The Grey Lit Café

Anthony Haynes writes: In our previous episode, How effective are essays as an academic genre?, we examined essays specifically as a tool for assessment in academic contexts. In this episode we return to the genre of essays but consider their use on courses outside examinations. Engy Moussa and I debate the strengths and weaknesses of the genre - and try to remain polite without holding back on our disagreements!Further listeningWe hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest:Dissertations and books: how are they related?On line lectures: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practiceCreditsSound production: Bart Hallmark (who on this episode struggled nobly with poor recording quality!)Music: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: On The Grey Lit Café we frequently focus on specific genres.* In this episode, we focus on the genre of essays. In particular, we discuss the use of essays in examinations. Engy Moussa (University of Cambridge) and I debate:the strengths and weaknesses of essays as an assessment toolmultiple ways to help students improve the quality of their essays*Examples include abstracts, blogs, book proposals, dissertations, emails, funding proposals, letters, online lectures, newsletters, pitches, preprints, podcasts, posters, reports, and white papers.Further listeningWe hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest:Dissertations and books: how are they related?On line lectures: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practiceReferenceStella Cottrell, The study skills handbook (Palgrave)CreditsSound production: Bart Hallmark (who on this episode struggled nobly with poor recording quality!)Music: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Policy Commons is on a mission to make grey literature - especially in the form of reports, more discoverable and accessible. Its content platform, Coherent Digital, hosts over 12 million documents - and the number is growing rapidly.Who better to discuss this massive initiative than Toby Green, Founder and Publisher of Policy Commons? In this episode, Toby explains what Policy Commons is, what it exists for, where it's going next, and, crucially, the benefits that it provides to stakeholders - notably publishers, librarians, and readers.In the process, Toby provides an expert perspective on several themes concerning grey literature in general. They include the definition and characterisation of grey literature, questions of scope and scale, and the need to make digital publications sustainable (notably through persistent identifiers). LinksPolicy Commons website: https://policycommons.net/Our episode with John Barbrook: Decolonising the library and grey literatureFurther listeningWe hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest:David Baxter on effective grey literature: the case of reports on gamblingSponsored reports: David Baxter on the interface between research and policyInnovation in grey literature dissemination: Cora Cole on GreyLitCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes is the author and publisher of an extensive series of Writing Protocols. In this episode, Engy Moussa interviews Anthony on how to produce protocols in order to get things done - and get them done well.In the process, they discuss such questions as:What is a protocol?How to compose protocolsHow are they used and what is their rationale?What is the relationship between protocols and learning?Further listeningWe hope you found this episode rewarding. If so, you might find the following of particular interest:How to write abstracts (I): structure and toneHow to write abstracts (II): processesThe case of case studies, with Dr Farrah ArifCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: In this, our latest genre-based, episode, Engy Moussa and I explore newsletters - primarily from the perspective of the reader. We range widely, exploring questions concerning quantity, spatial design, schedules, the reading journey, distinction, and offputting features. And we review our favorite examples, asking what can be learned from them about the art of the newsletter.And, finally, we consider the benefits to writers of contributing to newsletters.LinksOur episode on managing emails: Managing emailsOur episode on Robin Williams' book: The non-designer's design book The Royal Mint: www.royalmint.comBuzzsprout Weekly: www.buzzsprout.com/2366845/shareJenni Field: From chaos to calmBritish Ecological Society: newsletterJames Clear: 3-2-1Further listeningWe hope you've found this episode a rewarding listen. If so, you might enjoy the following genre-based episodes:White papers: what are they? what are they for? how do they add value?How to get blogging and stay blogging Support the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: It was a treat for this episode to be able to interview Rob Johnson, founder and Managing Director of Research Consulting Ltd. RC is a long-established organisation dedicated to improving the effectiveness and impact of research and scholarly communication. Rob and his colleagues have worked on a vast range of projects with a variety of stakeholders, including funding agencies, universities, learned societies, and, increasingly, publishers. This wide-ranging interview provides a multitude of insights into all things grey - including the changing landscape (including open access), genres ((including reports and alternatives to them), and the process of co-creation.In particular, Rob provides guidance on such topics as metadata and infrastructure, sustainability of publications, the marketing and promotion of research comms, and the crucial role in communication behaviours of incentives.LinkResearch Consulting's website is here: https://www.research-consulting.com/Frontinus's white paper, Research Communication and Grey Literature, is available here: https://writeyourresearch.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/03-nov-20-white-on-grey.pdf.Further listeningWe hope you've found this episode a rewarding listen. If so, you might enjoy the following episodes:David Baxter on effective grey literature: the case of reports on gamblingInnovation in research dissemination: Cora Cole on GreyLitSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

One question we explore on this podcast is that of antecedents: what came before podcasts? This episode tells the wonderfully rich history of chautauquas - an enterprising means of bringing entertainment and informal education to small-town America. Chautauquas can be thought of as a kind of predigital Spotify.Reference James R. Schultz, The romance of small-town chautauquas (Univ. of Missouri Press, 2002)Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following:Where do podcasts come from? Letters as an antecedentHow to get blogging and stay bloggingCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: This episode is the third of our series on the relationship between letters and grey literature.  In the first, we made the case, using the case of the correspondence of communications theorist I.A. Richards, for considering letters as a form of grey literature. In the second, using the case of correspondence between George Lyttleton and Rupert Hart-Davis, we explore the idea of letters as an antecedent of podcasts.Now we consider what implications the idea of counting letters as a genre of grey literature has for the way we define grey literature.We discuss various definitions of #greylit, notably those related to publishers, genres, and distribution channels. We argue that such definitions are problematic and that consideration of letters helps to highlight several faultlines. Overall, the most established definitions of grey literature need overhauling.Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following:But what about letters: their scholarly use as grey literatureWhere do podcasts come from?Why we need to talk about silver literatureCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: Cultural forms and communicative genres tend not to emerge from a vacuum: they tend to emerge from existing forms. In the case of podcasts, obvious candidates include lectures, essays, sermons, and radio interviews. And, we suggest here, letters. In this, the second of a series of three episodes devoted to the topics of letters,  we examine the resemblance between podcasting and letters.Using as a case study the literary correspondence between George Lyttleton and Rupert Hart-Davis, we explore the significance of various aspects of content and form, ranging from voice and types of orality to friendship and disagreement.ReferenceThe Lyttleton Hart-Davis letters were published in six volumes by John Murray (1978-84).Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following:But what about letters: their scholarly use as grey literatureOnline lecturing, with Bart HallmarkCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Grey literature covers a multitude of genres - for example, reports, white papers, preprints, and newsletters. But what about letters?Letters are not usually listed amongst grey literature forms, but this episode puts the case for why letters should sometimes be considered as grey literature. Reflecting on the letters of literary theorist I.A. Richards, the episode both examines the advantages of considering letters in this light and explores issues and implications that arise from this way of thinking.References and linksGreyNet International's list of document types is here: https://thegreylitcafe.buzzsprout.com/1936705/13201726-understanding-preprints-with-jonny-coates.Selected letters of I.A. Richards, edited by John Constable (Oxford: Clarendon, 1990).Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode , you might also enjoy the following episodes:Consuming grey literature: a reader's perspectiveThe business of professional writingUnderstanding preprints, with Jonny CoatesCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Overwriting - producing a draft that exceeds your word (or page) limit - is an extremely common problem amongst writers in science, research, and professional areas. In this episode, Engy Moussa interviews Anthony Haynes. They examine why this problem arises, what harm it does, and, crucially, how to overcome the problem. The discussion outlines practical solutions, with an emphasis on how to prevent the problem from arising. Topics include the psychology of writing and techniques for planning, reviewing, and editing.Further listeningWe hope you enjoyed listening to this episode. You might also enjoy:Wasted words: our antidote to verbosityGrey literature workflows: the surprising role of pen & paperDon't fall in love with your work: Sabuhi Essa on creative processesCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: On The Grey Lit Café we frequently explore grey literature by genre. Here we extend our coverage to the genre of case studies.To guide us, we interview Dr Farrah Arif, Senior Lecturer at the University of Hull. Farrah takes us on an expert, and enthusiastic, tour of the genre, taking in:how case studies work and what they are used forthe attraction of case studies and their benefitswhat to do when writing cases - and what not to dohow to develop as an author of case studiesFurther listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might find the following of interest:The art of pitching, with Dr Yuxia ZouOnline lecturing, with Dr Bart HallmarkHow meetings work, with Dr Carrie GoucherReferences and linksShawn Callahan, Putting stories to work (Pepperberg Press), reviewed on our podcast here: https://thegreylitcafe.buzzsprout.com/1936705/13793500-review-putting-stories-to-work-by-shawn-callahan.Ken Jones, Designing your own simulations (Methuen, 1985).David A. Kolb, Experiential Learning: experience as the source of learning and development (Prentice Hall, Inc., Pearson Education, 1983)CreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: I've long fought for a greater appreciation of forms of serious communication, other than just books and journal papers - forms such as reports, white papers, presentations, and blogs.But it's difficult because the collective term for such forms is 'grey [or 'grey'] literature', which is a term likely to enthuse anyone.'Grey' too easily evokes dullness and drabness. So the term won't do. Instead, I propose 'silver literature' - a term that does more justice to the sense that such works are valuable. Silver literature constitutes a vault of huge value.Why, even those users of research who continue to assert that peer-reviewed journal papers represent a 'gold standard' of scientific communication must surely acknowledge that.Here, then, to mark our 50th episode is a proposal: speak not of grey lit, but of silver lit. #silverlitFurther listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might find the following of interest:The games we play in science and research communicationWelcome to The Grey Lit CaféAnother season over and what have we done?ReferencesThomas Gray, 'Elegy written in a  country churchyard'CreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Many engineers need to give presentations. They do so in a variety of contexts - for example, as part of a pitch, project report, conference, or  job application. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a top-quality resource on how to do presentations, specifically about engineering?Well, there is! This episode introduces Rothwell & Cloud's Engineering speaking by design,ReferenceEdward J. Rothwell & Michael J. Cloud, Engineering Speaking by Design: Delivering Technical Presentations with Real Impact (Routledge)Further listeningWe hope you enjoyed listening to this episode. You might also enjoy:Review: Putting stories to work, by Shawn CallahanThe art of pitching, with Yuxia ZouWordclouds: a neglected form of grey literatureCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Word processing has been around a long time now - so long, that we barely use the phrase anymore. So dominant in our workflows has it become that we act as though there's no need to distinguish it - as if there is simply no alternative. So pen and paper have become redundant forms of technology then?Well, no, actually. This episode dares, unfashionably, to explore how non-digital technology can contribute to the workflows used in the creation of pieces of professional and scientific communication.And before anyone shouts, "Technophobia!" - no, not a bit. The argument is simply that different forms of technology have different capacities and potentials - and that there are some processes where pen and paper can come into their own.In the process, we explore document design, types of paper, and the nature of composition,Reference and linksSven Birketts, The Gutenberg Elegies (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2006)The pen shop in Oxford is Pens Plus.Further listeningIf you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy the following episodes:Don't fall in love with your work: Sabuhi Essa on creative processesWasted words: our antidote to verbosityLearning to become design literate: a key resourceSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

You can wait a long time for ambitious innovations in the communication of science and research - and then two come along together.In our previous episode, Scholarly Podcasts, Mack Hagood articulated his thinking behind a novel approach to podcasting.Now we're delighted to publish our interview with Prof. Giovanni Salucci (University of Florence) and Dr Erika Paoletti on a novel approach to blogging.Blogging, of course, is no longer new to the field of scientific and scholarly communication. But in this interview Giovanni and Erika introduce a bold innovation - the notion of 'quality blogs' (QBs)They explain what QBs are, how they relate to both other forms of blogs and journal papers, and the crucial role of metadata. Though the interviews with Giovanni & Erika and Mack are designed to make sense independently, we suggest they're best thought of as a  diptych. Together, they indicate ways to enrich the communication of serious content.References and linksThe proposal for QBs is outlined in 'The Quality Blog: Proposal of a New Format in Lieu of Academic Research Blog' (Journal of Scholarly Publishing, Volume 54 Issue 4, October 2023, pp. pp. 524-551).Further listeningIf you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy the following:Scholarly podcasts, with Mack HagoodInnovation in research dissemination, with Cora ColeOnline lecturing, with Bart HallmarkSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: Many scientists and researchers have come to realise that communicating their work effectively requires them to tell a story.But how?One resource is brilliant at answering that question: Putting stories to work, by Shawn Callahan. This review introduces some of Callahan's key insights and recommendations.ReferenceShawn Callahan, Putting stories to work (Pepperberg Press).Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following:The case of case studies, with Dr Farrah ArifThe games we play in science and communicationCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Anthony Haynes writes: Nobody could accuse The Grey Lit Café of ignoring innovation in the communication of science and research! In fact, we're delighted to showcase innovative thinking, as in such episodes as  Innovation in research dissemination: Cora Cole on GreyLitOnline lecturing: Bart Hallmark on pitfalls and good practiceUnderstanding preprints with Jonny Coates- and shortly we'll be publishing an interview with Giovanni Salucci on his notion of 'the quality blog'. Here, in an episode fizzing with intellectual excitement, Mack Hagood develops some innovative thinking on podcasting.This episodeWhy should scholarship be done aloud? And how should 'sonic' scholarship be done?In pursuit of the answers to these questions, Mack Hagood (Associate Professor of Media and Communication at Miami University, Ohio) distinguishes between three types of podcast: 'hi-fi, mid-register'; 'lo-fi, high-register'the 'third way'  podcast - the form that Mack proposes as an alternative form to journal papers. In the process, Mack delves into the characteristics and the benefits of this new form.References and linksMack Hagood, 'The scholarly podcast: form and function in audio academia' in Jeremy Wade-Morris & Eric Hoyt, Saving new sounds: podcast preservation and historiography (University of Michigan, 2021).Mack Hagood's sites include:MactrasoundPhantom Power The researcher mentioned at Cambridge Judge Business School is Pearl Phaovisaid.The book on narrative is Shawn Callahan, Putting stories to work (Pepperberg Press, 2016).Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might also enjoy:Writing reports successfullySponsored reportCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel'Support the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Though opinions differ on the scope of grey literature, there's consensus that white papers represent a core genre of white papers.This episode examines the place of white papers in the grey literature landscape. In particular, itexplores what constitutes the essence of white papers, distinguishing them from such forms as (a) pure marketing material and (b) technical documentsexamines the purpose and value of white papersReferencesMichael A. Stelzner, Writing white papers (Whiepapersource, 2007)Jonathan Kantor, Crafting white paper 2.0 (Lulu, 2009)Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might also enjoy:Writing reports successfullySponsored reportCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences.We provideconsultancymentoringediting and writingtrainingand work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.Support the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.

Much of the content on The Grey Lit Café is pragmatic, concerned with how to improve the creation or management of grey literature ('greylit'). And some of it is conceptual. concerned with how to inform our thinking about greylit.This episode seeks to make a contribution by combining the two sets of concerns.From a pragmatic point of view, we consider how to improve the processes involved in the creation of such documents as grant proposals and responses to peer review.From a conceptual point of view, we consider how the key processes involved in greylit represent a form of game-playing. We draw here on the notion of 'homo ludens' as articulated by Johan Huizinga in his great work, Homo Ludens (1938)Recognizing the games involved in such processes as obtaining funding or getting a paper accepted for publication helps writers to interact effectively with other players (such as grant committees, editors, and peer reviewers) and to produce successful texts.ReferenceJohan Huizinga, Homo ludens (Angelico Press, 2016)Further listeningIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you might particularly enjoy the following:Why we need to talk about silver literatureWordclouds: a neglected form of grey literatureCreditsSound production: Bart HallmarkMusic: from Handel's Water Music, courtesy of the United States Marine Band and Marine Chamber OrchestraSupport the showAbout the publisherThis episode is published by Frontinus Ltd. We're a communications consultancy that helps organisations and individuals to communicate scientific, professional, and technical content to non-specialist audiences. We provide consultancy mentoringediting and writingtraining and work on presentations, bids and proposals, and publications (for example, reports and papers).To learn more about services or explore ways of working together, please contact us via our website, http://frontinus.org.uk/.