Grey Literature

As with any information that you have retrieved in your research, it should be viewed critically to ensure that it is credible. Grey literature is often not put through the same quality processes a peer-reviewed resource is, and so evaluation of the source, author and contents is recommended.

The AACODS checklist checklist was designed by Jessica Tyndall from Flinders University Medical library. It provides five criteria for judging the quality of grey information

• Authority - is the author credible?
• Accuracy - is it supported by documented and authoritative references? is there a clearly stated methodology? Is it in line with other work on the same topic.
• Coverage -  Have limitations been imposed and are these stated clearly?
• Objectivity - Can bias be detected?
• Date - Can't find the date? Rule of the thumb is to avoid such material.
• Significance - Is it relevant? Would it enrich or have an impact on your research?

Access the AACODS checklist.

References

1. Tyndall, J.AACODS Checklist. Flinders University, 2010. Available from https://dspace.flinders.edu.au/