Managing the grey literature of a discipline through collaboration: Agecon search

AgEcon Search, http://agecon.lib.umn.edu, is an important and ground-breaking example of an alternative method of delivering current research results to many potential users. AgEcon Search, through a distributed model, collects and disseminates the grey literature of the fields of agricultural and resource economics. The development of this widely-usedWeb resource was possible through the cooperation between academic institutions, academic libraries, professional associations, and government agencies. This article will provide examples of other collaborative efforts, outline the development ofAgEcon Search and its proposed growth into AgEcon Search International, and discuss the prototype it provides for other disciplines.