What Is Grey Literature?

This short Library video will define and describe grey literature and discuss how it can be useful to your research.  

What is grey literature?  

Grey literature is information produced or shared by groups, organizations, and companies outside of traditional publishing systems.  

Some of the entities that produce grey literature include non-governmental organizations, professional associations, research groups, think tanks, companies and corporations, and government agencies. 

[Logos for the following organizations fade into view to coincide with the dialogue in parentheses: Amnesty International (non-governmental organizations), Canadian Soybean Council (professional organizations), Institute Broadbent/Broadbent Institute (research groups), Canadian Taxpayers Federation (think tanks), Suncor Energy (companies and corporations), and Ontario (government agencies)] 

Grey literature can take the form of academic papers like theses and dissertations, data and statistics, government or organizational policy or legislation, patents, technical papers, working papers, white papers, pre-prints, and reports. 

Although grey literature is not considered scholarly and does not go through the peer-review process, much of it is produced by groups with the authority to gather information - such as a government collecting census data, or a company sharing annual reports – and is often considered reliable.  

Grey literature can be more up to date than information that goes through a formal publishing process and can provide unique perspectives on a topic. Like any information source, it’s important to think critically about the information and how it fits into your research. Consider whether the information you’re using is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate. Consider the purpose for which it was created. Understanding the context in which your source was produced can help you appraise its value to your research and make you aware of any bias. 

How do you find grey literature? 

Grey literature can be found in most of the places you would look for information, such as library search tools and databases. You can also use Google or go straight to a relevant website and browse. 

Get in touch with us at the library to discover new sources of grey literature.  

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