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Grey literature refers to any information source that is not commercially published. As these sources are dispersed and not collected by centralised publishing platforms, they are sometimes difficult to find and can be tiresome to search.
What counts as grey literature?
Why use grey literature?
The definition of grey literature is evolving but it is generally defined as content that is produced and published by non-commercial private or public entities including pressure groups, charities and organisations such as the OECD, World Bank and WHO.
Below are some useful sites for finding grey literature. Some links will take you to databases which UCL Library Services subscribes to. These require that you authenticate with your UCL userID and password.
OpenAlex is a free and open catalogue of the world's scholarly research system indexing over 250 million scholarly works from 250,000 sources, with extra coverage of humanities, non-English languages, and the Global South
On access users should follow the link and Browse the site or create an account and Login to to save searches, set email alerts, tags and bookmarks and set up key sources lists. Overton is the world’s largest collection of policy documents, parliamentary transcripts, government guidance and think tank research
Access to millions of pages of curated, high quality policy reports, briefs, analyses, working papers, and datasets from thousands of policy organisations including IGOs, NGOs and think tanks from around the world. UCL has access to the full suite of modules which consists of:
Please view this short video introducing the platform and features.
Includes millions of searchable citations to dissertation and theses from around the world from 1861 to the present day together with over a million full text dissertations that are available for download in PDF. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works.
Google and Google Scholar also list grey literature. However, combing through a large number of results can often be time-consuming. Google can be useful for identifying relevant organisation websites to search for grey literature.
Grey Literature adds another layer to your research and provides a different perspective thereby making your research more interesting. However, it is important to evaluate grey literature sources carefully by considering the credentials of the entity that produced the information as there may be inherent biases associated with the production of this information.
Clinical trials and preprints are also included in some literature databases, for example:
OpenAlex is a free and open catalogue of the world's scholarly research system indexing over 250 million scholarly works from 250,000 sources, with extra coverage of humanities, non-English languages, and the Global South
OpenDOAR provides access to open access repositories around the world.
The Nexis database provides a searchable database of international news sources. The ProQuest Central database also includes international newspaper articles. Search results can be filtered if you wish to view newspaper articles only.
Gale OneFile: News provides access to more than 2,300 major world newspapers, and includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts.
Digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals produced by feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century
Access for UCL students and staff only. Database of news and company information (formerly provided as LexisNexis 'Executive').
ProQuest Central is the largest multidisciplinary database with over 11,000 titles, with over 8,000 titles in full-text. Over 160 subjects areas are covered including business and economics, health and medical, news and world affairs, technology, social sciences and more. Accessibility statement for ProQuest Central.
Covering countries including Myanmar (formerly Burma), Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, and multiple languages including Dutch, English, French, Javanese, Spanish, and Vietnamese, the Southeast Asian Newspapers collection incorporates a wealth of coverage and perspectives on major regional and global events of the late 19th and 20th centuries.
