Grey Literature for Health Sciences and Medicine

Proceedings or papers from a conference can be difficult to locate and smaller proceedings may be poorly indexed. They can be distributed electronically or in print formats as voulmes, a book or as a series.  It is also common for an abstract or summary to be published rather than the complete paper.

Check the sources below and consider the search tips provided.

Note: Conference proceedings may be already be included in the results from a search on your topic in databases. If you wish to limit a search to only retrieve conference papers and exclude all others, use the search tips provided.

• Web of Science

  Multi-disciplinary database including health, social sciences and sciences.
  Search Tip - Enter keywords and change the default 'Topic' search to 'Conference' 

• Scopus (Elsevier)

  Multi-disciplinary database including health, social sciences and sciences.
  Search Tip - Enter keywords and choose 'Conference' from the drop down menu 'Search Within'

• Embase
  Search Tip - Search for keywords and then use Additional Limits and select Conference Paper from the Publication Types panel

• IEEE Xplore Conference Proceedings

  The IEEE Xplore digital library contains full text proceedings from over 1,200 IEEE and IET annual conferences
  Search Tip - Search keywords and then apply the Conferences limit.  Number shown is reliant on results.

• SocINDEX with Full Text (EBSCHOhost)

  Sociology and related social study disciplines.
  Search Tip - Search for keywords and then limit your search to Publication Type = Conference Proceeding

• BMC Proceedings (Journal)
  BMC Proceedings is an online, open access journal publishing proceedings of conferences across all scientific and clinical disciplines, including peer-reviewed full-length articles, collections of abstracts and meeting reports

• University of Melbourne Library Catalogue

  Search Tip - Search by title of conference.

• Trove (National Library of Australia)
  Searches Australian library collections. Search Tip - Search by title of conference

• WorldCat
  Searches library collections around the world. Search Tip -- Search by title of conference.

1. If you know the name of a conference or the host organisation, try and locate the conference website via Google.

2. If you don't know the name of specific conference, try a broad Google search with your discipline area e.g. Nursing conferences

3. Consider expanding this search with alternative terms such as symposium, colloquia, convention, congress, forum etc.

4. To identify conference names, browse conference directories:

• All Conference Alert

  All Conference Alerts provides conference alerts and information regarding upcoming International Conferences to be held world wide.

• World Conference Alerts
  World conference alerts is an online platform where you can get the details about the conferences, seminars, workshops and other related events.

See the guide for Advanced Google Search Techniques