What is Grey Literature?
Grey literature refers to research and information produced outside traditional academic and commercial publishing, such as policy briefs, working papers, reports, and white papers. It is often more current and practical than scholarly journal articles, making it especially useful for assignments in public policy and administration.
For more formal policy documents created by government agencies or research organizations, see the Policy Reports & Briefings page on this guide.
Locate Grey Literature
Grey literature can be found in specialized databases and search tools. These resources provide access to policy papers, reports, and research produced by governments, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations.
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CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online)Focus: International politics, security studies, global finance, humanitarian law, and development.
Content: Policy briefs, working papers, case studies, and reports.
Note: One of the largest collections of international affairs research. -
Find PolicyFocus: Public policy research from leading U.S. and European think tanks.
Content: Policy briefs, research papers, and analyses.
Tip: Scroll past Google ads to view results. -
Issue LabFocus: Research published and funded by nonprofit and social sector organizations.
Content: Research reports, white papers, case studies, evaluations, and issue briefs.
Note: Great for practical perspectives on social and policy issues. -
Policy Commons"One-stop access to more than 30 million pages of curated, high quality policy reports, briefs, analyses, working papers, and datasets from thousands of policy organizations."
(Note: You need to create a free account to use this site.) -
Think Tank SearchFocus: Research from 1,200+ think tanks and research centers.
Content: Policy papers, briefs, and reports.
Note: A Google Custom Search created by Harvard Kennedy School. -
SSRN (Social Science Research Network)Focus: Working papers and preprints in the social sciences, law, economics, and public policy.
Content: Early-stage research, conference papers, and drafts that may not yet be published in journals.
Tip: Many papers are freely available as PDFs, but not all are peer reviewed. Use these sources to explore emerging ideas or find the latest scholarship before it appears in journals.
Lists of Think Tanks & Research Centers
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U.S. Think Tanks and Research CentersA Harvard Library guide listing major U.S. think tanks and research centers with links to their publications.
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Non-U.S. Think Tanks by RegionA Harvard Library guide to international think tanks, organized by global region, with links to their research outputs.
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Selected Think TanksA Georgetown University Library guide listing U.S. think tanks, categorized by political leaning.
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Brookings InstituteFocus: Public policy research across economics, governance, foreign policy, and social issues.
Content: Reports, briefs, and commentary written by policy experts.
Note: Brookings is widely cited in policy debates and provides accessible, well-organized reports useful for student papers. -
RAND CorporationFocus: Policy research and analysis, especially in defense, health, education, and social policy.
Content: Research reports, policy briefs, and data-driven studies.
Tip: Known for producing detailed, methodologically rigorous reports — often longer than those from other think tanks. -
Urban InstituteFocus: Social and economic policy, with special emphasis on housing, health, taxes, and urban development.
Content: Reports, briefs, interactive data tools, and evaluations.
Note: Particularly useful for research on U.S. domestic policy and applied community issues.