According to the NIH grey (or gray) literature is "...the term for information that falls outside the mainstream of published journal and monograph literature, not controlled by commercial publishers."
Traditionally, the term grey literature has included:
There are also many other forms of grey literature, including: Newsletters, pamphlets, technical notes, blog posts, working papers, white papers, patents, preprints, and more.
NOTICE: Because not all grey literature is not peer-reviewed, you must critically evaluate each source for quality and accuracy
Depth and Breadth: Even if an article or book chapter is eventually produced from grey literature, such as a thesis or conference proceeding, the original work may contain data that is never included in the journal article that is ultimately published using its findings. Grey literature might also offer a broader view, such as a government factsheet or community perspectives on a blog.
Timeliness: Results of studies may appear in grey literature 12 to 18 months before being published via traditional channels.
Flexibility: Rather than waiting years for the publication of a revised edition, authors, editors, and content creators can update information when needed, a factor that reinforces the timeliness of grey literature.
Open Access: There is a great abundance of grey literature that is freely available online.
IN ADDITION: Search in library databases or PeaySearchand limit results to the specific types of resources mentioned above.
This guide was adapted from the Grey Literature guide at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center.
This guide is licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
