Scholarly Articles vs Grey Literature: 7 Key Differences You Must Know

Scholarly Articles vs Grey Literature

In any study or academic paper, one will work on two main terminologies: Scholarly Articles and Grey Literature. This write-up will give a simplified version of the two concepts for easy understanding of their implications.

What are Scholarly Articles?

Scholarly articles are articles published in academic journals written by experts (such as scientists, teachers, and researchers) in a particular field. It is peer-reviewed, which means the work is checked by other professionals for accuracy and quality before it is published.

Scholarly articles are regarded as reliable sources of information because of their structure, rigorous research design, and authors’ expertise. Below is a detailed explanation:

1. Authorship by Experts: Scholarly articles are written by professionals who are experts in a certain domain, such as scientists, researchers, and academic lecturers. They typically have advanced degrees, such as Ph.D. and M.D., and a strong research or teaching background based on a specific topic of interest.
2. Peer-Review Process: First of all, before the article is published, it undergoes a peer-review, which means that other scholars are reviewing it. The peers assess the methodology, data analysis, relevance, novelty, and article’s contribution to the field. Peer reviews secure the quality, credibility, and scientific value of the article.
3. Purpose and Audience: When writing a new article, it is important to be original, but one that assumes only a very general knowledge about the subject should be the aim. A scholarly article aims to bring forward knowledge, new research results in various fields give a ground for further study.
4. Structure and Format:

Scholarly articles generally follow a fixed format that includes:

• Abstract: A summary of the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of the study.
• Introduction: An overview of the research problem, background and objectives.
• Methods: A detailed description of how the study was conducted, including materials, methods and statistical analyses.
• Results: Presentation of findings, usually in the form of tables, charts, or graphs.
• Discussion: Interpretation of results, implications, limitations and recommendations for future research.
• References: A comprehensive list of sources cited in the article, ensuring proper citation and allowing readers to verify the information.

1. Credibility and Citations: Because of the stringent peer-review process, scholarly papers are high-quality sources of information. As the work that is most often cited in fellow research, it yields the building blocks for the body of knowledge in a given field and provides a basis for further research to be conducted.
2. Examples of Scholarly Journals: Include The Lancet, Journal of Applied Psychology, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Transactions and Nature are some instances.

Reasons Scholarly Articles Are Relevant

Scholarly articles are relevant for many reasons, especially in education, research, and professional development. Thus, below are the reasons they are relevant:

1. Trusted and Verifiable Information: Professional scholarly materials are composed by experts and passed through a rigorous peer-review process, making sure the information is correct and sound.
2. The basis of the research: They are an important source of information for academia and scientific research and provide information, methods and findings that form the basis for further research
3. Knowledge development: By publishing new discoveries, scholarly articles contribute to the knowledge base in a field, contributing to the development of understanding and innovation.
4. Evidence for Decision Making: They can also serve as evidence of a researcher’s recommendations and choices that would foster decision-making in policy, health care, education, and so on.
5. Academic Integrity: It also supports a researcher’s thorough understanding of the subject in different academic works such as bachelor’s and master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, research and term papers, and so on.
6. Rigorous and peer review: Critical thinking and scholarly debate are encouraged, while articles often challenge, build on, or refute existing research.
7. Create new information: Scholarly articles often cover the latest developments, trends, and improvements, keeping researchers and practitioners up-to-date.
8. Interdisciplinary effects: Strong multidisciplinary content is often required, fosters collaboration, and integrated approaches to problem solving.
9. Global collaboration: Scholarly publications enable researchers around the world to share their findings, creating a more cohesive and interconnected global scientific community.

What is Grey Literature?

Grey literature includes materials and research that are not formally published in academic paper format. These types of publications include reports, policy documents, white papers, government publications, conference proceedings, or also bachelor’s theses.

Grey literature refers to various information and research materials that are created outside traditional academic publishing; however, they still perform the function of a source of knowledge.

Unlike scientific articles that go through a thorough review process and get into a journal, grey literature can be written anytime. It is created mostly outside the publishing environment and distributed through non-traditional channels.

Types of Grey Literature

1. Reports: These are written by organizations, think tanks (that is, Institutions or organizations dedicated to conducting research, analyzing policies, and providing expertise and recommendations on a variety of topics, typically related to public policy, economics, social issues, or global issues), or research institutes. Examples include Legal NGOs, which produce technical reports, research reports, and project evaluations. For instance, a report on the different ways to adapt to climate change was produced by the United Nations.
2. Policy Documents: Governments, non-profits, and international organizations also produce direct policy briefs or documents to influence public policy and its content.
3. White Papers: these are also produced by organizations to present authoritative reports or propositions on particular issues. They tend to target professionals and policymakers.
4. Government Publications: These are any census data, statistical reports, legislative or executive documents, and budget summaries produced by local, national or international governments or extraterritorial administrative units.
5. Conference Proceedings: The abstracts, presentations and papers delivered at academic conferences. It is often the earliest form of scientific research to be produced.
6. Theses and Dissertations: The paper written to obtain a degree at a higher education institution can provide very detailed and often unique research.
7. Other Sources: Working Papers, Preprints, NGOs, Think Tanks, Organizations, Business, Internal Documents, Grey Literature.

Grey Literature Characteristics

The following are the characteristics of grey literature:

i. Non-commercial publishing: This type of literature is not commercial, and it is usually not for sale. It is produced by organizations, researchers, or institutions.

ii. Variable quality: Gray literature varies greatly in quality. Some may have been developed by renowned experts and institutions, while others may lack the rigorous process of peer-reviewed articles.

iii. Timeliness: Grey literature can be produced faster than scholarly journals or books. It takes a long time for a paper to be written, peer-reviewed, and published. However a government agency needed to assess a natural disaster quickly which can produce a study in a few days.

iv. Accessibility: Moreover, much of the grey literature is available for free online. For example, one may not have access to many of the pay-walled journal articles.

Importance and Use Cases

1. Research and policy development: Through grey literature, vital data and insights for researchers and policymakers provided and obtained, especially in areas such as public health, education, and environmental studies.
2. Filling knowledge gaps: In areas where peer-reviewed research is scarce or non-existent, gray literature can provide valuable context and first-hand information.
3. Practical tasks: Managers often use white papers to inform decisions, such as implementing best practices or developing strategic plans.

Challenges of Gray Literature

1. Lack of peer review: Inadequate implementation of review processes can lead to variations in reliability and trustworthiness. Users should carefully consider the content.
2. Limited visibility: Gray literature is often difficult to identify because it is not as widely written as traditional academic texts.
3. Archival issues: Due to poor storage or restricted circulation, some grey literature, especially older documents, may not be readily available or may not be properly archived.

Instances on When to Use Grey Literature:

1. When working on policy briefs, business reports, or grant proposals.
2. When one needs to include data from government agencies or NGOs.
3. When one needs to understand an emerging trend or a real-world scenario.

Thus, neither scholarly articles nor grey literature can lead to fruitful and comprehensive writing. However, if used at the right moment and in the right way, grey literature and scholarly articles can help one another to create practical and evidence-based writing.

Scholarly articles are important tools in academia and professional practice, providing rigorously tested, reliable, and unique information. They stand out from other publications, such as popular journals or blogs, which are not subject to similar research.

Summary Table showing differences between Scholarly Articles vs Grey Literature