View source for Information on think tanks

==Directories of International Think Tanks==

* A comprehensive description of the international think tank landscape offers James McGann[http://www.fpri.org/about/people/mcgann.html]. McGann counts more than 6500 think tanks[http://www.ony.unu.edu/Fevents-forums/Fnew/FCA/F2010/Fworld-rankings-of-thinktanks.php]. The web-based directory of think tanks can be accessed here [http://thinktanks.fpri.org/ thinktanks.fpri.org]<br/>
McGann published a report listing all those think tanks worldwide that he considers influential. Here the link to the latest ranking by McGann from 2009: World Rankings of Think-Tanks with Dr. James G. McGann (United Nations University)[http://www.ony.unu.edu/events-forums/new/CA/2010/world-rankings-of-thinktanks.php]
[www.fpri.org/research/thinktanks/mcgann.globalgotothinktanks.pdf]
*A bibliografical project listing publications by a selection of international think tanks can be looked at [http://gttwatch.jp/  Global Think Tank Watch] (Global Security Reseach Institute der Universität Keio, Japan)
* Lists of international think tanks with links to their websites (if existing) are accessable at:
** [http://www.worldpress.org/library/ngo.cfm Worldpress]
** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_think_tanks Wikipedia:List_of_think_tanks]
* The Japanese National Institute for Research Advancement compiled NIRA's World Directory of Think Tanks. It was started earlier than the above mentioned but is not up-to-date anymore (last up-date: 2005)[http://www.nira.or.jp/past/ice/nwdtt/2005/index.html]
* The Observatoire Français de Think Tanks [http://www.oftt.eu/ Observatoire Français de Think Tanks] so far has documented only 27 institutes. But it provides a journal and extensive background information on the think tanks.

==Directories of European and German Think Tanks==

* [http://www.notre-europe.eu/en/  Notre Europe] provides a list of European think tanks [http://www.notre-europe.eu/?id=71], and a number of reviews [http://www.notre-europe.eu/en/axes/european-democracy-in-action/projects/projet/think-tanks-in-europe/]
* Daniel Florian's directory of German and European think tanks currently includes 151 German [http://www.thinktankdirectory.org/directory/directory.html] and 72 European think tanks [http://www.thinktankdirectory.org/europe/index.html]. He provides brief information about think tank type (advocacy or academic) and size, and about subject areas addressed [http://www.thinktankdirectory.org Thinktank-Directory] Additionally you can find there a weblog with current background information: [http://www.thinktankdirectory.org/blog]
* The German Goethe-Institut keeps record of German academic and mostly public funded think tanks, which is thematically organized: Tanks: [http://www.goethe.de/wis/fut/prj/for/nch/en1197550.htm Deutschland denkt]
* Scattered information on French free-market libera and their management can be researched here [www.wikiberal.org/  wikiliberal] und [http://fr.liberpedia.org/  liberpedia].
* The German Journal on political consulting [http://www.vsjournals.de/index.php;do=viewmag/sid=9037311794be7e9f3914e0722185991/site=zpb/lng=de/area=pol/id=174/alloc=269/full=1 Zeitschrift für  Politikberatung] first appeared in 2008. Every now and then the journal publishes an article on think tanks, e.g. the self-portrayal of the [[Council on Public Policy]] but also analytical contributions.

==Subject Classification==

* Think tanks focussing on international relations/foreign policy: [http://www.ediplomat.com/dc/think_tanks.htm Ediplomat:Think Tanks]
* Think tanks focusing on economics and economic policy: [http://edirc.repec.org/ Economics Departments, Institutes and Research Centers in the World]and a ranking of economic think tanks: 
[http://ideas.repec.org/top/top.ttanks.html Top 25% Think Tanks, as of April 2010]
* Think tanks on environmental politics, e.g. the Ecologic Institute [http://ecologic.eu/de/3026: Ecologic]; also see McGann's presentation on think tanks focussing on environmental issues: [http://ecologic.eu/download/dinner_dialogue/2009/presentation_james_mcgann.pdf The Earthly Truth: Analyzing the Nature of Environmental Think Tanks]
* Global Development Network: [http://www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a9825923/GDN/ GDNet &#150; discussing my findings on GDNet]

==Critique of PR and manipulative activities of Think Tanks==
The following organizations offer insights into PR activities (including influencing and manipulating public opinion) of think tanks.
*[http://www.spinwatch.org.uk/  Spinwatch], see also [http://www.spinprofiles.org/] and [http://www.sourcewatch.org/  Sourcewatch] observe and interpret the activities of conservative and free-market liberal think tanks as part of an PR industry that represents and disseminates ideas of privatization, cutback of the welfare state, and general deregulation. 
* [http://insmwatchblog.wordpress.com/  insmwatchblog] observes activities of the German initiative on a new social market economy - Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft (INSM).
* [http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/  Mediamattersaction] focusses on and documents how conservative and free-market liberal think tanks are funded (mainly by U.S. foundations and corporations). 
* [http://archive.corporateeurope.org/thinktanksurvey.html Transparency unthinkable?] - this article by the NGO Corporate Europe, although from 2005 still relevant, elaborates on the fact that there is still an information gap on how European think tanks are funded.

* See also the European Transparency Initiative [http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/index_en.htm] and its register of lobbyists [http://www.ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin/] and last but not least: [http://www.lobbycontrol.de/blog Lobbycontrol] on questions of lobbying and transparency.
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