Bridging fields: A comparative study of the presence of think tanks

摘要

Think tanks have increased their presence globally as social actors and provide evidence-based research for the complex policymaking process. How they can best influence policymakers is a common topic of analysis. There is an equal increase in the research using them as an object of study and exploring their area of influence. Periodical rankings and studies, both academic and non-academic, have been devoted to the impact of think tanks on media and institutions, analysing their presence, and explaining how, and if, they become influential.Through bibliometric analysis, this article covers the number of publications focusing on the study of think tanks in the Web of Science database since 1985 (n = 2,162). Given the research nature of think tanks, this paper analyses the recurrence of terms which link them to their connection with universities and the media, together with the use of their experts and their advocacy attempts.The goal is to obtain what the most relevant contributions are in terms of geographical and research areas. The article also analyses the frequency of key words which link think tanks with other social actors.