White Papers

ALSO CALLED: Position Papers, Whitepapers, IT White Papers, Technology Whitepapers, Technology White Papers
DEFINITION: A white paper is an article that states an organization's position or philosophy about a social, political, or other subject, or a not-too-detailed technical explanation of an architecture, framework, or product technology. Typically, a white paper explains the results, conclusions, or construction resulting from some organized committee or research collaboration or design and development effort.  … 
Definition continues below.

WHITE PAPERS DEFINITION (continued): …  Several versions of Webster's indicate that the term arose within the past few decades in England to distinguish short government reports from longer, more detailed ones that were bound in blue covers and referred to as "blue books" (not to be confused with the blue books used when taking college exams). A shorter government publication providing a report or position about something was bound in the same white paper as the text - hence, "a white paper." In information technology, a white paper is often a paper written by a lead product designer to explain the philosophy and operation of a product … 
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