Evaluating Resources
Tips on evaluating content and quality

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
This “think tank” in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to the principles of “limited government, private enterprise, vital cultural and political institutions, and a strong foreign policy and national defense.”   A monthly newsletter and a variety of reports and papers are available online.

American Foreign Policy Council
“The American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing information to those who make or influence the foreign policy of the United States and to assisting world leaders, particularly in the former USSR, with building democracies and market economies.”   Some full-text resources online.

Brookings Institute
Foreign policy, economics, and government research, analysis, and scholarly thought. Publications include the Brookings Review, Brookings Policy Briefs, and more than 30,000 pages of online books.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Site contains news, publications, programs, and events related to advancing cooperation among the nations of the world.

The CATO Institute
“The Cato Institute seeks to broaden the parameters of public policy debate to allow consideration of the traditional American principles of limited government, individual liberty, free markets and peace.”   Extensive online resources, including the “CATO Policy Report”

Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Links to sites and articles with information on protection against biological warfare attacks.

Center for Defense and International Security Studies (CDISS)
An interdisciplinary research center in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. The Centre for Defense & International Security Studies is a wholly independent organization engaging in research, analysis, commentary and discussion on issues of significance within the broad context of international security.

Center for Defense Information
CDI, based in Washington, D.C., calls itself “the nation’s foremost independent military research organization.” The Center for Defense Information is dedicated to strengthening security through: international cooperation; reduced reliance on unilateral military power to resolve conflict; reduced reliance on nuclear weapons; a transformed and reformed military establishment; and, prudent oversight of, and spending on, defense programs.

Center for International Policy
“Founded in 1975, the Center for International Policy is a nonprofit educational and research organization promoting a U.S. foreign policy based on international cooperation, demilitarization and respect for basic human rights. In recent years, the Center has worked for the restoration of democracy in Haiti, the adoption of a more rational policy toward Cuba, and the promotion of Central America's peace process.”   International Policy Reports are available online in full text.

Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Sponsored by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California. Searchable topics include Chem/Bio Weapons, Missiles, Nuclear Weapons, and Treaties. Current topics of interest to the center include Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Project (CBWNP), East Asia Nonproliferation Project (EANP), International Organizations and Nonproliferation Project (IONP), Monitoring Proliferation Threats Project (MPT), and the Newly Independent States Nonproliferation Project (NISNP).

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Publisher of the Washington Quarterly, the Washington Papers, and a variety of other newsletters and books, CSIS focuses on national and international security issues, governance, and current and emerging global issues.
http://www.csis.org/homeland/ The new Homeland Defense page from CSIS makes many documents available in full text.

Council on Foreign Relations
“Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations is a nonpartisan membership organization, research center, and publisher. It is dedicated to increasing America's understanding of the world and contributing ideas to U.S. foreign policy.” The Web site contains an array of resources on topics including arms control, peacekeeping, globalization, intelligence, and terrorism. There are regional links to abstracts from articles in Foreign Affairs, and the Terrorism Resource Center has links to full-text papers and articles.

Federation of American Scientists
Information on intelligence resources, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and much more.

Freedom House
Note Countries at the Crossroads is an annual survey of government performance in 60 strategically important countries worldwide that are at a critical crossroads in determining their political future. The in-depth comparative analyses and quantitative ratings – examining government accountability, civil liberties, rule of law, anticorruption efforts and transparency – are intended to help international policymakers identify areas of progress, as well as to highlight areas of concern that could be addressed in diplomatic efforts and reform assistance.

Fund for Peace
Uses 12 indicators to rank 177 countries on degree of stability and conflict. Provides annual analysis via  Failed State Index, Conflict Assessment, and Country profiles.

Global Policy Forum 
Global Policy Forum’s mission is to monitor policy making at the United Nations, promote accountability of global decisions, educate and mobilize for global citizen participation, and advocate on vital issues of international peace and justice.

Global Security.org 
Focused on innovative approaches to the emerging security challenges of the new millennium. The organization seeks to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons and the risk of their use -- both by existing nuclear weapons states and those states seeking to acquire such capabilities. 

Heritage Foundation
“Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute—a think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.” Online links include “key issues” and other information organized by tabs: “for lawmakers,” “for researchers,” “for activists,” “for scholars,” etc.

Homeland Security Institute
The primary mission of the HSI is to assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its Operating Elements in addressing important homeland security issues, particularly those requiring scientific, technical, and analytical expertise. Researchers can also access the Journal of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Digital Library

Hoover Institution 
In the words of Herbert Hoover, founder of the Hoover Institution, “The overall mission of this Institution is, from its records, to recall the voice of experience against the making of war, and by the study of these records and their publication, to recall man's endeavors to make and preserve peace, and to sustain for America the safeguards of the American way of life.” Resources include the institution’s online newsletter, digest, and the Policy Review.

Institute for Counter-Terrorism 
The Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) was established in 1996 at the academic Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya (IDC) in Israel. ICT focuses solely on the subject of counterterrorism. “All of its efforts and resources are dedicated to approaching the issue of terrorism globally—that is, as a strategic problem that faces not only Israel but other countries as well.”  Features terrorist organization profiles, a terrorist attack database, and information on state-sponsored and non-conventional terrorism (nuclear, chemical, biological, and cyber terrorism).

Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis “Founded in 1976, the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis (IFPA) is an independent and nonpartisan research and strategic planning organization that specializes in issues of national security, foreign policy, political economics, and government-industrial relations.” Online resources include full-text studies and conference reports, as well as excerpts from research reports.

Institute for the Advanced Study of Information Warfare
The purpose of the IASIW is to facilitate an understanding of information warfare with reference to both military and civilian life.

National Resources Institute
An internationally recognized multi-disciplinary centre for research, consultancy and education for the management of natural and human resources.

Nuclear Threat Initiative
Working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and is co-chaired by Ted Turner and Sam Nunn. 

The Nautilus Institute
The Nautilus Institute’s mission is to “solve interrelated critical global problems by improving the processes and outcomes of global governance.” Areas of particular concern to the institute are nuclear war and global insecurity, unregulated global markets, and coastal ecology and urbanization. 

Political Information
Searches the political web -- think tanks, public policy, lobby groups and politician web sites.

Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is a not-for-profit public policy research institute that performs nonpartisan analysis of technology and technology policy to leaders in government, business, and academia. Some institute reports available in full text.

Public Policy Research Institute
Homeland Security DEMIN (Disaster and Emergency Management Information Network). A database of domestic security and emergency management data and bibliographic resources. Sponsored by Texas A&M University.

Rand Corporation 
RAND has a long history of research on issues relating to the national security and public welfare of the United States. Its work involves most of the major disciplines in the physical, social, and biological sciences, with emphasis on their applications to problems of policy and planning in domestic and foreign affairs. A number of Rand products are available online in full text at this site.

Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies (RUSI)
Founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington and based in London, RUSI is dedicated to the study, analysis, and debate of issues affecting international defense and security issues. Links to RUSI’s publications, programs, and events.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
"The task of our Institute is to conduct research on questions of conflict and cooperation of importance for international peace and security, with the aim of contributing to an understanding of the conditions for peaceful solutions of international conflicts and for a stable peace."
Includes working papers, press releases, speeches, and lectures related to international security and policy.

U.S. Institute of Peace 
A nonpartisan federal institution to promote the prevention, management and peaceful resolution of international conflicts.   

World Policy Institute
Part of the New School University, the institute “ seeks to offer innovative policy proposals for public debate with the goal of developing an internationalist consensus on the measures needed for the management of a world market economy, the development of a workable system of collective security, and the creation of an active transnational civil society.” Online resources include The World Policy Journal.

World Resources Institute
The World Resources Institute's mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth's environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

[Return to Top]