Grey Literature means scholarly, research-related information that isn't published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Yet it often is (at the time it is released) the most current research information available to a discipline, because scholars can and often do release information about their research before they have quite enough to formally write up and publish an article in a scholarly journal. Examples of 'Grey Literature' include:
- Theses (Major literature reviews written by Masters degree candidates)
- Dissertations (Major lit. review plus months-to-years of original research analyzed, written up, and defended successfully by PhD degree candidates)
- Working Papers (Articles about research not yet ready to be published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal)
- Reports (Authoritative documents meant to inform and often also to convince readers of something - sometimes called 'white papers')
- Conference Proceedings (research papers, powerpoint presentations, and research posters presented during multi-day meetings where scholars mingle and network with their peers, hobnob with the Influencers in their field, and learn of the absolute most cutting-edge research being done)
