Library Guides: PLSC 387: Applied Skills in Political Science: Policy Think Tanks & Related Websites

Overview

This page provides links to think tanks and search tips for finding grey literature relevant to a variety of topics within social policy.

Grey Literature: "That which is produced on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is NOT controlled by commercial publishers." - greylit.org/about

Think Tanks, Research Organizations, and Relevant Social Policy Websites

Brookings Institution
Non-partisan research group that focuses on economic studies, foreign policy, governance studies, global economy and development, and metropolitan policy.
Center for Law and Social Policy
National, nonpartisan, anti-poverty non-profit advancing policy solutions to improve the lives of people with low incomes.
Center for the Study of Social Policy
National, non-profit policy organization dedicated to translating ideas into action, promoting public policies grounded in equity, supporting strong and inclusive communities, and advocating with and for all children and families marginalized by public policies and institutional practices.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Nonpartisan research and policy institute focused on advancing policies that promote economic justice, improve health, housing, health care, employment, and education; and lower systemic barriers to opportunity.
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
Project documents the variations in how medical resources are distributed across the united states.
Kaiser Family Foundation
KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) is a nonprofit organization focusing on national health issues, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy. KFF develops and runs its own policy analysis, journalism and communications programs, sometimes in partnership with major news organizations.
National Academy for State Health Policy
A nonpartisan organization committed to developing and advancing state health policy innovations and solutions. The site contains various forms of information, including state trackers, reports, data visualizations, toolkits, and more.
Pew Research Center
Non-partisan fact think tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. Well known for their public polling, demographic research, content analysis, and data-driven social science research.
PolicyArchive
Open-access digital archive of policy research published across research organizations. Utilize the Research Areas list to identify relevant research organizations and publications.
Urban Institute
Established in 1968 by Lyndon B. Johnson, the Urban Institute is a Washington D.C based think tank that engages in economic and social policy research.
National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE)
Not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting education leaders, practictioners, policy-makers, researchers, and community stakeholders study, design, and build equitable, high-performing, and cost-effective education and workforce development systems. See the Resource Hub for whitepapers and research on a variety of topics and countries.
Education Commission of the States (ECS)
An interstate agency that tracks education policy, translates research, provides advice, and creates opportunities for state policymakers to learn from each other. See Research & Reports for key issues and state-based information.

Evaluating Online Information

Site-Specific Searching in Google

Searching within specific web domains is a helpful strategy for locating information published by think tanks, NGOs, and government websites.

To limit Google Search results to specific websites, search the following in Google:

[Your topic/keyword] site:.gov
- Searches for your keyword on any website that ends in .gov
  - Example: homelessness site:.gov
[Your topic/keyword] site:brookings.edu
- Searches for your keyword on any page of the brookings.edu website
  - Example: homelessness site:brookings.edu
[Your topic/keyword] site:census.gov
- Searches for your keyword on any page of the census.gov website
  - Example: homelessness site:census.gov