White paper
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A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses problems and how to solve them. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions. They are used in politics and in businesses.
Government papersIn the Commonwealth of Nations, "white paper" is an informal name for a parliamentary paper enunciating government policy; in the United Kingdom these are mostly issued as "Command papers". White papers are issued by the government and lay out policy, or proposed action, on a topic of current concern. Although a white paper may on occasion be a consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention on the part of a government to pass new law. By contrast, green papers, which are issued much more frequently, are more open-ended. These green papers, also known as consultation documents, may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation or they may set out proposals on which the government wishes to obtain public views and opinion. White papers published by the European Commission are documents containing proposals for European Union action in a specific area. They sometimes follow a green paper released to launch a public consultation process. For examples see the following:
Commercial white papersSince the mid 1990s, the term "white paper" has also come to refer to documents used by businesses as a marketing or sales tool. For example, many white papers today expose the benefits of particular technologies and products. These types of white papers are almost always marketing communications documents and are designed to promote a specific company's solutions or products as it relates to the issue or topic examined. As a marketing tool, it is important to note that these papers will always highlight information favorable to the company authoring or sponsoring the paper, while minimizing any negative aspects related to the company's involvement with the issue, product or technology. Today the commercial white paper is the most common type of white paper. Such white papers are often used to generate sales leads, establish thought leadership, make a business case or to educate customers. This is quite different from the original use of white papers, though generally valued by sponsoring company. White papers, when written objectively, are often regarded as a credible source of information. Examples of commercial white papers:
White paper productionBecause of their persuasive nature, white papers should be carefully crafted to avoid the perception of salesmanship. This can be easily accomplished by inserting key educational content that is relevant to the intended readers. White papers should focus on the needs of readers, rather than the specific solution suggested by the paper's sponsor. Typical content for a white paper often includes discussions of industry and market factors, history, past and current problems, a proposed solution's benefits and examples, and earmarks of the ideal solution. Famous white papers
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