Gray literature refers to information which is not conventionally published (as books or journal articles, for example). Often such literature lacks a formal publisher, making it difficult to find through library databases. Gray literature includes theses and dissertations, conference papers, government publications, and industry white papers.
A white paper is an authoritative and detailed report often, but not always, issued by businesses or government agencies. White papers help readers understand issues and the policies meant to address them. In business, white papers sometimes take the form of marketing presentations.
Gray literature ma provide you with salient and important information on a topic, including industry statistics, company performance, business strategy, market analysis, and more.