LibGuides: Providence Healthcare Virtual Library: Grey Literature

Grey Literature

Grey literature is literature that is not usually published in journals and monographs or indexed in commerical databases and catalogues. It consists of:

hard to find studies;
reports, or dissertationsconference abstracts or papers;
governmental or private sector research;
clinical trials - ongoing or unpublished and experts and researchers in the field
communication with experts in the subject area

These sources can yeild information not found in the published databases

InfoToday - Online Searcher article mentions the Grey Literature Report.

Health Policy Picks
A partnership between KaiserEDU.org and the Grey Literature Collection to bring monthly selections of resources in the areas of health care policy research and analysis. (This site is now a part of KFF.org)

GreyNet
The Grey Literature Network Service was founded in 1992. The goal of GreyNet is to facilitate dialog, research, and communication between persons and organisations in the field of grey literature. Its main activities include the International Conference Series on Grey Literature, the creation and maintenance of web-based resources, a moderated Listserv, a combined Distribution List, The Grey Journal (TGJ), as well as curriculum development in the field of grey literature.

Eldis
Freely available full text documents from a variety of sources. Information includes: resource guides (research and policy documents on the latest in development research policy and practice); dossiers (recommended readings and case-studies intended as an introduction to a new research or policy area); country profiles, news feeds; news events and jobs.

Open Grey
System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe, is your open access to 700.000 bibliographical references of grey literature (paper) produced in Europe and allows you to export records and locate the documents. OpenGrey covers Science, Technology, Biomedical Science, Economics, Social Science and Humanities.

OpenDOAR
OpenDOAR is an authoritative directory of academic open access repositories.

Public Health Image Library (PHIL)
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Image Library (PHIL) provides access to photographs, illustrations and multimedia files relevant to public health and health care.

Virtual Health Library
The Virtual Health Library (VHL) is a library, a decentralized and dynamic information-source collection, designed to provide equitable access to scientific knowledge on health. It is maintained by BIREME, a PAHO Specialized Center. This collection operates as an Internet network of products and services, structured to progressively meet the need for information on health on the part of authorities, administrators, researchers, professors, students, professionals, the media and the general public. It sets itself apart from other information sources available on the Internet due to its selection criteria and quality control.

WHOLIS
WHO publications collection and international health literature.

Non Government Organizations- Finding NGO Publications

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care: A Program Framework for Mental Health Diversion/Court Support Services

Vermont Department of Health: Recommendations for Management of Diabetes for Children in School

Public Health Grey Literature Sources

Conference Papers Index Available through U of T
Provides citations to papers and poster sessions presented at major scientific meetings around the world. Major topics include agriculture, biochemistry, chemistry, chemical engineering, forestry, biology, environmental science, soil science, biotechnology, and clinical medicine.
Information is derived from final programs, abstracts booklets, and published proceedings, as well as from questionnaire responses.
Papers First
An index of papers presented at conferences worldwide. Includes over 2 million citations covering every congress, conference, exposition, workshop, symposium, and meeting received by the British Library Document Supply Center.
Scopus available through U of T
Includes Embase and MEDLINE content, in addition to other journals. Also features citation reporting. However, does not include MeSH and Emtree index terms, which makes it of limited value for systematic review searching.
Web of Science available through U of T
Web of Science – with Conference Proceedings provides access to: Science Citation Index Expanded (1899-present), Social Sciences Citation Index (1898-present), Arts and Humanities Citation Index (1975-present), Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science (1990-present), and Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Social Science and Humanities (1990-present).

You should evaluate every source you use, but it's particularly important to do so when using grey literature. The quality of grey literature can vary greatly as it comes from a wide range of sources and doesn't go through the traditional editorial process.

When evaluating grey literature, consider the following criteria:

Currency: When was the source created or updated? Is there anything more recent?
Authority: Who created the source? Are they reputable? Do they have any expertise in the area?
Objectivity: Why was the source produced? Is it intended to promote a product or opinion?
Audience: Who is the source aimed at? Is it detailed or rigorous enough for academic use?
Accuracy: Are there any obvious errors? What evidence is offered that the information is reliable?