Issues in Science & Technology: IDS 3143

Grey literature: source material(s) not available through the usual systems of publication (e.g. books or periodicals) and distribution. These can include:

• Conference proceedings
• Data exchange
• Dissertations / Theses
• Environmental impact statements
• Government documents /publications
• Market research reports
• Online documents
• Oral presentations
• Technical reports
• Working papers

Grey literature is found in a variety of print sources and electronic databases, though sometimes can be harder to locate. Some examples are:

• Science.gov: Science.gov searches over 45 databases and over 2000 selected websites from 14 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results.
• GreySource: a selection of web-based resources in grey literature
• Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov
• National Sea Grant Library http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/
• NOAA http://www.noaa.gov
• NTIS https://www.ntis.gov
• PapersFirst database
• US Census Bureau http://www.census.gov
• USDA http://www.usda.gov
• USGS http://www.usgs.gov