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It did not take two years to prepare and includes an article of 5400 words and multiple interactive databases.

However, ambitious package of research at the Washington Post called "Top Secret America" on the intelligence apparatus of the distant States was also unusual for another reason: its launch on Monday.

Newspapers traditionally have introduced comprehensive projects on Sundays, when they have the largest circulation print and print more pages. But the Post's package was launched on the site around 2:45 am and arrived in the vicinity of subscribers on Monday.

Raju Narisetti, an editor of the Post, said the document had been having ongoing discussions on what day to start their projects, and had begun to experiment with projects on national issues will start on Monday when they reach more people around the country through the Web.

Two other factors contained in the decision, Mr. Narisetti said. An article on the efforts of the military to treat mental injury was scheduled for Sunday, and national security project had a major Web component. Already, the project has attracted considerable reaction around the blogosphere.

"In my opinion, is the first project done in the post where the power of the project is online," said Mr. Narisetti. In addition to the two following articles in the series, which will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, the paper will continue to update the databases in the package online.

Like many newspapers, The Post has a larger print run on Sunday making it Monday through Friday. In the six months ended March 31, the post had paid an average circulation 798,000 Sunday, compared with an average daily circulation of 578,000.

However, the Web has changed the definition of circulation, and many more spectacular places to see users on their sites during the week than on weekends, including the post.

"For all of 2010 measurements, the Monday is a more active news day," said Merrill Brown, a media consultant and former editor in chief of MSNBC.com.

According to comScore, the online measurement company, the paper had 1.2 million unique visitors in the week ended July 11, the most recent week available. (The company does not report statistics for individual days.)

Mr. Brown said that by introducing the package on Monday, the paper might be ahead of the cable news cycle. Before the advent of cable news, a big national story on Sunday could remain as the most important news for a second day. But not anymore.

But Mr. Narisetti said there was also a possible downside. "It can be argued that, out today, we finished the conversation of the great story we did yesterday," he said.

As part of the print and online packages, The Post also includes a note of the large publishers' by saying that articles and other information provided by the newspaper "represent the magnitude and complexity of the Government's national security."

The document indicates that the official government Web site several months ago, the editors note says, and then changes to the site to be shared as the project evolved, asking each time if the authorities had specific concerns. Mr. Narisetti said the editors thought it was important to be transparent to readers about the process.

"A government agency objected to certain data points on the site and explain why we removed the items," says the note. "Another agency objected that the entire Web site could pose a risk to national security, but declined to offer specific comments."