A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has sometimes come to refer to documents used by businesses as a marketing or sales tool. Policy makers frequently request white papers from think tanks, universities or academic personnel to assist policy developers with expert opinions or relevant research.
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In 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. White Papers are a " ... tool of participatory democracy ... not [an] unalterable policy commitment.[1] "White Papers have tried to perform the dual role of presenting firm government policies while at the same time inviting opinions upon them." [2]
In Canada, a white paper "is considered to be a policy document, approved by Cabinet, tabled in the House of Commons and made available to the general public."[3] The "provision of policy information through the use of white and green papers can help to create an awareness of policy issues among parliamentarians and the public and to encourage an exchange of information and analysis. They can also serve as educational techniques".[4]
"White Papers are used as a means of presenting government policy preferences prior to the introduction of legislation"; as such, the "publication of a White Paper serves to test the climate of public opinion regarding a controversial policy issue and enables the government to gauge its probable impact".[5]
By contrast, green papers, which are issued much more frequently, are more open-ended. Also known as consultation documents, green papers 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. White papers refer to audits to British officials (Viceroy) in India who were making personal fortunes and where involved in corruption, today white papers may also refer to audit papers on an administration leaving office.
Examples of governmental white papers include Russia No 1. A Collection of Reports on Bolshevism in Russia, April 1919, White Paper on Full Employment, the 1939 White Paper and the 1966 Defence White Paper.
During the three decades of the British Mandate of Palestine, the British government several times published White Papers defining its changing policy there. These were major landmarks in the history of the Mandate and of the intensifying struggle between Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, each trying to sway British policy in its own interest. The most well known of these was the 1939 White Paper which imposed sharp limitations on Jewish immigration to and settlement in Palestine, and to which Zionists were very sharply opposed. In Zionist and Israeli historical narrative it is known simply as "The White Paper" without qualifications (Hebrew: HaSefer HaLavan הספר הלבן, literally "The White Book"). The term is still in occasional use in the Israeli public discourse, usually by right-wing politicians accusing the Israeli and/or foreign governments of hostility to Israeli Settlements on the West Bank.
Since the early 1990s, the term white paper has come to refer to documents used as marketing or sales tools. Commercial white papers generally argue that the benefits of a particular technology, product or methodology are superior for solving a specific problem. They may also present research findings, list a set of questions or tips about a certain business issue, or highlight a particular product or service from a vendor.
Commercial white papers are marketing communications documents designed to promote the products or services from a specific company. As a marketing tool, these papers use selected facts and logical arguments to build a case favorable to the company sponsoring the document. Commercial white papers are often used to generate sales leads, establish thought leadership, make a business case, or educate customers, channel partners, or investors.
While some list dozens of different types, there are three main types of commercial white papers:
There are now far more commercial white papers being produced for vendors than political white papers being produced for governments.