A white paper is an informative report or guide that addresses a specific issue, problem, or topic. The purpose of the white paper is to convince an agency, organization, or governmental body to support a proposed idea based on well-research evidence. The white paper should be as long or short as it needs to be to successfully lay out convincing data and argumentation. White papers are not peer-reviewed. White papers can appear in many forms, from colorful and dynamic to straightforward and black-and-white. The audience is always considered. While the supporting evidence in the white paper is heavily-research, the tone does not necessarily need to be academic. The tone, voice, and method of communicating data, facts, and figures should be appropriate to the audience's level of knowledge/expertise in the subject. White papers aim to provide comprehensive information, analysis, and insights to help readers understand a complex subject and make informed decisions. The term “white paper” is a holdover from a time when government documents bound in white were made for public release, and so they were literally white papers.
*CSU Fullerton Pollak Library, Engineering & Computer Science: White Papers.