A white paper byline, or what’s sometimes called the author credit, has the potential to make your white paper appear to be more credible … or it can have no effect at all. So it comes as no surprise many companies wonder whether they should include a white paper byline when they develop white papers.
White paper byline may add credibility
While bylines are common it blogs and magazine articles, one doesn’t always see them on white papers. Often, companies simply decide that since the white paper is being issued by the company itself, it needs no credit beyond the company’s name. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with not using a white paper byline, especially when the white paper represents a collaborative effort of many staff members.
Where should a white paper byline go?
The most common location for a white paper byline is at the top or first page of the white paper. Some organizations prefer to use credit lines at the end of the white paper or at the bottom of the first page. This type of credit line is often presented in a format like this: James Shrimpton, CPA, a Partner in our Tax Practice, is based in our Cleveland office.
The case for a white paper byline
If the individual (or individuals) in the white paper byline is a recognized expert in the industry being discussed, or if the individual has some sort of professional status, including the white paper byline can significantly increase the credibility of the white paper and the information it contains. Examples of professional status include CPA for Certified Public Accountants, JD (Juris Doctor) for practicing attorneys, M.D. and D.O. for physicians, P.E. for a licensed professional engineer, or PhD for an educator or researcher. If your white paper is about income tax strategies and its primary author is a CPA, including that individual’s byline and job title immediately establish their expertise.
The case against a white paper byline
As noted earlier, white papers are often the product of a team of individuals, so publishing the paper under the company’s name instead of one or more individuals may be preferable. Not using a white paper byline suggests the knowledge behind the white paper extends through the entire company, and that any team member may be assumed to be an excellent source for the information being discussed in the white paper.
Finally, not using a white paper byline ensures nobody who contributed to the white paper will be left out by accident (or deliberately). For example, suppose a team of eight team members collaborated on the development of the paper, but the white paper byline only includes seven of their names. The remaining individual is likely to be hurt or angry, affecting the entire team’s morale. By not using a white paper byline, you can avoid issues like these.
How to present a white paper byline
The most common way to present a white paper byline is by including the individual’s name and any professional titles on one line, and their job title on the next line, as in these examples:
By James Shrimpton, CPA
Partner, Tax Practice
By Parag Khatri, PhD, MS
Genetic Research Fellow
By Sharon Lee, MBA
Marketing Director
Multiple names in a white paper byline
If you have more than one author in a white paper byline, you can stack them in a way such as this:
By James Shrimpton, CPA
Partner, Tax Practice
and Charlotte Burke, JD
General Counsel
Be careful about the order in which you list names. For example, if one contributor is the primary source and outranks the others on the organization chart, their name should be listed first. If you have several contributors who are considered to be equal, the best way to list them in the white paper byline is usually alphabetically. People are less likely to complain about being slighted if it’s clear everyone is listed in alphabetical order. (Don’t underestimate how strongly some people’s egos can react to issues like that, and plan accordingly.)
Should you embed a link in the white paper byline?
If the individual mentioned in the white paper byline is the appropriate link for prospective customers or others who may read the paper, including a hyperlink in electronic versions of the white paper byline may make sense. It allows interested readers to connect more quickly and suggests your organization is easy to work with.