Research Guides: Anthropology & Sociology Research Guide: Grey Literature

What is Grey Literature?

Grey literature refers to materials and research produced by organizations outside of traditional publishing channels. It includes reports, working papers, government documents, white papers, and evaluations. Grey literature is often used by researchers and information professionals to find unique information. It is usually not peer-reviewed.

~from http://www.greylit.org/about

Finding Grey Literature	Evaluating Grey Literature
Use Google keyword(s) + site:.org	Read their mission
Bibliographies	Examine funding Sources
Organizations suggested below	Explore author credentials and date published

Recommended Organizations

Amnesty International
International human rights organization. Searchable with reports organized around countries and campaigns.
Asian Development Bank
Publications and statistics on areas of economic interest for Asian and pacific nations
Ford Foundation
"Across eight decades, our mission has been to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement."
Human Rights Watch
a nonprofit, nongovernmental, global human rights organization.
International Affairs Resources
Currated directory of over 2000 annotated links to high-quality English-language sources of information and analysis in many international and global studies topics. Sites are carefully selected for their long-term value, favoring those with cost-free, authoritative information and analysis online.
International Network on Displacement and Resettlement
Provides a virtual, global communications network of scholars, practitioners, and policy makers attempting to prevent development-induced impoverishment.
more...less...
Links to many reports and studies, not indexed or searchable. ***Use Google Site search: site:indr.org
Land Rights Now
Working to secure land rights for collectively held lands, especially for Indigenous people.
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Reports and other resources, including a LandMark, a mapping platform denoting communally held lands.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Think tank working to help governments improve policies for the people of the world. Searchable information on a wide range of topics.
Our Energy Policy
Publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. Non-partisan, non-profit organization.
Overseas Development Institute
Independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. Research reports and searchable site
Oxfam
Global organization working to end the injustice of poverty. Searchable site filled with stories and reports.
Rights and Resources International
a global coalition supporting forest and land policy reform in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
World Bank
With a goal to end extreme poverty, World Bank works internationally and provides data, statistics, and research publications.

United Nations
United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication

USA.gov
Search engine for government websites
U.S. Census Data
Generate census fact sheets on demographics by city, state, county, or zip code. Potential info includes: educational attainment, income level, gender, race, and ethnicity.
National Center for Education Statistics (U.S.)

Statistical Abstract of the US
Statistics on demographics and social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. 1878-present.
Detailed Guide to this resource.

Data USA
Visualization of U.S. public datasets

Statista
Statistics and studies gathered by market researchers, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases. Provides quantitative facts on agriculture, finance, politics, technology, health, public opinion, and market research.
Statistical Abstract of the US
Statistics on demographics and social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. 1878-present.
Detailed Guide to this resource.

Pew Research Center
Nonpartisan U.S. fact tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. Based in Washington, D.C.

Think Tank Search
Search over 700 think tanks plus useful information on finding and using information from think tanks
Think Tank Directory
You can browse Think Tanks by Topic, Country, or Region.
International Affairs Resources
Currated directory of over 2000 annotated links to high-quality English-language sources of information and analysis in many international and global studies topics. Sites are carefully selected for their long-term value, favoring those with cost-free, authoritative information and analysis online.