In fast-moving fields like software or biotech, anything more than five years old doesn\u2019t hold much water.<\/p>\n<p>In other sectors, you may be able to go back to 2010 or even 2000.<\/p>\n<p>But let&#8217;s face it: Quoting something from 1990 sounds like it\u2019s 100 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"add-border alignnone wp-image-7877\" src=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Judge-Gavel-With-Justice-Lawye-240127444-authority-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"photo of lawyer handling documents with authority\" width=\"669\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Judge-Gavel-With-Justice-Lawye-240127444-authority-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Judge-Gavel-With-Justice-Lawye-240127444-authority-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Judge-Gavel-With-Justice-Lawye-240127444-authority.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 669px) 100vw, 669px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>2. Authority: How much weight does the source have?<\/h3>\n<p>Authority means how much &#8220;weight&#8221; or &#8220;gravitas&#8221; a source has for a particular audience.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Authors&#8221; are still respected, because everyone knows it takes a lot of effort to write a book.<\/p>\n<p>See if you can figure out which trade publications and websites your white paper audience reads.<\/p>\n<p>What associations do they belong to?<\/p>\n<p>Who are the leading experts and consultants in their field?<\/p>\n<p>If you can pull quotes from a familiar source, those points carry more authority with readers.<\/p>\n<p>You may find good research that supports your argument. But it comes from an obscure source, you might want to keep searching for something with more authority.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"add-border alignnone wp-image-11373\" src=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Red-Dart-Target-With-Arrows-i-406630757-300x123.jpg\" alt=\"hitting the bullseye\" width=\"651\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Red-Dart-Target-With-Arrows-i-406630757-300x123.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Red-Dart-Target-With-Arrows-i-406630757-768x315.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/bigstock-Red-Dart-Target-With-Arrows-i-406630757.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 651px) 100vw, 651px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>3. Relevance: How on-target is the source?<\/h3>\n<p>You want to find powerful proof that&#8217;s right on target. Every source should back up your latest point at just the right place in your argument.<\/p>\n<p>I always look for three things here:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Congruent logic<\/li>\n<li>Parallel SEO<\/li>\n<li>A punchy soundbite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Congruent logic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Two things are congruent if you can lay one on top of the other, and their shape matches. Can you do that with your source?<\/p>\n<p>Does it say precisely what you&#8217;re saying at that point in your argument?<\/p>\n<p>If so, it&#8217;s relevant.<\/p>\n<p>But if a source zigs where your argument zags, it may not be relevant for your white paper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Parallel SEO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Think about a source from an SEO angle.<\/p>\n<p>Are the keywords in your white paper title in the quote you found? That&#8217;s good.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s say you&#8217;re writing a white paper with tips to help HR executives manage remote workers. An ideal source might be titled &#8220;How to Manage Remote Workers in the Post-Pandemic Era.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But an article called &#8220;Inner-City Commuting in 2022-2025&#8221; may have an interesting point you could use, but its title doesn&#8217;t run parallel to yours.<\/p>\n<p>That means any avid reader who looks at that title may not be convinced that \u00a0source is solid.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A punchy soundbite<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some beginning writers pull out long chunks of text, sentence after clunky sentence every time they need a quote.<\/p>\n<p>But you really want quotes to be brief and punchy. The fewer words you cite to make your point, the better.<\/p>\n<p>Look for the juiciest words, like the soundbites TV reporters use.<\/p>\n<p>You want a few memorable words that clearly back up your point.<\/p>\n<p>No matter what you think of <strong>O. J. Simpson<\/strong>, his lawyer <strong>Johnnie Cochrane<\/strong> came up with a great soundbite, &#8220;If it doesn&#8217;t fit, you must acquit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This is despite all these facts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The gloves from the crime scene were frozen and dried out<\/li>\n<li>O. J. first put on a pair of latex gloves, making his hands larger<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/oj-simpson-glove-why-2016-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">O.J. stopped taking his arthritis pills, so his hands swelled up<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even so, those seven words were the soundbite that swayed the jury.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11378\" src=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bigstock-out-of-the-pod-smaller-300x192.jpg\" alt=\"peas in a pod to symbolize proximity\" width=\"583\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bigstock-out-of-the-pod-smaller-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bigstock-out-of-the-pod-smaller-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Bigstock-out-of-the-pod-smaller.jpg 792w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 583px) 100vw, 583px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>4. Proximity: How close does the source feel to the reader?<\/h3>\n<p>Proximity means &#8220;closeness.&#8221; This comes from being in the same industry or doing the same job as the reader.<\/p>\n<p>Or perhaps facing the same problems or being in the same region of the world or from the same group of people.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a CFO in consumer electronics will relate closely to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sources from the same industry<\/li>\n<li>A CFO in another consumer electronics company of the same size<\/li>\n<li>A CFO from another industry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But a quote from a COO at an airline won\u2019t have nearly as much proximity.<\/p>\n<p>When evaluating a source for proximity, ask yourself if your target reader has anything in common with the author. Anything at all.<\/p>\n<p>If not, that may not be the best source.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Bonus tips on using Wikipedia<\/h3>\n<p align=\"left\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/images\/Wikipedia-logo.png\" alt=\"Wikipedia logo\" width=\"301\" height=\"301\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I think Wikipedia is an amazing cooperative project. I&#8217;ve contributed to several articles myself over the years.<\/p>\n<p>But remember, it\u2019s a secondary source.<\/p>\n<p>A <strong>primary<\/strong> source is a first-hand account from someone who was there, or the original item under discussion.<\/p>\n<p>A <strong>secondary<\/strong> source offers the view from someone who wasn&#8217;t directly involved.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s the difference between the American Constitution\u2014a primary source\u2014and an article written by someone about the constitution\u2014a secondary source.<\/p>\n<p>That article could have been written by a Supreme Court judge who spent 35 years studying the constitution, or by a high school student who cribbed something from the web in 10 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>So not all secondary sources are created equal.<\/p>\n<p>And yes, some articles in Wikipedia still contain factual errors, biased views, or unproven claims.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use Wikipedia to find primary sources<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s fine to use Wikipedia for background research, to get a quick understanding of a new term or concept.<\/p>\n<p>Just don&#8217;t quote from it directly. That won\u2019t impress anyone.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever I see a white paper that starts with a quote from Wikipedia, I think, &#8220;Obviously done by an amateur.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So here&#8217;s the key. Look down to the footnotes to the sources cited in that Wikipedia article.<\/p>\n<p>Those are stronger sources, perhaps even primary sources. Click through to those.<\/p>\n<p>That way, Wikipedia can give you a shortcut to far better sources.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>The bottom line on white paper sources<\/h3>\n<p>Good sources are vital\u00a0for any effective white paper.<\/p>\n<p>The right sources can establish an affinity with the reader, back up your points, and show that your document is more than just one vendor\u2019s opinion.<\/p>\n<p>To find the best supporting material for your white papers, always evaluate the timeliness, authority, relevance, and proximity of each source.<\/p>\n<p>In time, that will be second nature and you won&#8217;t even have to think &#8220;TARP.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Want to see more articles like this? <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/thatwhitepaperguy.com\/subscribe\/\"><em>Get my free newsletter, <strong>White Paper World<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So you&#8217;re writing a white paper&#8230; And it\u2019s time to cite an expert, define a term, or introduce a proof point. Where do you find a good source? If you\u2019re like most writers, you do a few quick queries with Google and get a list of search results. Then you start scrolling and clicking on&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>4 ways to evaluate white paper sources - That White Paper Guy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Writers can evaluate white paper sources using 4 factors of timeliness, authority, relevance and proximity. Here&#039;s how. 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