Think Tanks and Futuring

Think tank methods are methods that are deliberate and foster innovation. This is a challenging concept, but it is possible to identify several approaches. In sophisticated societies where knowledge is supreme, people are becoming more interested in the advice of experts. As the world becomes more globalized, political leaders are looking for answers to deal with the more complicated problems that come with it. At the same time, scientific evidence has become a powerful tool that can be used to back up political and worldview positions. With this in mind, it seems that the global proliferation of think tanks is a response to the growing need for scientific expertise. It is still hard to agree on what a "think tank" is, let alone what it does and whether or not it can change political ideas.

Discussion

Ruser (2018) describes a way to look at the strategies of different types of think tanks in different institutional settings. Classical typologies differentiate between organizations that follow scientific inquiry standards on one end of a continuum and ideologically biased institutes on the other. The analytical model considers different "points of intervention" and looks at the institutional and ideological environment for each one. The first dimension lets us tell how different political ideas affect people: As ideas are in the foreground or assumptions in the background of policy debates, they can affect decisions. At the cognitive level, they can either work as programs (foreground), giving the political elite the policy recommendations they need to make actual agendas or as paradigms (background). When you consider different "knowledge regimes," you can measure how the different institutional and normative settings affect each other and evaluate the assumptions and beliefs on which these models and typologies are based.

Given how vague the subject of study is, it is not surprising that academic research on think tanks is still in its early stages, even though more people are becoming aware of the phenomenon. One must investigate what think tanks do. Can think tanks be described in the same way no matter where they are or what kind of political or social environment they work in? For example, what does "high-quality research" really mean? Who decides how good the results and outputs of research done by think tanks are? This question is fundamental, but it is hard to answer it. A good strategy could be to look at the relationship between think tanks and traditional academic institutions like universities or government-run research labs. Established players in this field, like well-known universities, could make it harder for think tanks to collaborate with political decision-makers.

One possible reason think tanks based in Washington, D.C., have become more popular since the 1970s and have spread worldwide in recent years is that there is more demand for translation services. The American political system could then be seen as a leader in providing a market for political expertise and as an institutional setting that is especially good for all kinds of knowledge.

It is hard to say what a think tank is because there are many different kinds of organizations, goals, and attitudes about scientific research and its standards. Differentiating between the different think tanks is an excellent way to solve this problem. Weaver (1989) considers different ways of hiring, getting money, making things, and reaching an audience. He says that "Universities without Students" (UWS) are not the same as advocacy think tanks. UWS tend to rely heavily on academics as researchers, get most of their money from the private sector, and do most of their research through extensive research. This kind of think tank aims to give its clients scientific advice and help shape the "climate of elite opinion." UWS and "contract research organizations" put together scientific reports for translators. Weaver (1989) identifies several categories of think tanks:

• University without students
  
  
• Contract research organization
  
  
• Advocacy tanks

Weaver (1989) also identifies several roles for think tanks:

• Source of policy ideas
  
  
• Source of and evaluator of policy proposals
  
  
• Evaluator of government programs
  
  
• Source of personnel
  
  
• Punditry (authoritative sources of information and opinion)

In terms of innovation and futuring, think tanks such as the Institute for Future Technology in Japan have provided research services in science, technology, and innovation-related subjects to both public and commercial entities for many years. Researchers at IFENG continue to use a multi-disciplinary approach to discern and analyze emerging socio-economic conditions. This approach is complemented by current and timely investigations of government policy and managerial trends in various fields, including high-tech development and social innovations. IFENG can give expert policy inputs and views in this fashion, which benefits public policymakers, strategic business planners, and everyday people (IFENG, n.d.).

In Spain, the Digital Future Society (DFS) is a think tank that does action research and talks with people about ethical, legal, and inclusion issues in order to come up with new principles, strategies, and solutions. DFS works with a global perspective and a cross-sectoral approach to look at the challenges and opportunities that come from how digital technologies are made, used, and governed. The work of DFS is meant to give policymakers the tools they need to anticipate problems and take advantage of opportunities in the digital age. The Digital Future Society Lab is where you can try out these outcomes by starting local projects to prototype, test, and share lessons and best practices about how digital technologies should be governed (Digital Future Society, n.d.).

Conclusion

More and more individuals are looking to experts for guidance, particularly in knowledge-based cultures. As the globe continues to become more interconnected, political leaders worldwide are scrambling to find solutions to the increasingly complex issues that arise due to globalization. Think tanks serve as centers of excellence and are staffed by subject matter experts who can provide expert analysis of government policies, particularly in innovation and futuring.

 References

Digital Future Society. (n.d.). About Think Tank. Retrieved from Digital Future Society: https://digitalfuturesociety.com/thinktank/

FENG. (n.d.). About the Institute for Future Engineering (IFENG). On think tanks: independent research, ideas, and advice: http://www.ifeng.or.jp/english/

Ruser, A. (2018). What to think about think tanks: Towards a conceptual framework of strategic think tank behavior. International Journal Politics, Culture, and Society, 31(2), 179-192. https://doi-org.coloradotech.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10767-018-9278-x

Weaver, K. (1989). The changing world of think tanks. Political Science and Politics, 563-578. http://medientheorie.com/doc/weaver_changing_worlds_of_think_tanks.pdf