Grey literature is created by researchers and professionals in various fields, but is not created or controlled by commercial publishing (when publishing is not the primary activity of producing group).
The groups that produce grey literature may be government, industry, advocacy or other organizations that disseminate information in the form of reports or working papers rather than by publishing scholarly articles in journals.
Grey literature can be found in the form of:
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Locating grey literature can be a very different process than locating scholarly articles. More often than not, grey literature is not indexed in databases and so can be challenging to find.
Grey literature can be vital for developing a more complete view of research on a particular topic because:
It is often also freely available since it is typically not produced to be sold, like commercial publishing.
Possible Steps:
1. Ask yourself, What types of organizations are likely to create information, or be interested in my topic/research question? You may already know of some from your preliminary research. Consider the following:
2. Do a Google Search, using a few simple keywords related to your topic with the addition of:
3. Search the websites of the organizations you identified.This may be done by utilizing the site's search box. However, many organizations have specific parts of their site dedicated to publications. You may find what you are looking for more quickly by looking there first.
4. Visit the web sites listed on this page to help you find an organization or sources.
4. Try a Library database from one of our Research Guide (refer to the blue tab on this guide). Some databases may include various types of grey literature. If you are interested in searching only for grey literature, consider restricting the "publication type" in your search. These types can include: technical report, dissertation, patent, meeting paper, annual report or government publication, etc.
5. Ask a Librarian! Research librarians here at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library can help you brainstorm ideas and locate sources. See our Ask a Librarian page for all the ways to get help (appointment, chat, drop-in hours, email, etc.).
Because grey literature does not go through the peer review process, the quality can vary widely and sources must be evaluated carefully. The criteria you would use to evaluate grey literature are the same as those used to evaluate any kind of information. Consider:
The AACODS checklist, developed by Jess Tyndall, is a commonly used tool for evaluating grey literature:
Evaluating Web Sites
View the Assessing Websites tutorial on this guide (blue Tutorials tab).
Some additional suggestions:
We would like to acknowledge Penn Libraries libguide Grey Literature in the Health Sciences and Elon University's Center for Engaged Learning's Grey Literature website.