White paper

A white paper is a report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. A white paper is the first document researchers should read to better understand a core concept or idea. Since the 1990s, this type of document has proliferated in business. Today, a business-to-business (B2B) white paper is closer to a marketing presentation, a form of content meant to persuade customers and partners and promote a certain product or viewpoint.^[1]^[2]^[3] That makes B2B white papers a type of grey literature.

The term originated in the 1920s to mean a type of position paper or industry report published by a department of the UK government.

^ Graham, Gordon. "What exactly is a white paper?". The White Paper FAQ. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^ Rouse, Margaret. "white paper definition". TechTarget. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^ Stelzner, Michael A. (2008). "Learn all about white papers". Whitepaper Source Publishing. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2013.

[White_Paper_Guy-1] Graham, Gordon. "What exactly is a white paper?". The White Paper FAQ. Retrieved 16 March 2015.

[SearchSOA-2] Rouse, Margaret. "white paper definition". TechTarget. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.

[3] Stelzner, Michael A. (2008). "Learn all about white papers". Whitepaper Source Publishing. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]