PPY 731: Fundamentals of Writing Policy Briefs (Stream): Resources & Databases

A think tank or policy institute is a research institute which performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Although many think tanks claim to be neutral, some may be considered to have a more conservative or a more liberal agenda. For example, the Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank and the Heritage Foundation is considered to be conservative. Be sure to examine the "About the Organization" page, in addition to outside sources to investigate the organization's agenda and their political views.

• Brookings

Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and global economy and development.

• Urban Institute

he Urban Institute is a Washington D.C.-based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions."

• RAND.org

RAND's research and analysis address issues that impact people around the world including security, health, education, sustainability, growth, and development.

• New America

New America, formerly the New America Foundation, is a non-partisan think tank in the United States. It focuses on a range of public policy issues, including national security studies, technology, asset building, health, gender, energy, education, and the economy.

• Mathematica Policy Research

"Mathematica Policy Research is a pioneering nonpartisan research organization dedicated to improving public well-being."

• MDRC

MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research organization based in New York City and Oakland, CA.

• The Human Rights Campaign

"The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality."

• The Children's Defense Fund

"The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities."

• Center for Law & Social Policy

"The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advancing policy solutions for low-income people."

Social Work Policy Institute

(The Social Work Policy Institute (SWPI) is a think tank established within the NASW Foundation.  It examines issues that relate to the work of social workers, including how to serve people who have multiple or complex needs and how public agencies and other structures deliver health and human services."

• Center for Strategic & International Studies

An international policy institute, the CSIS focuses on a number of topics including defense and security, governance, technology and global trends.

• Policy Archive : This collection of public policy research is gathered from sources such as the American Bar Association, the Brookings Institution, the Ford Foudnation, the Institute for Policy Studies, and others. 

You can use Google to find statistics published by federal, state, and local agencies by adding site:.gov to your keywords, such as:

• "crime statistics" site:.gov
• "teen pregnancy statistics" site:.gov

One of the easiest ways to find government information is via Google: After you type in your keywords, then type: site:.gov

This will narrow your search to only federal, state, and local government resources.

For example, you could try the following keyword searches:

• "crime statistics" site:.gov
• homeless veterans site:.gov

• RefWorks This link opens in a new window

  Bibliography manager saves your citations and formats them into APA, MLA, or other styles.

  more...

• ProQuest RefWorks Extensive Guide

What is RefWorks?

RefWorks is a web-based bibliographic software package that enables you to:

• Organize your research
• Create a bibliography in a variety of citation styles, including APA, MLA and Chicago
• Import references from many data sources
• Create bibliographies in different document formats (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.)
• Include citations while you write your paper

RefWorks Instructions

• RefWorks tutorials (YouTube)
• RefWorks Citation Manager (Microsoft Word plugin)