Finding "Grey Literature"
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The term "grey literature" refers to publications that do not fit neatly into scholar-reviewed or popular boxes. It includes things like conference papers, white papers, and reports from NGOs, think thanks, and government agencies among other documents. "Grey literature" can be helpful in disciplines where non-academic output is relevant and important, finding data, learning important authors, and finding the most recent materials on a topic. Try searching for reports on organizational websites. Because these reports are often in PDF format, you can do a search for "filteype:pdf." For example "gender site:osce.org filteype:pdf" will search for PDFs on the OSCE website that use the term "gender." |
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UN and International NGOs
- Policy Commons This link opens in a new windowPolicy Commons is a one-stop community platform for research from the world’s leading policy experts, nonpartisan think tanks, IGOs and NGOs. This growing database is the world’s largest directory of policy organizations representing nearly 24,000 organizations and over 3 million publications.
- OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new windowThe online publications portal of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Contains books, journals, newsletters, statistical periodicals, reference works, and interactive statistical data tables in over 25 database products published since 1998. Text can be searched by theme or country. Statistics can be searched by title and theme. Statistical databases allow users to build their own tables from the latest data, draw graphs and tables, and download to Excel or as .csv files.
- IMF eLibrary This link opens in a new windoweLibrary simplifies analysis and research with direct access to the IMF’s periodicals, books, working papers and studies, and data and statistical tools. Freely available as of Jan 2020.
- Eurasian Stability InitiativeThe European Stability Initiative is a non-profit research and policy institute which provides in-depth analysis of the complex issues involved in promoting stability and prosperity in Europe
- Freedom House This link opens in a new windowFreedom House is an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world. It produces reports by region or country and on issues such as civil society, elections, women's rights, and more. Annual reports cover Freedom on the Net, Freedom in the World, Freedom of the Press, Nations in Transit, Countries at the Crossroads, and Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa.
Public Opinion Organizations
- Levada Center - Левада-ЦентрRussian Public Opinion (PO) Research Center. Includes an omnibus survey service. Archive (Архив) includes a list of previous surveys and results. Data from some specific projects is available freely online. Includes several indexes of current PO data of general interest. Also includes data from 2011 and 2012 elections. Results and amount of ocntent may vary between the English and Russian websites.
- Russian Public Opinion Center - Всероссийский центр изучения общественного мненияRussian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM). The "База данных" section includes a searchable database with data 1992-present where you can find articles on current issues; ratings, conference reports, exit-poll data; and data from ongoing projects. Results and amount of content may vary between the English and Russian websites.
White Papers and Conference Proceedings
- PAIS Index This link opens in a new windowA subject guide to journals, books, pamphlets, and government publications relating to economics, social conditions, and international relations.
- CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) This link opens in a new windowConference proceedings and working papers from participating institutes around the world. Includes the full text of books and book summaries, journal abstracts, links to websites and a calendar of conferences and seminars.
- National Bureau of Economic Research Working Papers This link opens in a new windowWorking Papers covering topics in macro and microeconomics, labor economics and welfare economics. New research by NBER affiliates, circulated for discussion and comment. The NBER distributes more than 1,200 working papers each year. These papers have not been peer reviewed.
- Policy File Index This link opens in a new windowIndexes otherwise hard to obtain research and publications from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations, and publishers. Each item includes an abstract and, where available, access to the full-text of the report and/or the homepages and electronic mail addresses of the authoring institution.
- CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports This link opens in a new window(Coverage 1916-Present): CRS serves the Congress throughout the legislative process by providing comprehensive and reliable legislative research and analysis that are timely, objective, authoritative and confidential, thereby contributing to an informed national legislature.
