Mar 16, 2010

As part of my research for a project we are working on, I recently looked at the websites of around one hundred U.S.-based think tanks to see what the best practices are. All and all, this was an inspiring set of websites and not nearly as extraordinary as the list of best university sites I put together recently, but there are a few that stood out. Below is a list of the five best of the ones I looked at, in alphabetical order.

This site has a very cleanly designed homepage, and I really like there interactive top story feature.

Brookings Institute

The Brookings site, which borrows layout elements from the New York Times site, has been the gold standard for think tank sites for awhile in my opinion. However, I think this same design has been in place for a few years and it needs to be modernized a bit.

Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation launched a new version from the site in the last few days. The new site is terrific, and in my opinion the best of the sites listed here.

Roosevelt Institute

Probably the most Web 2.0 and contemporary of the designs.

World Resources Institute

Just a really elegantly designed, easy to use site. Love the details as you dive in. My second favorite.

http://www.editedforbias.com Ed F Bias

Great information. I love the new Heritage site and their current direction. Their clean and professional work here has actually inspired me to finally upgrade to a paid membership.

I will have to look at a few of the others you listed [especially, the Roosevelt Institute]. I do think they all are still missing a good use of community and membership feedback as an integrated part of their business model. If content is king; distribution and community are queen and prince; and almost entirely missed in many respects.

I will have to take a look at your review of University sites as well.
http://robertbluey.com/ Rob Bluey

On behalf of Heritage, it’s an honor to be included on the list. Thank you for your kind words, Todd.
http://www.bivingsreport.com Todd Zeigler

Rob – congrats on the new site. I know how much work that was, and I think the result is quite good.
http://tim-mcgovern.com/family/2010/the-man-i-love/ The Man I Love « On the Homefront

[...] good news from the rooftops (or at least our blog which is read by very few, but still…). The Bivings Report recently listed the top five think tank websites and guess who made the list? You have to scroll [...]
http://twitter.com/kvoelker Kurt

Great list (wish I had stumbled upon it before . I work a great deal with think tanks and the web, and here are a few other sites that I think could make your cut:

The United States Institute of Peace – http://www.usip.org
The Center for Global Development – http://www.cgdev.org
The Center for Strategic and International Studies – http://www.csis.org

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Best U.S. Think Tank Websites

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