# What Is a White Paper?

![White Paper: An informal document issued by a company or not-for-profit organization to promote or highlight the features of a solution, product, or service that it offers or plans to offer.](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/PkLmxs78-wVX-3WLADqE2X32e6Y=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Whitepaper-629d14ebcf3248cebc5230517d1ed7d6.jpg)

*— Investopedia / Michela Buttignol*

> **Definition**
>
> White papers can be used to launch a product, highlight a problem to solicit solutions, or provide technical specifications.

## What Is a White Paper?

A white paper is an informational document issued by a company or not-for-profit organization to promote or highlight the features of a solution, product, or service that it offers or will introduce. A [startup](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/startup.asp), a large corporation, or a government agency will use white papers differently.

### Key Takeaways

*   A white paper promotes a certain product, service, or methodology to influence current and prospective customers or investors.
*   Three types of white papers include backgrounders, numbered lists, and problem/solution white papers.
*   White papers are commonly designed for business-to-business (B2B) marketing purposes between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer.

## Using a White Paper

White papers are sales and marketing documents used to entice or persuade potential customers to explore a particular product, service, technology, or methodology. A white paper may communicate an organization’s philosophy or present research findings related to an industry.

White papers are commonly designed for [business-to-business (B2B)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/btob.asp) marketing purposes between a manufacturer and a [wholesaler](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wholesaling.asp), or between a wholesaler and a retailer. The information presented in white papers is often backed by research and statistics from reliable sources and may include charts, graphs, tables, and other ways of visualizing data. 

## Types

*   **Backgrounders**: Detail the technical features of a new product or service. Designed to simplify complicated technical information, they are used to support a technical evaluation, launch a product, or promote a product or industry leader.
*   **Numbered lists**: Highlight the key takeaways of a new product or service, and are often formatted with headings and bullet points, or with formats like "3 Questions to Ask," or "5 Things You Need to Know."
*   **Problem/solution papers**: Identify specific problems faced by potential customers and suggest a data-driven argument about how a featured product or service provides a solution to generate new sales, educate salespeople on product characteristics, or build industry interest.  
    

> **Fast Fact**
>
> White papers are commonly 2,500 words or more in length and written in an academic style.

## Writing a White Paper

White papers differ from other [marketing](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketing.asp) materials, such as brochures. Brochures and traditional marketing materials might be flashy and obvious, but a white paper is intended to provide factual evidence that solves a problem or challenge.

A white paper should provide well-researched information that is not found with a simple Internet search and has a compelling narrative to keep the reader’s attention. The author of a white paper should:

*   Research and fully define the topic
*   Create an accurate outline of information
*   Write an attention-grabbing introduction
*   Format the paper for easy reading
*   Revise and proofread  
    

## Examples

All of the documents listed below and publicly available on Microsoft’s website focus on aspects of the company’s suite of cloud services. In contrast with brochures, these white papers don’t have a clear sales pitch. Instead, they dive into relevant topics, such as cloud security, hybrid clouds, and the economic benefits of adopting cloud computing.

*   [Digital Transformation and the Art of the Possible](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2247087)
*   [Harvard Business Review Analytic Services: Drive Agility and Innovation with ERP in the Cloud](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2247315)
*   [IDC: The Business Value of Migrating and Modernizing with Azure](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2247297)

## How Have New Industries Used White Papers?

Cryptocurrencies have published white papers during [initial coin offerings (ICOs)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/initial-coin-offering-ico.asp) to entice users and investors. Bitcoin launched a few months after the pseudonymous Satoshi [Nakamoto issued its famous white paper](https://www.investopedia.com/tech/return-nakamoto-white-paper-bitcoins-10th-birthday/) online in October 2008.

## Why Is It Called a White Paper?

White papers may have developed from the use of “Blue Papers” in 19th-century Britain, where a Parliament report cover was blue. When a topic for the government was less serious, the blue cover was discarded and published with white covers. These reports were called White Papers. In the U.S., government white papers are commonly a background report or guidance.

## What Topics Might Be Included in a Government White Paper?

Government white papers are written and used by legislators or policymakers to examine a problem and present solutions to elected officials, non-profit organizations, [think tanks](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economic-think-tank.asp), corporations, and citizens.

## The Bottom Line

White papers may be several pages long and include information backed by research and statistics from reliable sources. They are commonly written in one of three formats: backgrounders, numbered lists, and problem/solution papers.  

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  University of Notre Dame. "[Writing a White Paper?](https://libguides.library.nd.edu/white-papers)"
>     
> 2.  Bitcoin.org. "[Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System](https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf)."
>     
> 3.  Michigan State University. "[Finding British Parliamentary Papers in the M.S.U. Libraries, Collections Guide No. 6 (Advanced): Parliamentary, or Sessional Papers--Discussion](https://libguides.lib.msu.edu/c.php?g=96060&p=625482)."
>     
> 4.  George Mason University. "[White Papers](https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/different-genres/white-papers)."