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Grey Literature
The hidden web
Searching the internet is not as easy as just doing a search in Google.
A significant amount of information on the web is unindexed and cannot be found through standard search engines. This is known as the deep (hidden or invisible) web.
This is not the same as the dark web, used by hackers and criminals.
This hidden infromation includes:
- Non-HTML files (PDF files, etc.)
- Databases or archives within websites
- Sites requiring registration or login
- Dynamically created Web pages
- Interactive tools (calculators, etc.)
Image: Wikimedia Commons/Ap470 CC
Hints for accessing hidden information
- Use research clearinghouses!
- Put the word database or archive in your Google query eg. megafauna database
- You will get a list of spaces that you can then search within, not the papers itself
- Check websites of key organisations, government departments and institutions
- Academic profiles can contain information and llinks to unpublished works
- Use a deep web search engine
Research Clearinghouses
Research clearing houses or directories are web spaces created by institutions or organisations to compile information on their area of interest. These repositories contain a vast wealth of materials and are key to searching grey literature.
Do a search for your broad topic and the word clearinghouse in Google. eg archaeology clearinghouse
Deep Web Search Engines
A small selection of available resources:
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BizNar: Deep Web Business SearchBizNar targets a range of specially selected databases and search engines for business related resources
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CiteSeerXFocused primarily on the literature in computer and information science.
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E-Print Network: Energy, Science, and TechnologyE-prints are scholarly and professional works electronically produced and shared by researchers
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InfopleaseDatabases, electronic journals, almanacs, electronic books, thesaurus, atlas, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library card catalogs, articles, and directories of researchers.
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Internet ArchiveIncludes the Wayback Machine containing archived websites, no longer available elsewhere.
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MedNar: Deep Web Medical SearchSearches for medical resources. Search results include government sites, medical societies and some commercial databases
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The National Security ArchiveThis is a non-governmental resource for unclassified security documents
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OAIsterOAIster is a union catalog of millions of records that represent open access resources. Includes resources housed in academic repositories.
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OpenGreyOpen access to 700.000 bibliographical references of grey literature (paper) produced in Europe
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Science.gov (USA)Searches over 60 databases and over 2200 selected websites for science information and research
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ScitationScitation offers all things physics
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Voice of the shuttleA directory for of online resources on literature, the humanities, and cultural studies.
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WolframAlphaAims to collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model, method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything
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WWW Virtual LibraryThe oldest catalogue on the web - categorised into topics
Video
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Video: Searching Google for Grey LiteratureTips for searching for Grey Literature through Google