Think Tanks: Methods and Purpose

A think tank is a group of diverse individuals working together to research a significant problem by discovering various outcomes leading to a solution. A think tank may be technically focused on a scientific question or politically aligned to address current policies' alternatives. The members of a think tank vary and often are not in the position to execute actual change. For example, when dealing with government policy, it is not the politician but rather the think tank of academics or professional researchers that develops new ideas and alternatives. The purpose underpinning a think tank is the notion that thoughts cause change (Goodman, 2005). 

According to Goodman (2005), think tanks function in two different ways. Before the internet and collaborative technology, the "one roof" model was the most popular method, where contributors gather in a shared location and interact in person, maximizing communication. However, with the technology and collaboration tools available today, think tanks execute regardless of location. A think tank is something we do, not somewhere we go. An advantage of remote participation is lower cost, maximizing budgets through university and research institution partnerships and collaborations. 

An example of a scientific think tank recently occurred involving experts from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The think tank's purpose included the solicitation of expertise and opinions on developing a new proteomic model to identify new cancer risk biomarkers. The think tank addressed challenges and potential solutions within the proteome research domain. The results included six different recommendations with the think tank consisting of twenty-two individual contributors (Kagan et al., 2020). Think tanks are not limited to science, technology, or politics but cover a larger spectrum of domains. In (Think Tank Watch: The World's Top Source for Think Tank News & Information 2021) areas using think tanks include antitrust, banking & finance, business & labor, climate & environment, economic policy, education, foreign affairs, government, healthcare, immigration, and national security & defense. 

So what are the emerging trends in think tanks?  In McGann (2020), the Think Tank and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) highlighted Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the organization's emerging trend for 2019. The role of think tanks is to analyze and communicate the consequences of a changing landscape. Specifically, this includes:

1. Analysis of significant changes in science and technology
2. Leverage the advantages of technology in policy research
3. Inform policymakers on the impacts of new science and technology

The reality is that policymakers do not always understand or track the changes in science and technology. The think tank is critical to ethical policy and the advancement of democracies. AI is an example of technology with fast growth and application, with some referring to it as the new arms race (McGann, 2020). The United States and its allies have slipped behind China in AI development and must consider risks to the economy, national security, and society outright. While policy typically lags behind science and technology, AI moves at such a rate that the country is on the brink of profound vulnerability.

References 

Goodman, J. C. (2005). What is a Think Tank? National Center for Policy Analysis. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/special/20051220-sp.html 

Kagan, J., Moritz, R. L., Mazurchuk, R., Lee, J. H., Kharchenko, P. V., Rozenblatt-Rosen, O., Ruppin, E., Edfors, F., Ginty, F., Goltsev, Y., Wells, J. A., LaCava, J., Riesterer, J. L., Germain, R. N., Shi, T., Chee, M. S., Budnik, B. A., Yates, J. R., Chait, B. T., Moffitt, J. R., Smith, R. D., & Srivastava, S. (2020). National Cancer Institute Think-Tank Meeting Report on Proteomic Cartography and Biomarkers at the Single-Cell Level: Interrogation of Premalignant Lesions. Journal of Proteome Research, 19(5), 1900-1912. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00021 

McGann, J. G. (2020). 2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/11837 

Think Tank Watch: The World's Top Source for Think Tank News & Information. (2021). http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2021/03/most-influential-think-tankers-in-us.html