February 7, 2011

2010 Global Go To Think Tanks Rankings

• The Global "Go-To Think Tanks": The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations in the World, 2010 (76 pages, 1963K )

Dear Friend and Colleague:

I am pleased to announce that the 2010 Global Go To Think Tanks Rankings and trends report is now available. You can download the report at: www.gotothinktank.com and they can also be accessed on the University of Pennsylvania's news web site at: http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/penn-based-index-shows-rise-asian-latin-american-african-think-tanks-brookings-institution-top-

The publication of the report represents the culmination of a process that takes approximately 8 months to complete and involves the support of think tanks and experts from every region of the world. The rankings are conducted without the benefit of a full time staff or budget and are made possible with the assistance of a group of research interns from the University of Pennsylvania and other colleges in the area.

A snapshot of the peer institutions and experts who participated in the process is provided below:

• 250 nominated expert panelists
• 150 journalists and scholars who cover politics, think tanks and civil society
• 30 current and former directors of think tank programs and networks
• 40 public and private donors
• 63 civil society representatives
• 100s of think tanks
• 25-30 intergovernmental organizations
• 80 academic institutions

I am pleased to report that our outreach efforts in Eastern and Central Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America were successful and the global reach of the rankings is clearly reflected in the statistics provided below:

• 6480 think tanks from 169 countries were invited to participate in the process
• 1500 individuals from120 counties participated in the nominations and rankings process
• Think tanks were nominated and then ranked in 29 categories
• Total number of think tanks nominated 5491
• Total number of nominations for all 29 categories 17,971
• 75 think tanks nominated for the top think in the world

We are constantly trying to improve the quality of our data on think tanks so that critical changes in countries and regions are reflected in our research. This year we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the nominations and rankings process and launched an intensive outreach effort to increase the rigor and reach of the Global Go To Think Tank Rankings. We are always looking for ways to enhance the process so I welcome your comments and suggestions on how we might improve the nomination and rankings. We also welcome the names and contact information for prospective Expert Panel members for the functional and geographic regions cover by the rankings.

As you may know, our initial effort to produce a list of the leading think tanks in the world grew out of a series of requests from donors and journalists to produce national, regional and international lists of the top think tanks. Our continuing effort is now defined by our desire to understand their role in governments and civil societies around the world so we can help improve their capacity and performance.

We believe our system of ranking the top think tanks using a shared definition of public policy research, analysis and engagement organizations, a detailed set of selection criteria and an open and transparent nomination and selection process has tremendous utility for think tanks, policymakers, donors and the public. We are particularly pleased by the increased participation from developing countries which allows us to bring special attention to the important work they are doing under often very difficult circumstances.

Thanks again for all your support over the years and for helping make the Think Tanks and Civil Society Program a success.

January 22, 2011

James G. McGann, Ph.D.

• The Global "Go-To Think Tanks": The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations in the World, 2010 (76 pages, 1963K )
• The Global "Go-To Think Tanks": The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations in the World, 2009 (72 pages, 661K )
• The Global "Go-To Think Tanks": The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations in the World, 2008 (85 pages, 1620K )
• The Global "Go-To Think Tanks": The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations in the World, 2007 (24 pages, 265K )

• For more information contact Alan Luxenberg, Tel: 215 732 3774, ext 105 or lux@fpri.org.
• FPRI News Archive.