Subject and Course Guides: Health Policy and Legislation Research and Analysis: Reports from Policy Organizations

Policy Organizations - Search for Full Text Reports

Much of the research conducted on public policy is published not in scholarly journals or books, but in research reports that are openly available online. The organizations below conduct research on policy and produce such reports.

There are many links and it can be intimidating to search through all these sites, but have patience. There is extremely valuable information to be found. The descriptions below each link will give you a sense of each organization's focus.

Try this Think Tank Search from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government to search the websites of 1200+ organizations at once.

Contact a librarian if you'd like help searching for research reports.

Annie E. Casey Foundation
The primary mission of the Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families.
Brookings Institution
One of the oldest think tanks in the United States, the Brookings Institution is an independent, nonpartisan organization that focuses on research and analysis of economic, foreign, and social policy issues. Among its divisions are the Metropolitan Policy Program and the Center on Children and Families.
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a non-profit policy research foundation that resides on the conservative/libertarian side of the political spectrum. Policy analyses, briefs and reports are available online.
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan educational institute dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action.
Center for Family Policy and Practice
"The Center for Family Policy and Practice is a progressive nonprofit organization with expertise in child support and social welfare policies. We advocate for policies, programs, and services that respond to the needs of low-income individuals, families, and communities." A focus of CFFPP is on barriers faced by low-income fathers and their families.
Center for Law and Social Policy-CLASP
CLASP is a national, nonprofit organization that conducts research, policy analysis, and advocacy on issues related to economic security for low-income families with children. This site is a rich source of publications on many issues including welfare policy, child welfare, child support and low-income fathers, couples and marriage policy, and child care and early education.
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Using data, extensive community experience and a focus on results, CSSP promotes public policies that strengthen families and protect and lift children from poverty. The Center was founded in 1979 to assist federal, state, and local governments in improving human services for low-income and other disadvantaged populations. Its mission is to effect change through the analysis of existing policies and the development of new ones.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
A policy institute and nonpartisan research organization that analyzes a range of government programs and policies, with an emphasis on those affecting low and moderate income people. Areas of research include low-income housing, poverty and income, welfare reform/TANF, food assistance, and health policies.
Commonwealth Fund
This organization promotes a health care system that achieves better access, improved quality and efficiency, particularly for low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children and elderly adults. The Fund supports research on health care issues and policy. Publications and data and statistics are available from the website.
Economic Policy Institute
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions.
Guttmacher Institute
The Institute produces a wide range of resources on topics pertaining to sexual and reproductive health.
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private organization focusing on the major health issues facing the nation. The website features publications and data.
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that promotes public policies based on "…the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."
Institute for Policy Research - Northwestern University
Research areas include children/families, communities, urban policy, and poverty/inequality.
Institute for Women's Policy Research
As its name indicates, this policy organization is devoted to issues that are relevant to women and their families. There are links to the institute's research and public policy areas such as poverty, welfare and income security, work and family, and the status of women in the states. See also the Publications link.
MDRC
This social policy research organization focuses on "finding solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic self-sufficiency to improving public education and college graduation rates."
National Center for Children in Poverty
The mission of this nonpartisan policy organization is to "identify and promote strategies that prevent child poverty in the United States and that improve the lives of low-income children and families." Strengths of organization include its policy analysis, research, and demographic statistics. The site includes an easy-to-use data tools and state profiles.
Poverty Solutions
Poverty Solutions is a university-based, nonpartisan research center. It focuses on "action-based research partnerships with community stakeholders and policy makers to build knowledge about what does and does not work in confronting poverty."
Pew Charitable Trusts - U.S. State Policy
This site provides state-by-state information and news on innovative public policies in the states, as well as statistics.
Policy for Results - Center for the Study of Social Policy
This site is geared to legislators/policymakers and "summarizes the evidence for policies’ impact on the lives of children and families." It provides state-by-state trend data, shares examples of effective policies from other states, with links to specific legislation, implementation guides, and suggests financing strategies to sustain proven policy and results.
Population Council
"Throughout its history, the Council's unique role has been to conduct biomedical, social science, and public health research and disseminate evidence to shape more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world." Focus on women's health, reproductive health, and HIV-related issues. A variety of publications and working papers are accessible online.
Population Reference Bureau
The Population Reference Bureau was established in 1929 and is a private, nonprofit organization that gathers, interprets and disseminates information about U.S. and international population trends and their policy implications. The "Data" and "Resources" links are particularly helpful.
RAND Corporation
RAND provides research and analysis covering many policy issues, including economics, population and aging, education, health and health care.
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute conducts research that informs policy across a broad range of topics including children, health policy, housing, welfare reform, immigration, cities and metropolitan regions, the nonprofit sector, and tax policy.

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Health Policy and Legislation Research and Analysis

Evaluating Point of View

Some of these organizations can be considered neutral, non-partisan sources. Others have strong points of view that may be on the liberal or conservative ends of the political spectrum.

Evaluate the point of view of an organization when using its reports. Does their mission affect how you should interpret the information presented? How?

The "About" section on the organization's website can be a good place to find this information.

Policy Organizations - Search for Full Text Reports

Much of the research conducted on public policy is published not in scholarly journals or books, but in research reports that are openly available online. The organizations below conduct research on policy and produce such reports.

Richard J. Daley Library

Library of the Health Sciences, Chicago

Library of the Health Sciences, Peoria

Crawford Library of the Health Sciences, Rockford

UIC Law Library