Some Aspects of “Grey Literature” in Brazil

摘要

While archaeological research in Brazil was initiated by foreigners working for museums, archaeological research by Brazilian citizens was initially bound directly to the academy. Results consisting of descriptive reports containing information about cultural and environmental evidence were published frequently and placed in academic research center libraries, despite financial difficulties on the part of academic researchers. During the 1970s and 1980s research increased while publications decreased, mainly due to lack of financial resources as the Brazilian economy was facing a serious recession. Even so, because the archaeological community was small, information was still somehow available. Yet, in Brazil language barriers, economic factors (such as recession and a burgeoning of relatively unregulated developmental growth), changing laws, and attitudes about accessibility affect the production and use of professional reports. Contract archaeologists produce many reports but these are not filed in central repositories so they are not readily accessible to the academic world and the public. These are issues that are important in Brazil but are faced the world over when people with variable training and ambitions conduct archaeological research and produce reports at ever increasing paces. Hopefully awareness is the first step to a local and more global solution.