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OTT Conference 2020, the 3rd online event: a report
The first online OTT Conference 2020 was held in March/April after the need to postpone our annual face-to-face conference (read about the process). Our second event was held in June, and the third and final event of 2020 was in November. For our third online event, we tried a different... Read full article -
Ethical dilemmas for think tanks: Drawing bright lines
The first day of the OTT Conference: the 3rd online event opened with a keynote by Ruth Levine, CEO and Partner at IDinsight, on the ethical dilemmas for think tanks. The keynote was followed by a Q&A moderated by Enrique Mendizabal, Founder and Director of On Think Tanks. Keynote:... Read full article -
Ethics in research
Think tanks do not often consider the ethical implications of their research methods. Douglas Mackay has reflected on the ethics of public policy RCTs. In his presentation, Douglas considers issues such as (lack of) consent of participants, distributive justice and other important... Read full article -
Ethics and organisational partnerships
Partnerships between think tanks and other organisations are not always equitable and can create dilemmas and challenges for both sides. This may affect the overall equity of the policy research system in a country, a regional or globally. Alba Gómez reflects on how organisational... Read full article -
Ethics in reporting the work of think tanks
We have made huge improvements in financial transparency. But more needs to be done in other forms of transparency. This involves how think tanks, thinktankers and their work are presented in the media. Laura Zommer reflects on how media organisations should do it – ethically. Laura... Read full article -
Closing remarks with keynote listeners
For the closing session, we decided on a different approach. We invited a set of keynote listeners from different regions to share their insights and thoughts about the keynote and parallel sessions. The discussion was also open to all participants in the event platform and OTT’s social... Read full article -
OTT Conference 2020, the 3rd online event: the long read
. The first online OTT Conference 2020 was held in March/April after the need to postpone our annual face-to-face conference (read about the process). Our second event was held in June, and the third and final event of 2020 was in November. For our third online event, we tried a... Read full article
The second day of the online conference was devoted to a series of workshops and fringe events organised by OTT and partner organisations including: INASP, Oxfam, Tactical Tech, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, Cast from Clay, and Soapbox.
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Cracks in the knowledge system: whose knowledge counts and whose knowledge do we need?
This session, organised by INASP, brought together an expert panel, representing a range of sector perspectives, to reflect on some of the key issues outlined in this paper (In)equitable knowledge systems: before, during and beyond a pandemic Panelists: Prof Maha Bali (American... Read full article -
Roundtable discussion: Narrative power & research
What’s the role of research, researchers and think tanks in contributing to narrative change? This session, organised by Oxfam and On Think Tanks, discussed key themes from the ‘Narrative Power and Collective Action’ publication (part 1 and part 2), and the role of think tanks in... Read full article -
Think tank ecosystems: characteristics, functions, and implications
Presenters: Silvia Menegazzi, PhD (Adjunct Professor International Relations, LUISS Guido Carli University), Dr. Bert Fraussen and Dr. Valérie Pattyn (Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, Leiden University) Moderator: Andrea Baertl (On Think Tanks) The session explored two... Read full article -
Data Detox Kit: misinformation and disinformation
The information ecosystem can be perplexing and complicated. As the misinfodemic spreads, let’s talk about why the term ‘fake news’ can be misleading. This workshop, led by Louise Hisayasu from Tactical Tech, dove deeply into the definitions of misinformation and disinformation; using... Read full article -
The era of the think tank: An analysis of the German think tank landscape in foreign and security policy
The German think tank landscape has become larger and more diverse in recent years. The Robert Bosch Stiftung and Stiftung Mercator, both funders of think tanks, initiated a reflective discussion about the role, work, impact, funding and structure of think tanks that was recently published in... Read full article -
Defining a think tank model of storytelling
In the age of social media, facts are in crisis. But policy-making is not just about facts — it is also about how they interact with the political environment. This session, run by Aidan Muller and Katy Murray from Cast From Clay, looks beyond fact-based communications. It defines the terms... Read full article -
Secrets of digital content for policy engagement
Think tanks have long wrestled with the puzzle of how to use timely and compelling digital content to build their brands and drive engagement. Only a few seem to have cracked the code. In this session, hosted by John Schwartz of Soapbox, Jennifer Trent Staves divulges how the Wellcome... Read full article