Faculty Perceptions of Grey Literature: A Qualitative Analysis of Faculty Interviews

To examine the use, field perception, citation practices, creation, methods for finding, and dissemination of grey literature, this study used interviews of faculty at a large R1 university. Further, interviewees were asked specifically about one type of grey literature-preprints-as well as about ways in which libraries could support their overall grey literature goals. The study findings included concerns about the challenges of finding known items and the unstable nature of web pages. Some less expected findings included the use of grey literature in undergraduate instruction as well as faculty creation of grey literature for lay audiences. In terms of implications for practice, librarians could use these findings to inform long term preservation practices as well as access to institutional repositories.