Below are some reliable resources for non-partisan research reports and information. As you locate other resources online, be sure to look for clues that could help you to determine the site's reliability: who authored the information and what is their authority to speak to the issue, what is the goal or mission of the organization overall or for publishing the information specifically, how recent is their information and where does it come from/what are their sources? These are some factors that can tell you about the reliability of a source you find online.
- Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the nation, dedicated to strengthening families and serving disadvantaged children. The foundation maintains the Kids Count Data Center which is an excellent source of demographic, education, economic well-being, health and safety data on children in the United States.
- Brennan Center for Justice
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan law and policy institute that works to reform, revitalize – and when necessary, defend – our country's systems of democracy and justice.
- Brookings Institute
An independent, nonprofit public policy organization with three goals: 1) Strengthen American democracy; 2) Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans; and 3) Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.
- The Eviction Lab
The Eviction Lab at Princeton University has built the first nationwide database of evictions. Find out how many evictions happen in your community. Create custom maps, charts, and reports.
- FOLIO - Foundation Literature Online
A digital repository of foundation-sponsored research reports and publications covering the full scope of philanthropic activity with links to original PDF versions of these reports.
- Foundation Center - IssueLab
A catalog of annotated links to over 11,000 free and open access documents, covering 40 subject areas representing the most pressing social, economic and environmental world problems. This resource is sponsored by the Foundation Center.
- The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Foundation web site offers a wealth of information on health care policy and reform with factsheets, statistics, tutorials, polls, maps and reports. This information is easily accessible and available for free.
- Michigan League for Human Services
The Michigan League for Human Services is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that Michigan’s low-income residents achieve economic security. This nonprofit provides a number of publications and reports of interest to those working to help families and individuals in need in the state of Michigan.
- National Coalition on Healthcare
The National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC) was formed more than two decades ago to help achieve comprehensive health system change.
- National Immigration Forums
NIF is an immigration advocacy organization that aims to create “alliances across diverse faith, labor, immigrant, non-immigrant and business constituencies in communities across the country.
- Pew Charitable Trusts Resource Library
The Pew Charitable Trusts seek to 1.) Improve Public Policy; 2.) Inform the Public; 3.) Stimulate Civic Life. Major funding initiatives include research on Hispanics in America, Children and Youth, Education, Health, and State Policy and Performance.
- Rand Corporation
This well known think-tank provides free online research reports, commentary and reprints on topics covering population & aging, child policy, health & healthcare, and substance abuse.
- Sunlight Foundation
The Sunlight Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses civic technologies, open data, policy analysis and journalism to make our government and politics more accountable and transparent to all.
- Urban Institute
The Urban Institute investigates and analyzes U.S. social and economic policy. The web site provides free research reports and data on important domestic issues such as immigration, families, children and youth, housing, education and employment.
(credit: University of Michigan Library guide)
