HLTH 205: Introduction to Health Promotion

Grey literature is the term used to describe literature that is not formally published as a book or journal article.

It is produced by all levels of government, academia, NGOs, associations and professional organizations. For example, 

Grey literature includes:

• Conference proceedings
• Dissertations and theses
• Governmental or private-sector research
• Association websites
• Statistical publications
• Internal reports or working papers
• Informal communication (such as blogs, podcasts)

Use grey literature to:

• Supplement your search. 
• Discover references to published literature that your database search might have missed.
• Discover current and emergent research.
• Find detailed information on programmes and policies.
• To ensure that all voices are represented.

Grey literature is often excluded from library databases.

There is some grey literature in Omni. For example, government information and theses.

Below are some ways in which you can find grey literature sources:

• Conference Proceedings: Web of Science and Medline
• Theses and Dissertations: Finding Theses and Dissertations
• Government and Non-government organizations:  Google custom search for government information; Government Information (Health)
• Targeted Website Browsing/Search (i.e., one website at a time) of identified authorities or stakeholders on your subject: Google