Overview (SC-DPRR)
A think tank’s research agenda is a vital part of its DNA; it reveals several aspects of an organisation. External audiences, whether donors, government officials, or other think tanks that may either be competing or searching for alliances, will try to make sense of your research agenda to determine your unique value.
How can you – an active think-tanker – benefit from a course on policy-relevant research agendas? This course is two sided. On the one hand, it explores the concepts and principles that can guide the strategic decisions of a research agenda. On the other, it reviews a detailed process to implement these principles.
Resources
The background note produced for this course explores these issues further and gives readers access to further resources.
Selected articles and resources:
- Methods for researching think tanks. On Think Tank Series
- Peer reviews for think tanks. On Think Tank Series
- Think tanks and their context.On Think Tank Series
- Think tanks: Definition and terminology. On Think Tank Series
- Niederle, M. (2011). Choosing and Pursuing Unusual Research Topics. Newsletter of the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession, Winter 2011.
- Ravichander, A. Building a think tank’s research agenda: An insight into CSTEP’s experience. Politics & Ideas, 2015.
- Selee, A. (2013). What Should Think Tanks Do?: A Strategic Guide to Policy Impact. Stanford University Press.
- Struyk, R. (2017) Good think tank practices for archiving research projects. On Think Tanks Best Practice Series