michigan informatics

Grey Literature

As defined by the Fourth International Conference on Grey Literature, grey literature is "that which is produced on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers."

Some examples of grey literature include, but are not limited to:

• Reports
• Policy statements
• Conference proceedings
• Project documentation
• Technical documentation
• Government reports
• Pre-prints
• Survey instruments
• Databases
• Theses
• Presentations
• Web sites

Much of the useful information in public health is not formally published. At times, the grey literature may be the only source of information on a topic. Although you should begin your search for information with peer-reviewed sources, a search of the grey literature must be included in any comprehensive review of a topic.