Research Guides: Nursing: Grey Literature

Grey Literature

"Grey literature (or gray literature) is materials and research produced by organizations outside of the traditional commercial or academic publishing and distribution channels. Common grey literature publication types include reports (annual, research, technical, project, etc.), working papers, government documents, white papers and evaluations. Organizations that produce grey literature include government departments and agencies, civil society or non-governmental organizations, academic centres and departments, and private companies and consultants". Wikipedia - Grey Literature

GREY LITERATURE

Grey literature: What it is & how to find it
Quick Summary: What is Grey Literature?
What Is Grey Literature?

Finding Grey Literature

Selected Databases for Finding Grey Literature in the Health Sciences

Grey literature is not indexed in databases like CINAHL, Medline, etc. and so can be a puzzle to find. Locating grey literature can be a very different process than locating scholarly articles. Below are some databases that provide access to selected grey literature:

Grey Literature Report. A search engine and information on grey literature searching

Grey Matters: a practical tool for searching health-related grey literature. (Canadian Centre for Drugs and Technology in Health)

Public Health Grey Literature Database. (Ontario Public Health Library Association)

MedNar. A search engine that searches multiple databases (international in scope)

Google Scholar

Google https://google.ca

Government Documents

Health Canada

Ontario Ministry of Health

United States Department of Health and Human Services

Professional Associations (Nursing)

Many professional associations publish grey literature such as reports, statistics, newsletters, white papers, position papers, etc.