LibGuides: Public Affairs (MPA): Papers, Proceedings, Briefs, & Think Tanks

What is Grey Literature?

Grey literature is written by organizations like think thanks, research institutes, government agencies, and non-profits. It includes conference proceedings, occasional and working papers, policy papers and briefs, hearings, reports, and more.

Grey literature exists outside of and is uncontrolled by traditional academic and commercial publishers. Like any literature, it's crucial to take critical note of authorship (individual or institutional), context, and purpose, and consider the influence or such literature on politics and policy.

Accessing Grey Literature

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO)
Locate working papers, policy briefs, and current analysis and commentary, as well as scholarly journal articles, ebooks, and videos relevant for research in international politics and related fields, 1991-present.
1991-present; designed to be the most comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs. Includes working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, books, journals, policy briefs, and proceedings from conferences.
PAIS Index
Provides access to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference papers, web content, and more, 1914-present.
1914-present; includes periodicals, books, hearings, reports, gray literature, government publications, and Internet resources. Subjects include politics, public policy, government, international relations, law and ethics, human rights, economics, business, finance, and other social sciences.
Policy File Index
Provides access to articles and reports for U.S. public policy research, 1900-present.
1900-present; Policy File Index is a unique resource for U.S. public policy research in that it grants users access to timely, updated information from over 350 public policy think tanks, nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, university centres, advocacy groups, and other entities. Over 75 public policy topics are covered, from foreign policy to domestic policy. The majority of Policy File Index records link directly to the full-text report, paper, document, or other source.

IssueLab
IssueLab gathers, indexes, and shares the collective intelligence of the social sector... [providing] free access to thousands of case studies, evaluations, white papers, and issue briefs addressing some of the world's most pressing social problems." From the Foundation Center.
JStor Open Research Reports
Over 50,000 open research reports from 187 think tanks and research institutes from around the world, freely accessible to everyone on JSTOR.
NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research)
Current and historical; NBER is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. Provides data sets about macroeconomics, industry, international trade, individual income and expenditure data, etc.
NBER Working Papers
The NBER working paper series includes over 1000 papers each year, authored by leading research economists, on a wide variety of topics. These papers are circulated prior to publication for comment and discussion. The working paper series began in 1973, and now includes more than 24,000 papers.
US Government Accountability Office (GAO)
An independent, non-partisan agency that provides US Congress with fact-based reports and other data.
Congressional Research Services Reports
Search research reports from the Congressional Research Service, a department within the Library of Congress that provides objective, nonpartisan research and analysis to members of the U.S. Congress on a wide range of policy issues, offering information and analysis to inform their decision-making on bills and laws.
PolicyArchive
A digital archive of global, non-partisan public policy research. It makes use of the power, efficiency, and economy of modern Internet technology to collect and disseminate summaries and full texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research.
PolicyCommons
Contains over 3 million documents from government, non-profits, NGOs, think tanks, research institutes and foundations. Create a login to access the site's free content.

Finding Think Tanks

Think Tank Search
A custom search for think tanks from the Kennedy School at Harvard. Includes a search box as well as browsable lists for think tanks based in the US and internationally.

WWW Virtual Library: Research Institutes-- list of think tank-related links and resources maintained by Wayne Selcher at Elizabethtown College

Jobs in Policy, Think Tanks, and Government

GRAD Guide to Think Tank Careers
From UChicago GRAD. An overview of how think tanks work, answers to common questions about pursuing careers in think tanks, and the skills required for these careers.
Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management(APPAM) Career Site
Search by keyword or browse by industry employment type.
Go Government
From the Partnership For Public Service, this site offers assistance for those looking for jobs, including internships, in federal government.
Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
With over 300 institutional members of higher education, and as the global accreditor of master's programs in the area, this professional organization publishes a journal, hosts an annual conference, and advertises jobs that may be of interest to MPA students.