The white paper is a document that technical communicators are being asked to edit and write more frequently. However, many are unfamiliar with its background, form, purpose, and uses. This paper provides an overview of the history of white papers, and compares current white papers to two prominent technical genres, reports and proposals. This paper also provides a summary of results from a case study of white paper readers, and it reports results of a survey of practicing technical communicators. Current white papers are similar to, but distinct from, reports and proposals. Technical communicators should be aware of white papers, and we should look for chances to apply our skills toward white paper development.
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