Literature Review Toolkit for Environmental Sciences: Grey literature

What is grey literature?

Grey literature includes publications from government agencies, professional associations, research centers, think tanks, or other organizations. It falls outside of the "traditional" publishing channels that we often find in academia. They are often not widely disseminated and aren't often indexed by traditional academic search tools, so can be hard to discover.

Tips for tracking down grey literature:

In your reading, keep your eyes open for organizations or people who are mentioned in relation to your topic. Tracking them down could lead you to their publications.
On government agency websites, look for "publications" or "reports."

Potential sources of grey literature

AquaDocs
AquaDocs is the joint open access repository of the UNESCO/IOC InternationaI Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) and the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC) with support from the FAO Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts.
City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment
The Office of Sustainability & Environment develops and implements citywide environmental policies and programs.
EPA National Service Center for Environmental Publications
Publications of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Harvard Kennedy School Think Tank Search
Custom search engine of 700+ think tanks
NOAA Central Library
NOAA Authored Peer-Reviewed Publications
Washington State Department of Ecology - Publications
Washington State Department of Ecology's publications, forms, newsletters, and other useful documents.
Washington State Department of Ecology Research & Data
Washington State Department of Ecology's reports, databases, maps and user-friendly online tools.
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Publications
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife produces hundreds of documents annually, outlining fish, wildlife, and lands management, scientific research, guidance for homeowners, local governments, and contractors, harvest summaries, and other materials.