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A white paper is an authoritative report; a government report outlining policy; or a document whose purpose is to educate industry customers or collect leads for a company. White papers are used to help people make decisions.
In modern British or Irish terminology, a White Paper is a statement of government policy. It is called white paper because originally these were thin documents quickly bound in white paper without a formal cover, as opposed to the blue bindings of most government reports.
Government white papers
In the Commonwealth of Nations, "white paper" is an informal name for a parliamentary paper; in the United Kingdom these are 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 occasion 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, also known as consultation documents, which are issued much more frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation or 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.
e.g. British White Paper of 1922 - Churchill White Paper (10 June 1922, United Kingdom )
e.g. Advancing the National Interest (2003, Commonwealth of Australia)
Commercial white papers
More recently, the term white paper has also come to refer to documents that argue non-governmental positions as well. For example, many white papers today espouse 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 used to collect leads, establish thought leadership or close sales - this is quite different from the original use of white papers.
e.g. Windows 2000 Kerberos Authentication (9 July 1999, Microsoft)
e.g. Motorola Push-to-Talk (22 April 2004, Motorola)
Famous white papers
- In Place of Strife (1969)
- The White Paper to abolish the Indian Act in Canada and recognize First Nations as the same as other minorities in Canada, rather than a distinct group (1969, cancelled in 1971)
- White Paper of 1939 calling for the creation of a unified Palestinian State with limited Jewish immigration and limited ability to purchase land. Affirmed the British promise for a Jewish center, but not an official state for its people.
- If Japan can... Why can't we? (1980), introducing the methods of W. Edwards Deming to American managers.
- 1966 Defence White Paper - cancelled new British aircraft carriers and the BAC TSR-2 aircraft
References
- White paper EU glossary
- Stelzner's White Paper on White Papers
See also
Bijela knjiga | Hvidbog | Weißbuch | Livre blanc | 白書 | 白皮書
"White paper"