A white paper is a report that can be used by a government agency to approve a policy or by a company to market a product. It can be preceded by a green paper, which outlines issues for discussion. The white paper can be a persuasive document that offers a plan of action, and it requires skill to create a successful report.
A white paper is a term used to describe several types of reports. Most commonly, it describes a report made by a government agency approving a specific policy. These are typically heavily referenced documents that explain research or topics on a specific issue and then set out a plan of action. When used by the government, it can be a precursor to passing or creating a new law.
In some countries, before a white paper is written, the government produces what is called a green paper. The Green Paper is a less persuasive attempt to outline specific issues that could lead to a vote, the creation of a bill, or discussion of an important issue. Unlike the white paper, the green paper is usually not intended to persuade, but instead tends to cover issues in a more complex way, so that all sides of an argument receive full treatment. He might look at different tactics for handling a situation or problem and provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of these plans, or he might just summarize all of the above arguments for one topic of importance.
Once the green paper has been reviewed, a white paper can then be written to suggest or detail a chosen action plan. This ratio is used to convince, in many cases. The arguments in the Green Paper supporting the chosen plan are used to help navigate the issue of creating a new law or persuading people to vote in a specific way.
The white paper can also be a marketing document intended to influence people’s opinions about an emerging technology, new chemical or drug, or a new gadget. This second definition could be called a selling tactic in disguise. While the document may read like a scientific report with lots of references and high-level language, it is usually intended to generate interest in a product or to promote investment or sales of a product. It takes skill to create a document like this because it’s most successful when it doesn’t sound like a sales pitch.
The more historic use of the term refers to government-produced documents and reports. Yet today the corporate or marketing white paper report is far more common. In fact, producing one for marketing purposes is now a common marketing tool, meant to attract investors or create sales.
One of the famous writings on how to write this type of report is an easy-to-access essay by Michael Stelzner, How to Write a White Paper – A White Paper on White Papers. It focuses on the successful elements of the marketing document including defining a problem, evaluating the historical background of a problem, offering generic concepts that could represent a solution and the benefits, and finally introducing the unique solution to the problem, or in other words they write about the product or idea that will solve the problem.
The white paper is an effective document when done with care, by a government or a company. Some freelance writers specialize in creating these reports, and there are also agencies that can write them for companies. In some cases, the success of a product, concept, or potential law depends on a writer’s effectiveness and conviction in reporting.
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