GMA 300 U.S. Foreign Policy: Home

What are Think Tanks?

Think Tanks are a great place to look for information on various political and economic issues. They can provide non-partisan perspectives, solutions to big issues, and hold other organizations accountable. They are often non-profit research organizations, or NGO (non-governmental organizations), providing public policy analysis and research. Writing about think tanks and using their research: A cautionary tip sheet, provides a great overview of what think tanks are and how to evaluate them. 

How to Find Them

• Penn Libraries has a comprehensive list of Public Policy Research Think Tanks, including U.S. and Worldwide.
• Georgetown University Library also has an online guide on International Relations and Foreign Policy, including  policy databases and think tank directories.
• You also simply use Google searching "Foreign Policy think tanks." 

How to Evaluate Think Tanks

There is still a strong need to evaluate these resources and be aware of fake organizations or conflicts of interests for funding or donations. Consider the following when you looking at Think Tanks and Watchdog organizations: 

1. Review the "About Us" page, can you identify the following:
   1. Do they have a mission or goals statement, or history of the organization?
   2. Who are the contributors, authors, board of trustees? What are their credentials? What makes them an expert? Google them!
   3. Do they have information about their standards, research methods, etc.?
2. Look at a few of the articles, reports or commentary.
   1. What kind of topics do they cover?
   2. How do they collect data or conduct their research?
   3. Can you identify any bias?
3. What do other people say about this organization?
   1. Are they connected with government agencies, political parties or organizations that give you pause?
   2. Where do they fall on this Global Go To Think Tank Index?