Some grey literature, but not all, is considered scholarly, such as theses and dissertations, conference proceedings and research reports.

Generally, grey literature does not undergo traditional peer-review; however, some may be 'reviewed' before publication. Despite the lack of formal peer-review, grey literature can still provide reliable information, making it an invaluable resource for your research.

When deciding to use a grey literature source, consider applying the AACODS checklist and / or check with your academic / teacher.

Grey literature should be appraised to the same standards as those used to evaluate any other literature. Grey literature sources often do not have the same quality checking as that of peer-reviewed literature. Careful examination is required to ensure the credibility of the source, the author and content.

The AACODS checklist is an evaluation tool that provides guidance when using grey literature sources, incorporating the following ideas:

• Authority - Incorporates expertise, propriety, experience, credibility, reliability: it asks the question who is responsible for the intellectual content?
• Accuracy - Does it seem to be right? Has it used a clearly stated methodology? Has it been peer reviewed?
• Coverage - Try to be aware of any coverage limitations, stated or otherwise.
• Objectivity - This incorporates opinion, expert or otherwise. Is it balanced or does it have an unstated bias?
• Date - Does the resource have a clear date related to content?
• Significance - Is it meaningful? Does it add context?