How to increase variety of Grey Literature (GL) in ASFA: interim project report from the FBA

The Freshwater Biological Association (FBA), United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, began its project in July of 2000 to increase grey literature records in the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) index. The FBA selected 400 datasets and 800 grey literature publications on British marine and freshwater fisheries for this one year study. Grey literature and datasets are often only found on government sites and not indexed on databases. Not only would this increase the accessibility and findability of such information, but it also supports the United Nations goal of increased access to information on sustainable fisheries. The first half of the study reports that search features for such grey literature need to be improved. A sustainable repository of grey literature (at host sites) must be better managed to ensure access (retention on web sites vary resulting in broken links for some records). An update of the ASFA Thesaurus with new terms, increased cross-indexing features, and revamping the document type field for better indexing are all areas outlined to improve this project. Grey literature, which includes training materials, policy documents, and project documentation, are all valuable resources for ASFA users worldwide. - AA