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AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on November 23 released a white paper on bauxite mining. Three days later, he also released a paper on sand mining. He informed that the government would announce a new sand policy by January 1. This raises a question as to what a white paper is all about.

AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on November 23 released a white paper on bauxite mining. Three days later, he also released a paper on sand mining. He informed that the government would announce a new sand policy by January 1. This raises a question as to what a white paper is all about.

Wikipedia says that a white paper is an authoritative report or guide that informs readers concisely about a complex issue and presents the issuing body's philosophy on the matter. It is meant to help readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. The initial British term concerning a type of government-issued document has proliferated—taking a somewhat new meaning in business. In business, a white paper is closer to a form of marketing presentation, a tool meant to persuade customers and partners and promote a product or viewpoint. White papers may be considered grey literature.

The term white paper originated with the British government, and many point to the Churchill White Paper of 1922 as the earliest well-known example under this name. In British government, it is usually the less extensive version of the so-called blue book, both terms being derived from the colour of the document's cover. White papers are a way the government can present policy preferences before it introduces legislation. Publishing a white paper tests public opinion on controversial policy issues and helps the government gauge its probable impact. By contrast, green papers, which are issued much more frequently, are more open-ended. Also known as consultation documents, green papers may merely propose a strategy to implement in the details of other legislation, or they may set out proposals on which the government wishes to obtain public views and opinion, adds Wikipedia.

The purpose of a white paper is to promote a certain product, service, technology or methodology, and to influence current and prospective customers' decisions, according to Investopedia. While white papers are useful marketing tools, they differ from other marketing materials such as brochures. Where brochures and other materials might be flashy and include obvious sales pitches, a white paper is intended to provide persuasive and factual evidence that a particular offering is a superior method of approaching or solving a problem or challenge. In general, white papers are written in a more academic (and less flashy) style than other marketing materials.
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