19-Sep-16

Leveraging Grey Resources:

A Training Module for Intelligent Resource Assessment
University of Amsterdam Library
September 21, 2016
Provided by

Dominic Farace, GreyNet International

1

Leveraging Grey Resources:

A Training Module for Intelligent Resource Assessment

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Grey Literature is a field in Information and library science that deals
with the production, distribution, and access to multiple document types
produced on all levels of government, academics, business, andorganization in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial
publishing i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity of theproducing body.

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Leveraging implies the effective use of a cognitive tool applied inorder to improve and/or enhance an organization’s positional advantage.
It is the power to act effectively on behalf of ones (an organizations)stakeholders by using its key resources to their maximum advantage. For
a business this may be interpreted by an increase in profit. For a nonprofit organization it may rather imply meeting costs, matching funds,
and/or increased use and application of its products and services.

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Intelligent is a term linked to the level of openness applied in this casestudy. It is a demonstration of transparency. It is an exercise in evidence
based practice, where the outcome allows for change and where
corporate memory is involved in the decision making applied in the
deployment of human and material resources as well as revenues
available in one’s organization.

5

Training Module : Part One
1.

2.
• Introduction

4.

3.
• Identify
Stakeholders

5.
• Record

intended
purposes• Selectsustainedresources

6.
• Trackdevelopments
and crossovers• Compileavailable dataand statistics

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GreyNet is an independent organization founded in 1992. Since its relaunch in 2003, it has developed into an international network capable ofserving various sectors of government, academics, business and industry
as well as subject based communities producing, processing, distributing,and preserving grey literature. GreyNet’s mission is dedicated to research,publication, open access, education, and public awareness to grey
literature.
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GreyNet Stakeholders● Associate , Institutional, and Individual Members● Recognized Partners● Conference Hosts and Sponsors● Authors and Researchers● Service Providers● Committee Members● Journal Editors

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GreyNet Sustained Resources□ 2003 Relaunch GreyNet.org□ 2003 Relaunch Int. Conference Series on Grey Literature□ 2004 GreyNet Annual Award Dinner□ 2005 The Grey Journal (TGJ)□ 2007 GreyNet Preprints in OpenSIGLE / OpenGrey□ 2009 GreyNet Workshop Series□ 2010 GreyNet Social Media (LinkedIn)□ 2012 GreyNet Datasets in DANS Archive□ 2013 GreyGuide Repository

9GreyNet Intended Purposes□ Relaunch GreyNet.org after a 3 year (2000-2002), non-active period to develop GL as a field in LIS□ Relaunch GL Conference Series after a 3 year (2000-2002) interval to fuel research in the field of GL□ GreyNet Annual Award Dinner to recognize outstanding achievement in GL and to honor stakeholders□ The Grey Journal (TGJ) in order to establish a flagship journal for the grey literature community□ GreyNet Conference Preprints in OpenSIGLE (OpenGrey) to comply with the Open Access Initiative□ GreyNet Workshop Series to further education and training in the field of grey literature□ GreyNet Social Media (LinkedIn) to broaden the social network and generate new sources of content□ GreyNet Datasets in DANS Archive to capture and make accessible non-textual data linked to full-texts□ GreyGuide Repository to house both proposed and published good practices in grey literature105

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GreyNet Resource Development□ GreyNet.org – Associate Members (Corporate Authorship), Partnerships, New Infrastructure 2014
□ International Conference Series on Grey Literature – Annual event, Call for Posters, Call for Tenders□ GreyNet Annual Award Dinner – expanded to honor individual research as well as organizations□ The Grey Journal (TGJ) – LISTA-FT, National Prize 2008, A&I Services, Special Winter Issues□ GreyNet Conference Preprints in OpenSIGLE – OpenGrey, Retro-Input, Cross-linking, WWS, OpenAIRE□ GreyNet Workshop Series – GreyWorks, GreyForum, Ad hoc□ GreyNet Social Media – LinkedIn, Twitter, Netvibes, Facebook□ GreyNet Datasets in DANS Archive – Enhanced Publications Project (EPP) now integrated in Workflow□ GreyGuide Repository – new release now also serving as GreyNet’s Web Access Portal

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GreyNet Sources of Data & Statistics● In-house Excel and Outlook files● Conference Evaluation Forms● Estimated time recorded● Web Stats (Network Solutions)● Licensed Journal Stats (EBSCO)● Service Provider Stats (OpenGrey, DANS, GreyGuide)● Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)126

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Training Module : Part Two

7.

8.
• Formulate key
survey questions

9.
• Compare survey
results withavailable data andstatistics• Establish accepted
level of disparity• Recommendations

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The slides for Steps 7 and 8 are presented back-to-back147

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Types of GreyNet Stakeholders http://www.greynet.org
GreyNet identifies several types of stakeholders: Members (Associate, Institutional, and Individual), RecognizedPartners, Conference Hosts and Sponsors, Authors and Researchers, Service Providers, Committee Members,
and Journal Editors
Q1. Check the appropriate box (boxes) in which you would place yourself?

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GreyNet.org Website Statistics(page views)
51000
50000
49000
48000
47000
46000
45000
44000
43000
42000
41000

2013

2014

2015

2013

2014

2015

44395

46746

50441

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International Conference Series on Grey Literature (ISSN 1385-2308)
Since 1993, sixteen conferences have already taken place in the GL-Series
Q2. In how many of the 16 conferences in this series have you participates?

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TextRelease.com Website Statistics(page views)20000
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
02013

2014

2015

2013

2014

2015

14792

14125

18062

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GreyNet's Annual Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Grey LiteratureOver the years, hundreds of presentations have been given in the GL-Conference Series. Each year, the resultsfrom written participant evaluations form an important criteria in determining a GreyNet Award recipient.
Q3. Approximately, how many GreyNet Award Recipients do you know by name?

19

GreyNet Award
1999-201518 Recipients
10 Countries- GreyGuide ‘15- DANS Archive ‘15- Nuclear Accidents ‘14- Public Awareness ‘13- Management ‘12- NGO’s ‘11- OpenGrey ‘10- Research ‘10- Legal Rights ‘09- Physics Community’08- Karst Community ‘07- Open Access ‘06- CRIS Community ‘05- Marine Sciences ‘04- Methodology ‘00- Journal Editor ‘99

2010

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The Grey Journal, An International Journal on Grey Literature (ISSN 1574-1796)
The Grey Journal (TGJ) is the only one of its kind in this field of library and information science and for this it
received an award in 2008.
Q4. Approximately, how many times have you read and/or cited an article from this journal?

21TGJ article downloads(EBSCO LISTA-FT)
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600

TGJ Grey Journal(page views greynet.org)

400
200
250002013

2014

2015

2013

2014

2015

1386

1386

1749

2000
1500
1000
50002013

2014

2015

2013

2014

2015

1763

1766

2345

22

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GreyNet's Collection of Conference Preprints in OpenGrey http//www.opengrey.eu/
The OpenGrey Repository houses the most current and comprehensive collection of full-text conference
preprints in the field of grey literature.
Q5. Approximately, how many times have you accessed this repository in the past year?

23OpenGrey referrals from GreyNet.org
2014

2015

1039

1026

OpenGrey page views on GreyNet.org
2013

2014

2015

1748

3009

3221

OpenGrey Stats: Full text Downloads
2014

2015

38042424

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GreyNet's channels of Social MediaSocial Media is both a means of connecting communities of shared interest as well as generating new textual
and non-textual content. Currently, GreyNet maintains four channels of social media (LinkedIn, Twitter,Netvibes, and its own Listserv).
Q6. Approximately, how many times have you posted, shared, or ‘liked’ content via GreyNet’s channels ofsocial media?

25Social Media2013

2014

2015

GreyNet Listserv/Distribution ListActive Recipients

LinkedIn Members

289

530600

2013

2014

2015

Twitter Followers-425865

Facebook Friends--

65

833875

925

26

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GreyNet's Published Datasets in DANS Data Archive https://easy.dans.knaw.nl/
Data counts as science output and should be archived for further reference, citation, and use.
Q7. Approximately, how many times have you accessed one of GreyNet’s datasets either housed in DANS oranother data archive?

27DANS page views on GreyNet.org1000100

GreyNet dataset usage via DANS 2015••••••

GreyNet had 21 records in DANS to which one or more datasets are linked
GreyNet’s collection of datasets in DANS had been downloaded 82 times
85,7% of the datasets had been down loaded at least once
14,3% had not been downloaded
The average dataset had been downloaded 3,9 times
One dataset accounts for 15,8% of the downloads.

1012014

2015

763

790
28

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Workshops and Seminars on Grey Literature
The grey literature community spans diverse topics and subject areas and involves organizations in both thepublic as well as private sector.
Q8. Apart from GreyNet’s own workshops and seminars, how many events (onsite or online) have you
participated in, where grey literature was featured on the program?

29"GreyForum is a series of onsite and online courses, seminars, and workshops where grey literatureprovides common ground for information professionals in the process of knowledge transfer"
The GreyForum Series
Information Ethics

January 2013

Information Rights

November 2013

Policy Development

Digital Preservation

April 2014

November 20153015

19-Sep-16GreyNet's Web Access Portal is the GreyGuide http://greyguide.isti.cnr.it/
The GreyGuide Repository and Portal is a community driven enterprise that provides open access to collections
and other shared resources in the field of grey literature.
Q9. Approximately, how many times have you submitted content or accessed the GreyGuide?

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GreyGuide Repository
Pages

GreyNet referrals to GreyGuide
Hits

1500
1000

September 2015 | 1861

September 2015 | 2975

September 2016 | 11593*

September 2016 | 12234*

5000*WorldWideScience.org

20142015924

1299

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The results of this Stakeholder Survey will be presented during the Seventeenth International Conference on
Grey Literature held on December 1-2, 2015. If you would be willing to comment further on how GreyNet canbetter serve its stakeholders, please enter your contact details in the space below.
Q10. Name, Organization and Email Address:
29 Responses
48 Non-Responses

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Examples of Marginal Disparity
In Question Two, a near 53% of the survey respondents “never participated” in oneof the sixteen GL Conferences, while stats and data relating to the conference series
demonstrate increases.
The wording of the question may have been cause for disparity. Researchers and coauthors, while physically absent from a conference are considered to have participated via
their content contribution to the program.
In Question Three, a near 53% of the survey respondents could not name one of thesixteen GreyNet Award Recipients.
The wording of the question may have been cause for the disparity. Perhaps the question
should have been directed more to the respondent’s awareness that an Annual Award for
Outstanding Achievement in the field of Grey Literature is presented.

Leveraging Grey Resources17

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Examples of Significant Disparity
In Question Six, over 67% of the survey respondents had not posted, shared, or liked
content via one of GreyNet’s channels of social media - even though stats indicate anincreasing number of members and a steady number of new postings.
Relatively, only a few members provide content and feedback via GreyNet’s social media.
The significant majority can be categorized as passive recipients. However, they do remain
potential contributors.
In Question Seven, 80% of the survey respondents had not accessed one ofGreyNet’s datasets in DANS or in another data archive.
Just over 6.1% (21) of the 344 metadata, full-text records are currently crosslinked toaccompanying data files. Now that the acquisition of data is part of GreyNet’s workflow, thepotential to increase access and use of data relies on input from the authors andresearchers.

Leveraging Grey Resources

Some Closing Comments
In order to maintain and improve GreyNet’s positional advantage and ability to act
effectively on behalf of its stakeholders, recent action has been undertaken to further
leverage two of its sustained resources:● Social Media
Since the close of the stakeholder survey, a GreyNet Facebook account has been opened by
the Community Management Committee alongside its LinkedIn, Twitter, and Netvibes
accounts.

● Datasets
A poster on submitting datasets in the DANS Data Archive was presented at GL17(Amsterdam, 2015) and a follow-up is planned for GL18 (New York, 2016)

Leveraging Grey Resources18