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EDUC 390: International & Comparative Education: Finding Data and Grey Literature
Library Data Services
International Grey Literature Sources
- Amnesty International OnlineAmnesty International’s mission is to fight injustice and promote human rights. This resource contains web versions of its publications (including periodicals, reports, briefing papers, and news releases) going back to the early 1990s.
- Google Think Tank Search EngineSearches the websites of institutions that generate public policy research, analysis, and activity. These sites are affiliated with universities, governments, advocacy groups, foundations, and non-governmental organizations. The list represents a mixture of partisan and non-partisan think tanks.
- United Nations Digital LibraryThe United Nations Digital Library includes UN documents, voting data, speeches, maps, and open access publications. The platform provides access to UN-produced materials in digital format and bibliographic records for print UN documents starting in 1979. System features include linked data between related documentation such as resolutions, meeting records and voting, and refining of searches by UN body, agency or type of document.
- IGO Search EngineThis custom Google search engine searches the websites of international governmental organizations (IGOs) like NATO and the United Nations. This search engine was produced in part by the American Library Association (ALA)'s Government Documents Roundtable (GODORT) and International Documents Taskforce (IDTF). More information on the search engine is available here: https://www.ala.org/godort/taskforces/internationaldocuments/idtf/igo-search
International Education Data
- Education GPS, OECDEducation GPS makes available the data used for the "Education at a Glance" annual reports from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Data can be analyzed by country or topic. Topics include education access, student wellbeing, education governance, education equity, teachers, special needs, early childhood care and education, higher education, the impact of Covid-19, vocational training, and more.
- International Education Statistics WebsitesDirectory from NCES linking out to education data sources from other countries.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)Education datasets include grade repetition, education expenditure, out-of-school rates, teacher demographics, student demographics, graduation rates, and more.
- World Development Indicators (WDI)Under the "People" tab - datasets on employment, education inputs and outcomes, participation in education, and education gaps by income, gender, and area. Managed by the World Bank Group and dating back to 1960.
General International Data
- PolicyMapAccess social, economic, health and demographic data about U.S. communities and markets in this online mapping tool. View data on map, in table or chart format, and download those data that are openly available. Reports provide a summary snapshot of an area: Community Profile, Community Health Profile, Rental Housing Report, and Housing Mortgage Report.
- UNdataProvides simultaneous access to 14 statistical databases from the United Nations and other international organizations through one interface. Areas of coverage include agriculture, education, energy, industry, labor, national accounts, population, tourism and trade. Includes Millennium Development Goals indicators, and UN Key Global Indicators.
- World Development Indicators (WDI Online)Statistics on development indicators back to 1960 from the World Bank. Time series data cover demographic, social, economic, financial, natural resources, and environmental topics for more than 200 countries and geographic and political groupings of countries. Data are updated quarterly. Access through the online dataBank, or in Excel or CSV formats.
What is grey literature?
"Grey literature" (or "gray literature") is a term used to describe a variety of materials that fall outside the traditional publishing and distribution channels.
Grey literature can be produced by government agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and departments, and private companies.
These materials do not go through the same rigorous peer-review process that most scholarly journal articles do, but they can still provide valuable information to supplement peer-reviewed resources. Be mindful to evaluate these sources carefully and only use them when appropriate.
Examples of grey literature include:
- Government reports
- Non-profit reports
- Newsletters
- White papers
- Policy papers
- Pre-print articles
- Conference papers and proceedings
- Theses and dissertations
- Social media posts