Depth & Breadth
Deep subject analysis (as from theses and dissertations) and broad overviews (as from government reports)
💡 What scope do I want and how much time do I have to engage with it?
Timeliness
Faster publication than through traditional channels; receive and engage with information even 12-18 months sooner
💡 How recent does the information I want need to be?
Flexibility
Authors can issue quicker updates to their grey-literature publications than via commercial publishers
💡 Will more dynamic sources aid my research?
Accessibility
General public can often access grey literature freely online and via open access
💡 How important is it that this information be universally accessible?
Focus
Grey literature often includes studies with negative results, with less bias toward positive results compared to commercial publications
💡 Would I like a fuller understanding of the course of research in the health sciences or just mostly what works?