Gray Literature: what it is Gray Literature: what it is and how to find itand how to find itTechnical ReportsTechnical Reports

Gray Literature: what it is Gray Literature: what it is and how to find itand how to find itTechnical ReportsTechnical Reports

Nancy DoranNorthwest Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing

Portland, ORSeptember 16, 2005

2

Three questionsThree questionsThree questionsThree questions

What is meant by “gray literature” or “technical reports” ?

Why are technical reports important?

How are they made available?

3

What is gray literature?What is gray literature?What is gray literature?What is gray literature?

"foreign or domestic open source material thatusually is available through specializedchannels and may not enter normal channelsor systems of publication, distribution,bibliographic control, or acquisition bybooksellers or subscription agents."

http://graylit.osti.gov/whatsnew.html

4

Technical reportsTechnical reportsTechnical reportsTechnical reports

“Scientific and technical reports…convey the results of basic or applied researchand support decisions based on those results.”

ANSI/NISO Z39.18-1995

5

Why is gray lit important?Why is gray lit important?Why is gray lit important?Why is gray lit important?

6

Columbia River AND salmon AND damsColumbia River AND salmon AND damsColumbia River AND salmon AND damsColumbia River AND salmon AND dams

Web of Science - 51

GrayLit Network:

Department of Energy - >250

Department of Defense - 12

Environmental Protection Agency - 143

7

How do I find a technical report?How do I find a technical report?How do I find a technical report?How do I find a technical report?

Does my library own it?

Is it online ?

How can I get it?

8

Sample citationSample citationSample citationSample citation

Perkins, RW, UP Jenquin (1994) Identification of radionuclides of concern in Hanford site environmental cleanup. Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA

No entry at:OCLC’s WorldCatOregon State UniversityUniversity of OregonUniversity of WashingtonWashington State Library

9

Reports have aliasesReports have aliasesReports have aliasesReports have aliases

aka PNL-10060

aka DE95004387

aka E1.99:DE95004387

10

National Technical Information ServiceNational Technical Information ServiceNational Technical Information ServiceNational Technical Information Service

www.ntis.govsearchable ????- to present

1964-present available through: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Dialog Ovid

11

NTIS recordNTIS recordNTIS recordNTIS record

Identification of radionuclides of concern in Hanford Site environmental cleanup Perkins, RW; Jenquin, UP, Performer: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA. Sponsor: Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Aug 1994. 104p. Report: PNL-10060The purpose of this document is to consider which radionuclides should be included in conducting environmental surveys relative to site remediation at Hanford. During the operation of the Hanford site, the fission product radionuclides and a large ... Report Number: PNL10060; DE95004387Accession Number: DE95004387

12

Is it online?Is it online?Is it online?Is it online?

GrayLIT Network - http://graylit.osti.gov/

Department of Energy –Information Bridge - http://www.osti.gov/bridge/

Department of Defense DTIC Reports Collection - http://stinet.dtic.mil/

Environmental Protection AgencyNEPIS http://www.epa.gov/cgi-bin/claritgw?op-NewSearch&template=epa

NASAJPL - http://jpltrs.jpl.nasa.gov/ Langley - http://techreports.larc.nasa.gov/ltrs/ltrs.html

Nuclear Regulatory Commission –

Electronic Reading Room www.nrc.gov

It’s not at my library, not online…It’s not at my library, not online…It’s not at my library, not online…It’s not at my library, not online…

Other libraries

Source

Client

14

Decoding report numbersDecoding report numbersDecoding report numbersDecoding report numbers

PNNL = Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PNL = Pacific Northwest Laboratory

BNWL = Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratory

PNWD = Pacific Northwest DivisionSame place - different times, different names, different

clients.

15

Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Accession NumbersAccession Numbers

Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Accession NumbersAccession Numbers

DE = Department of Energy

AD = Department of Defense

N = NASA

PB = Almost anyone else in NTIS’s database

16

Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)

US. Department of Energy (1985),Report Number Codes. Office of Scientific & Technical Information, Oak Ridge, TN, DOE/TIC-85(Rev 14)(DE85005834)

(E1.99:DE85 005834)

How to get it: A Guide to Defense-Related Information (2002) Defense Technical Information Center. Ft Belvoir VA. http://stinet.dtic.mil/dticrev/HTGI_Sample.pdf

Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary. Thomson Gale, New York

17

Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)Decoding report numbers (cont’d)

Directory of special libraries and information centers, Gale Research Co, Detroit, MI.

Government Research Directory, Gale Research Co. Detroit, MI

International Research Centers Directory, Gale Research Co. Detroit, MI

Research Centers Directory, Gale Research Co. Detroit, MI

World Guide to Special Libraries, KG Sauer. Munich

18

Reports may require different pathsReports may require different pathsReports may require different pathsReports may require different paths

Records Reading Rooms Clients

Library-to-LibraryResource Sharing

19

When all else fails…When all else fails…When all else fails…When all else fails…

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) http://www.fas.org/sgp/foia/citizen.html

• Each agency has a FOIA point of contact

• Requester, not library, should file

20

Finding Grey Lit is often a matter of Finding Grey Lit is often a matter of putting together the puzzle pieces.putting together the puzzle pieces.Finding Grey Lit is often a matter of Finding Grey Lit is often a matter of putting together the puzzle pieces.putting together the puzzle pieces.

21 PNNL-SA-46527

ResourcesResourcesResourcesResources

Scientific and Bibliographic Access to Science Materials Committee (2005) “Collecting Grey Literature: An annotated Bibliography, with Examples from the Sciences and Technology” in Science and Technology Libraries Vol 25(3) 35-70.

GreyNet: Grey Literature Network Servicehttp://www.greynet.org/pages/1/index.htm