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Research Guides

Grey literature

What is grey literature

As defined by the Grey Literature International Steering Committee, grey literature is information "produced on all levels of government, academics, business, and organizations in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing."

Grey literature is produced by organizations such as government agencies, research institutes, professional associations and think-tanks in the non-traditional means. It is often unpublished, non-commercial and hard to find.

Key types of grey literature

  • Government documents
  • Dissertations and theses
  • Conference proceedings
  • Research papers
  • Technical reports
  • Statistics and data
  • Think tank materials
  • Policy documents