Policy Development for Grey Literature Resources: An Assessment of the Pisa Declaration

In the spring of 2014, a workshop took place at the Italian National Council of Research in Pisa1. The topic of this event dealt with policy development for grey literature resources. Some seventy participants from nine countries took an active part in the workshop - the outcome of which produced what is today known as the Pisa Declaration2. This fifteen point document arising from the input of those who attended the workshop sought to provide a roadmap that would help to serve diverse communities involved in research, publication and the management of grey literature both in electronic and print formats. Two years on, the Pisa Declaration has been translated and published in some twenty languages - all of which are online accessible via the GreyGuide Repository3 and Portal4. Currently, 140 information professionals from renown organizations worldwide have endorsed this document5. In an effort to assess the impact that the Pisa Declaration has had on the policy development for grey literature resources, an online survey among those who endorsed the document will be carried out and their responses will be analyzed. Specific results of the survey should indicate those points in the document that in varying degrees have been implemented since its publication, as well as points that should now be added or which are in need of amendment. The results of the survey and its content analysis should further indicate the overall relevance of the Pisa Declaration and its impact on this field of library and information practice. There are no direct costs associated with this study. Each of the partners is committed to allocate human and material resources needed to carry out his/her related tasks. In the spring of 2014, a workshop took place at the Italian National Council of Research in Pisa1. The topic of this event dealt with policy development for grey literature resources. Some seventy participants from nine countries took an active part in the workshop - the outcome of which produced what is today known as the Pisa Declaration2. This fifteen point document arising from the input of those who attended the workshop sought to provide a roadmap that would help to serve diverse communities involved in research, publication and the management of grey literature both in electronic and print formats. Two years on, the Pisa Declaration has been translated and published in some twenty languages - all of which are online accessible via the GreyGuide Repository3 and Portal4. Currently, 140 information professionals from renown organizations worldwide have endorsed this document5. In an effort to assess the impact that the Pisa Declaration has had on the policy development for grey literature resources, an online survey among those who endorsed the document will be carried out and their responses will be analyzed. Specific results of the survey should indicate those points in the document that in varying degrees have been implemented since its publication, as well as points that should now be added or which are in need of amendment. The results of the survey and its content analysis should further indicate the overall relevance of the Pisa Declaration and its impact on this field of library and information practice. There are no direct costs associated with this study. Each of the partners is committed to allocate human and material resources needed to carry out his/her related tasks.