Library Tools for Finding Policy Documents
- Policy File Index This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations, subject indexing, and abstracts)
Find reports on public policy topics from major think tanks, research organizations, and advocacy groups including the Hoover Institution, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, RAND Corporation, and the World Bank. Covers 1990-current. - CQ Political Reference Suite This link opens in a new window
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Search across multiple CQ publications including CQ Researcher, statistics, directories, political encyclopedias, almanacs and handbooks. - ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
The record of Congressional activities, current and past. Includes legislation, hearings, research reports, and more.
In ProQuest Congressional (above), be sure to filter to CRS reports.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a trusted, non-partisan research service for Congress providing research and analysis on policy issues. CRS Reports are a rich resource for any kind of policy research.
- ProQuest Politics Collection This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations, subject indexing, and some full text)
Search across several individual databases at once: PAIS Index, Policy File Index, ProQuest Political Science Database, and Worldwide Political Science Abstracts. - CQ Magazine This link opens in a new window
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This weekly magazine tracks what happens in Congress each week. Search here for articles about legislation and policy relevant to your topic. - Factiva This link opens in a new window
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Factiva's indexed news content allows you to narrow a keyword search with great specificity. Use the government and politics section to find think tank, research organization, and journalistic commentary on issues of government and politics.
Topical Policy Resources
- Prison Policy InitiativeIf you're looking for statistics and data, this is an especially helpful source
Advanced Google Tips for Finding Policy Documents
Google allows you to filter or narrow to specific types of results if you know the tricks. Here are some ways to find policy documents using Google.
Limit to a known web site
policing site:justicepolicy.org
Limit to PDF documents to focus on formal reports and publications
policing site:justicepolicy.org filetype:pdf
Limit to a domain to focus on federal or state government documents, works from educational institutions, or nonprofits
policing site:.mn.us
policing site:.gov
policing site:.edu
policing site:.org
Remember to scan for where information is coming from when deciding what to click on.
- Think Tank Search Engine - Harvard Kennedy School
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Using a specialized Google search engine, directly search the web sites of hundreds of think tanks. - Public Policy Customized Search - Find Policy
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Keyword search across 14 major think tanks on US public policy.
Legislation and Policy - National Level
- ProQuest Legislative Insight This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
Maps out the Congressional debates and documents that go into enactment of all U.S. Public Laws 1789-2022, in full text, and including all hearings and reports. - ProQuest Regulatory Insight This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations, subject indexing, and some full text)
Find all the notices and the proposed and enacted rules associated with specific U.S. Public Laws and Executive Orders for 1936-2022.
Legislation and Policy - State Level
- The Book of the StatesCall Number: Online & JK2403 .B62More information in Catalyst...
Published annually by the Council of State Governments, this compendium is the definitive resource for what's happening year-by-year, at a glance but in rich detail all the same, in state legislatures. The library has 1937-current, with the most recent issue in Reference. Also now available online.
- National Conference of State LegislaturesAn excellent meta level overview of policies and legislation across the 50 states.
- State Agency Databases ProjectLinks to the agency websites for individual states.
Evaluating Think Tanks
TRAAP
- Timeframe
- Relevance - does it have the information I need? Is it created for the right audience (e.g. researchers or policy makers)? How is it connected to the topic?
- Authority - who wrote it and what makes them qualified to provide this sort of information? Would you consider this creator to be an expert in the topic at hand?
- Accuracy - are the facts correct? Can you verify them with other sources? Are claims backed up with data? Does the author provide sources? Did it go through any type of review process?
- Purpose - why was this created? What underlying motive or bias might the author or organization bring to this information?
Questions to Consider:
- Read the About section. Does the organization clearly identify its political leanings or its neutrality?
- Does the organization focus on one issue alone? If so, look carefully at its funding.
- Look up the address. Is it a street address or a post office box? Google either: Is it shared with other organizations? Do they share a suite, a phone? What is their relationship?
- These tips and more from "Writing About Think Tanks and Using Their Research: A Cautionary Tip Sheet" from Journalists Resource.
- "What Do Think Tanks Do" - The Economist ExplainsA helpful short read on the history of think tanks and how to use, contextualize, and evaluate their research.
- Foreign Affairs Online: Think Tanks
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- National Special Interest Group Ratings - Project Vote Smart
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- Policy File Index This link opens in a new window
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Read the organization descriptions in this database which includes a wide-ranging selection of think tanks and research organizations.
- Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program - U PennTTCSP conducts research on the relationship between think tanks, politics, and public policy, produces the annual Global Go To Think Tank Index, and trains researchers.
- TransparifyRanks the financial transparency of major think-tanks on a global scale.
