In the Trenches Around the Ivory Tower: Introduction to Black-and-White Issues About the Grey Literature

The “grey literature problem” is a common phrase because technical reports produced by the majority of practitioners are perceived to be inaccessible, not peer-reviewed, and of low quality. These issues, however, are as much cultural as they are about indexing and databases, review procedures, and content. Unconventional, non-university-based publication venues and alternative forms of literature constitute an opportunity for bringing fresh ideas and new perspectives to the discipline, for reporting state-of-the-art research, and engaging a wider pool of participants. Nontraditional publication venues have a range of benefits including speedy distribution, presentation of abundant amounts of data, inclusion of in-depth analyses, consideration of a range of methodological and theoretical issues using sizable datasets, often rigorous multi-tiered peer review, and avoidance of many of the stifling political hurdles and time delays of traditional publishing. Honest pursuit of knowledge and effective communication begin with citation of this alternative form of publication, objective assessment of its content absent a double standard, and acknowledgement of the scholars who produce it.