Guides: Politics Research Guide: Policy Brief

Research Centers and Think Tanks

Think tanks and research centers are great places to find research on policy and policy recommendations. Remember to always investigate their "About Us" page, donors, and contributors to be aware of any potential bias.

Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions.
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to conduct in-depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance at local, national, and global levels
RAND Corperation
RAND is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.
Policy Archive
PolicyArchive is a comprehensive digital library of public policy research containing over 30,000 documents. Search summaries and full texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research.
Harvard: Think Tank Search
A Google Custom Search of more than 1200 think tanks and research centers managed by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Find Policy
Find Policy is the fastest way to find policy options. We target your search to leading policy research organizations.
This solves a problem: search for policy with normal Google, and you will be swamped. With Find Policy you get quality results from leading think tanks.
National Bureau of Economic Research
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is a private, nonpartisan organization that facilitates cutting-edge investigation and analysis of major economic issues. It disseminates research findings to academics, public and private-sector decision-makers, and the public by posting more than 1,200 working papers and convening more than 120 scholarly conferences, each year.
The Department of State (DOS)
The Department of State (DOS) advises the President and leads the nation in foreign policy issues. The State Department negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign entities and represents the United States at the United Nations. Virew their various departments and the country's current foreign policy issues.

Evaluating Resources

Use this checklist to determine if a source is appropriate:

Authority: Who wrote it? What credentials does s/he have? [PhD, affiliation with university]

Source: Where was it published? How was it selected for publication? [look at submission guidelines for evidence of peer review or other editorial processes]

Currency: When was it published? Has it appeared in other forms with/out revision?

Research: Are other sources cited in a bibliography/reference list? Are foot/endnotes used?

Bias: Is there an objective viewpoint? Is the author making assertions without documentation, or with questionable documentation? [e.g., her/his own work, crackpots]