White Papers – Policy Statements and You

White papers are one type of technical writing. The phrase has been used to describe policy statements, procedural instructions and technical specifications of technology and equipment, though there is a growing movement to break technical specifications away from this use, redefining them as “blue papers.”

For this article, we shall focus on the policy statement and procedural instruction aspects. White papers are designed as complete briefings on governmental and corporate official policies or as detailed procedural descriptions used in a variety of highly technical operations such as assembly, recordkeeping and equipment operations.

Preparing a White Paper

To prepare a policy white paper, one must have a full understanding of both the policy in question and the environment in which it is being applied. A policy white paper describes not only the policy, but how it applies to a given situation or environment in exacting detail.

For policy white papers, the recommended document divisions are:

• Issue introduction
• Official policy statement
• Application of the Policy
• Recommended Course of Action

Preparing a procedural white paper requires an understanding of where the process begins (available materials, equipment and personnel) and what the desired end result might be. From there, the writer analyzes every aspect and breaks the process down into its component steps, leaving not even the smallest matter to chance in his or her description.

For a procedural white paper, the recommended document divisions are:

• Procedure overview (including a description of the desired outcome)
• Required materials and equipment
• Specific procedural instructions
• Measurements to determine successful procedure

About Our Writers

Many of our writers come from diverse industry backgrounds where they have obtained extensive experience in procedural descriptions and policy statement preparation. They are dedicated professionals who are fully aware of the potential consequences of failing to fully communicate all details in these environments and take great pride in supplying documents that suitably address these situations. Contact us today and let us prepare the perfect white paper for your needs.