Typology of Classification of Think Tanks in Political and International Studies

Think tanks are one of the undeniable and influential phenomena in the field of policy making. One of the issues raised in the field of think tankology is the possibility of typology and classification of this phenomenon, paying attention to their diversity and extent. Researchers have classified think tanks from different perspectives and based on differen t indicators. In this article, three classifications, which are more accurate and comprehensive, have been considered. The first classification has divided them into six types based on the degree and manner of dependence or independence of think tanks. On the other hand, based on the fields of study, fourteen research fields have been distinguished in which think tanks can have outstanding achievements in one or more fields.In the third classification, think tanks are classified into four types based on the index of the type of knowledge produced.