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Grey literature is an important part of the evidence base for health services research and health policy but can be difficult to search in a systematic way.
The three information-seeking strategies below can help you identify a range of grey literature.
See the Grey Literature Research Guide for many other resources.
Strategies for Searching for Grey Literature
- Overton.io This link opens in a new windowProvides the world’s largest collection of policy documents, guidelines, think tank publications and working papers.
- Dimensions Plus This link opens in a new windowBrings together various research-related data sources, such as grant information, books, journal articles, conference proceedings, and patents.
- Kennedy School of Government Think Tank SearchSearches more than 700 think tanks and research centers. searches the websites of institutions that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity. These sites are affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses.
- NLM Digital CollectionsNational Library of Medicine's free online repository of biomedical resources including books, manuscripts, still images, videos, and maps. The content in Digital Collections is freely available worldwide and, unless otherwise indicated, in the public domain.
- Policy Atlas (Harvard Catalyst)Helps identify data sources that can be used for your policy-relevant research or to discover new sources for health data.
- Policy CommonsPolicy Commons provides more than 2.8 million+ policy reports, briefs, analyses, and datasets from IGOs, NGOs, and think tanks.
Google offers a great way to track down grey literature resources. Use the advanced search limits below to focus your search.
Limit to a domain:
site:org
site:gov
site:com
Find Related Sites:
related:urban.org
Limit to filetype:
filetype:pdf (or doc, ppt)
Search for words in a URL:
inurl:rand.org
Search for sites that link to site of interest:
link to:academyhealth.org
Find quick information about a site:
info:kff.org
Below are some top non-governmental organizations and federal agencies working on health services research. Since There is a seemingly endless number of organizations that produce grey literature, searching portals and using Google Advanced searches to identify names can be an effective way to find grey literature when you don't know where to begin.
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Center for Health Equity Research & Promotion collaborations
Government Agencies
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Health Services Research Information Central--Federal Agencies