Re: White Papers

["Dick Margulis " <margulis -at- mail -dot- fiam -dot- net>]

Edwyn,

This is a question that has been asked and answered many times before, and if you check the archives you will find numerous links to good resources. But I'm too lazy to do that myself, so I'll just wing it:

A white paper is an analytic discussion of a topic. It might discuss an industry trend, or the state of a technological art, or a new approach to an old problem, for example. Think in terms of an article that might be published in a professional or trade journal that seeks to inform the reader.

Now, in practice, at least in commercial practice, white papers tend be ghostwritten (by you, of course) and carry the byline of a CEO or CTO of a company that has an economic interest in the industry or technology in question; and the white paper tends to have a decided slant in favor of adopting that company's solution or product.

<cynical aside>The goal is to persuade the reader that your position is correct, while feigning a detached neutrality.</cynical aside>

Typical sections include introduction, background, [body], and conclusion, where the body may consist of one or more sections, depending on what it is you are trying to convey and how long the paper is. 

HTH,

Dick

Edwyn  Kumar wrote:

>What classifies a document as a White Paper as opposed to a standard manual
>or reference doc?
>
>Are there any specific points that need to be in a White Paper, and if so,
>what?
>

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