The Role of Grey Literature in Research

The resources below provide information to researchers who may have little or no knowledge of grey literature. Most of the resources begin by defining grey literature to familiarize researchers with the term. They identify different types of grey literature commonly accessed during the research process such as theses and dissertations, conference papers and proceedings, research reports, and government documents. Many provide links to open repositories to assist researchers in their searches.

The Research Process, A Step-by-Step Guide, Johnson & Wales University, Denver: This excellent guide covers the full process of secondary research. Grey literature is explained in Part 2e: Grey Literature, under Step 2: “Locate Information”. This LibGuide has been adapted by many other universities libraries, including Montana State University, Georgia Tech, Orange Coast College, and Elmira College. Each version lists different sources for grey literature so are all worth consulting.

Developing an Argument through Grey Literature, Brooklyn Law Institute, New York: Written for a target audience of law students, this guide walks through different types of grey literature that can be used in legal research.