The background of the study on investigating the ease of access and use of grey literature by

undergraduates in academic institutions is rooted in the growing importance of grey literature in

academic research. Grey literature refers to unofficial, non-commercially published, or informally
published materials, such as reports, theses, conference papers, government publications, and other
types of academic publications that are not typically indexed or included in traditional academic
databases.

By understanding the unique needs and experiences of undergraduates in accessing grey literature,
academic institutions can enhance their support services and resources to better facilitate student
research and learning.

Grey literature plays a significant role in academic research by providing valuable information that may
not be readily available in traditional scholarly publications. In academic institutions, undergraduates
can benefit from accessing and using grey literature to enhance their research projects, deepen their
understanding of a topic, and develop critical thinking skills. (appraise undergraduate). Grey literature is
occasionally the sole source for specific research questions. There has been increase in the academic
and scholarly value placed in grey literature as an original and primary source of information. Also
there’s a rapid increase of grey literature in virtually all subject areas. This is way it is highly imperative
for undergraduates to acquire these resources against any challenges.

By improving the ease of access and use of grey literature for undergraduates, academic institutions can
empower students to conduct more comprehensive research, explore diverse perspectives, and produce
high-quality academic work. This, in turn, can help students develop essential research skills that will be
valuable for their future academic and professional endeavors.

Academic institutions can address these challenges by incorporating grey literature into their
information literacy curriculum, providing access to specialized databases and repositories, and offering
training workshops on effective search strategies and source evaluation

Ease of access and usage to a comprehensive collection of grey literature is essential for students
to conduct thorough and up-to-date research.

This study aims to investigate the barriers and challenges faced by undergraduates in accessing and
using grey literature, as well as to identify potential strategies and solutions to improve their ability to
leverage these resources in their academic work.

While grey literature is a valuable and often essential resource for researchers, it poses unique
challenges for librarians in terms of identification, selection, acquisition, organization, and
accessibility. Therefore, this study seeks to identify and address these challenges in order to
improve the availability and accessibility of grey literature in academic libraries. This study aims
to investigate the specific challenges faced by librarians at Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, in
acquiring and selecting grey literature for their library collection. By examining the challenges
faced by librarians at Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, this study seeks to provide insights into the
broader issues surrounding grey literature acquisition and selection in academic libraries.
While grey literature can provide valuable information and insights for scholars in the academic
institutions, it is often overlooked or underutilized due to challenges in accessing and retrieving such
materials. Undergraduates, in particular, face difficulties in navigating the vast amount of grey literature
available. Undergraduates in academic institution face challenges in accessing and utilizing grey
literature due to factors such as the limited access to relevant databases, and insufficient guidance on
how to identify and evaluate credible sources and lack the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively
search for and evaluate these sources.
This study aims to investigate the barriers and challenges faced by undergraduates in accessing and
using grey literature, as well as to identify potential strategies and solutions to improve their ability to
leverage these resources in their academic work.

While grey literature can provide valuable information and insights for scholars in the academic
institutions, it is often overlooked or underutilized due to challenges in accessing and retrieving such
materials. Undergraduates, in particular, face difficulties in navigating the vast amount of grey literature
available. Undergraduates in academic institution face challenges in accessing and utilizing grey
literature due to factors such as the limited access to relevant databases, and insufficient guidance on
how to identify and evaluate credible sources and lack the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively
search for and evaluate these sources.
This study aims to investigate the barriers and challenges faced by undergraduates in accessing and
using grey literature, as well as to identify potential strategies and solutions to improve their ability to
leverage these resources in their academic work.