Think Tanks and the Web: Measuring Visibility and Influence

There is a significant body of literature assessing the influence of think tanks; however, there has been relatively little research on the online impact of think tanks' research activity. Differentiating the popularity of a policy think tank from its policy relevance is an important consideration in evaluating the impact of policy institutes on the Web. This study measures the perceived reliability of information as defined by web-based users. To measure the impact of think tanks' web-based popularity and policy relevance, think tank participation in five separate policy domains including social policy, equalization, climate change, clean energy, and peacemaking/peace building is studied using hyperlink analysis.