The OpenID Foundation is pleased to announce a new Whitepaper Process as approved by the Board of Directors on October 9, 2023. 

OIDF-led and co-led whitepapers help ecosystem stakeholders understand the wider landscape and the role of OIDF standards within that wider landscape. Such whitepapers make OIDF’s global, technical expertise more accessible to ecosystem stakeholders, technical experts, and laypeople alike. The OIDF Board agrees on topics worthy of research, analysis, and recommendations to the community. Recent whitepapers have addressed topics ranging from Open Banking and Open Data (including the FAPI family of standards) to Digital Identity (including the OpenID Connect and OpenID for Verifiable Credentials families of specs) and more. 

The Whitepaper Process defines a more formal and transparent approach to whitepapers. It defines the process for governance as well as the editorial tasks of scoping, drafting, publishing, and updating whitepapers. It also includes processes to engage partner organizations in OIDF-led or co-led papers and manage the distribution of comments. A thoughtful and transparent approach to whitepapers will help ensure OIDF whitepapers consistently deliver on the OIDF’s Vision and Mission while meeting the needs of whitepaper partner organizations and contributors.