research on the internet :: gray literature

What is Gray Literature?

The U.S. Interagency Gray Literature Working Group's, "Gray Information Functional Plan," established in January 1995, defines gray literature as "Foreign or domestic open source material that usually is available through specialized channels and may not enter normal channels or systems of publication, distribution, bibliographic control, or acquisition by book sellers or subscription agents."

Source: GrayLIT Network: A Science Portal of Technical Reports

For more information, see

+ http://www.osti.gov/graylit/

Extension Publications

Many publications from the Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Services fit into the category of gray literature. However, due to the development of the internet, many extension publications are available on the Web in PDF format. A search engine specializing in searching documents created in PDF format is a handy tool to retrieve gray literatures.

One such search engine can be found at

+ http://searchpdf.adobe.com

For further information, OSU has also developed the Extension Service website

+ http://eesc.oregonstate.edu/