DSU Online Public Administration, MPA: Databases

A 'Think Tank' is a group of people, often researchers or experts in their field, who work ogether to publish reports and research with the hope of influencing public policy, laws, and government programs.

A Think Tank can be an opportunity for research to grow as many offer grants and funding towards important scienctific research. Think Tanks also have their own publications where the ideas and analyses of their experts can be shared for open debate. New ideas and innovations, that have yet to be tested, can be shared which can lead to further interest and investigation.

But watch out! Think Tanks can sometimes have an underlying affiliation or organization that leads to biases in their work. Ask yourself: 

• Does this group promote the ideas of just one political party?
• Is this group funded by a larger corporation? What does that corporation do?
• Is this group funded by a trust from a person/family and what were their personal positions on the topics discussed?

The articles in many Think Tank publications are important for learning about current opinions and ideas surrounding trends and topics. As a researcher, they can help you consider new areas of research. As a policy maker, they can help you consider different viewpoints. Just remember to compare their findings with peer-reviewed and other scholarly resources from other organizations before coming to your own conclusions.