The fine-grained sedimentary rock has an important position in sedimentary rocks, but it has been often overlooked because of its seemingly simple appearance. Meanwhile, due to limitation of ultra-microcosmic experimental conditions, deposition and dia- genesis of fine-grained sediments remain a relatively weake research field in sedimentology, even in geology. With exploration and development of shale oil and gas, the study of fine-grained sedimentary rocks becomes increasingly urgent. However, there are sev- eral issues deserving of attention in the current study, such as to utilize sedimentology, reservoir geology and stratigraphy compre- hensively, to combine high-resolution observation instruments with geophysical recognition techniques, experimental simulation and other methods, to search for theoretical breakthrough and method innovations, the standardize the related concepts and terminology of fine-grained sedimentary rocks, to establish systematic and scientific classification schemes of fine-grained sedimentary rocks, to reconstruct dynamic processes of fine-grained material deposition and diagenesis, and to set up stratigraphic specification of deepwa- ter fine-grained materials. In addition, a great emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary researches and association between sci- entific significance and industrial value so as to make fine-grained sedimentary rocks receive extensive attention, gain breakthrough in progress, and serve shale oil and gas exploration and development better.