Context

By attending this training, you will learn how to locate high-quality evidence that is often missed in traditional database searches, helping you conduct more comprehensive research, make better-informed decisions, and produce stronger reviews and reports.

Who should attend 

HSE Staff and authorised users of the HSE Library Service who are undertaking literature reviews, research projects, service evaluations, or evidence syntheses, where comprehensive searching is essential to minimise publication bias and ensure a broader evidence base.

Why you should attend 

1. Find evidence that isn't available in traditional databases

Many valuable reports, guidelines, policy documents, theses, conference proceedings, audits, and government publications are not indexed in databases like Medline. Learning where and how to search for these sources can significantly broaden your evidence base.

2. Reduce publication bias

Published journal articles are more likely to report positive findings. Grey literature can provide access to negative, inconclusive, or unpublished studies, giving a more balanced and comprehensive view of the evidence.

3. Strengthen systematic reviews and literature reviews

Comprehensive searches are essential for high-quality reviews. Searching grey literature helps ensure important evidence is not overlooked and increases the credibility and robustness of your work.

4.  Improve evidence-based decision-making

Healthcare organisations, governments, and professional bodies often publish reports and guidance that may be more current than journal publications. Accessing these resources can support better-informed clinical, management, and policy decisions.

5. Learn efficient search techniques

Grey literature searching can be challenging because there is no single database.

This training will teach you:

• Where to search
• How to develop a search strategy
• How to document searches properly
• How to assess the quality and relevance of sources

6. Save time and increase confidence

Learn a structured approach that makes finding relevant information faster, more efficient, and reproducible.

7. Enhance your research skills

Grey literature searching is a valuable skill for researchers, healthcare professionals, students, quality improvement staff, and anyone involved in evidence-based practice.