Faculty Services and Resources

What is grey literature?

The term "grey literature" comes from the uncertainty of the status of this information. However, in cases where there may not be much information on a topic in peer-reviewed research, grey literature may prove a very valuable source of information and introduce alternate viewpoints.

Grey literature is literature produced by government, academics, business and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers.  A full list of Document Types in Grey Literature is provided by GreyNet International. 

The most common type of grey literature you may come across at TSTC are:

  • conference papers and proceedings
  • reports (such as white papers, working papers, internal documentation)
  • government documents
  • technical notes and specifications
  • proposals
  • datasets/statistics
  • patents
  • unpublished trial data
  • regulatory data
  • speeches
  • urban plans
  • company information
  • social media

Additional benefits to using grey literature include:

  • Grey literature can be published much more quickly since it does not have to be subjected to the lengthy peer-review process. Results of studies may appear in grey literature 12 to 18 months before being published via traditional channels.
  • Online information from organizations may be updated more frequently than traditional published journals/books.
  • Some grey literature may contain more depth—for example, a dissertation may include some raw data not published in a journal article that author goes on to write.
  • Grey literature may provide a broader overview of an issue/topic, such as a white paper or fact sheet.
  • Minimizes reporting or publication biases; grey literature is more likely to include negative results - e.g. clinical trials.

Types of grey literature

Clinical trials are a form of grey literature and can inform current research conducted by organizations, Federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, academic institutions, and individual health care providers. These studies investigate the effectiveness of new treatments, interventions, drugs, procedures, and devices in order to improve health outcomes for a specific population. 

Several Library databases and online resources provide access to full-text clinical trials. 

Are conference proceedings peer reviewed?

Where to find conference proceedings:


About conference proceedings

A conference proceeding is the published record of a conference, congress, symposium, or other meeting sponsored by professional association or society. Proceedings typically include abstracts or reports of papers presented by the participants. 

Generally speaking, papers presented at conferences are working papers; they are not peer-reviewed journal articles. Some conference papers may evolve into peer-reviewed publications in the future, while others will not. 

Some library databases make it easier to search for conference proceedings through search limiters.  Look for terms like "Conference papers", "Conference notes", or "Conference materials".  

How do I locate government documents? Are they scholarly?

Resource Link


What is a government document?

Government documents and government websites are generally considered authoritative, credible sources of information. Many are scholarly, and some are even peer-reviewed! But, not all government sources are scholarly or peer-reviewed. The government produces a large amount of publications including congressional, agency and administrative reports from hundreds of departments. 

See our FAQ on the differences between scholarly, popular, and trade sources to help you determine if the government resource meets your instructor's criteria.

Where to find government documents:

How do I locate research reports? Are they scholarly?

Resource Links


What is a research report?

Research reports contain the results of research projects, investigations, and surveys, and are usually published by the funder or the body undertaking the research. They can be found by searching the websites of subject associations and research organizations in addition to library databases.

Like most grey literature, they may or may not be scholarly or peer-reviewed.  See our FAQ on the differences between scholarly, popular, and trade sources to help you determine if the research report meets your instructor's criteria.

Do websites count as scholarly sources? What about YouTube? Facebook?

Do websites count as scholarly sources? What about YouTube? Facebook?

Sources can come in many formats.  The Internet holds many resources such as blogs, vlogs, wiki’s, RSS feeds, videos, audio files, photos, tweets, Facebook Pages, and many other types.  These can be a wealth of information for your research provided they are properly documented.

These sources are generally not considered scholarly or peer reviewed.

 

These sources will vary in reputation so make sure to evaluate your sources and contact your instructor to make sure they fit their standard.