Wikipedia:WikiProject Grey literature

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Grey literature is any scholarly or policy material produced outside of traditional academia and not published in traditional academic journals or books. It is "That which is produced on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers",^[1] and consists of research and deliberations published in the form of white papers, health technology assessments, [...], and more.

Grey literature has a large impact on public policy and may influence the scientific funding and discourse. However, it is often less easy to find, and some publications have limited spread. Grey literature is often missed when academics and Wikipedians search the literature using traditional methods. Even high quality grey literature is not always available in English, though it is often freely accessible.

Grey literature can compile the best evidence, and it is valuable on Wikipedia. Calls have been made to increase the use and spread of grey literature. However, it is important to consider that all grey literature is not equal — and some may be overtly biased. For instance some sources from ExxonMobil intentionally mislead the public about climate change, while major tobacco companies and think tanks have attempted to influence the interpretation of evidence regarding smoking. A handful of papers argued that it was economically sound to promote smoking because smokers die sooner, and so claim less benefits and pensions. When it comes to think tanks and foundations, sources of funding are also important to bear in mind.

This WikiProject is aimed towards spreading the use of grey literature, and to guiding those who wish to use it on how to best do so in a critical fashion, where questions such as funding, ideological outlook and underlying purpose are taken into account.

Grey literature has implications not only for Wikipedia, but for the world. We know that researchers use Wikipedia, and we know grey literature is cited on Wikipedia! Join us to help promote the best grey literature and keep biased or poor sources away!