Skip to Main Content
Library and Information Services for the East Metropolitan Health Service and the South Metropolitan Health Service banner Library and Information Services for the East Metropolitan Health Service and the South Metropolitan Health Service home Library and Information Services for the East Metropolitan Health Service and the South Metropolitan Health Service logo

Research

Grey literature is information produced by all levels of government, academia, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing, and includes materials such as theses and dissertations, working papers, policy statements, technical reports and government documents.

Why is grey literature important?

For completeness. Whilst it is rarely peer-reviewed, grey literature is often a good source of the most up-to-date information on a topic. Including it reduces publication bias, and it may be the only source of some data.

How do you search for grey literature?

Search for grey literature across a variety of resources including:

  • Bibliographic databases
  • Google and Google Scholar
  • Grey literature portals
  • Government and other websites

The AACODS checklist is a useful method to quickly evaluate grey literature.