Created and maintained by Paul Spicker, a professor of politics specializing in social policy, this Website presents a detailed, yet schematic view of the main themes, concepts, and controversies surrounding issues of the welfare state and social services. The site offers sections on social policy, welfare and society, social need, the welfare state, social services, the politics of welfare,...

With its prestigious record of research and service to the broader public sector, the Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's prime research funding and training agency that actively addresses both economic and social concerns. As the website notes, the council seeks "to provide high quality research on issues of importance to business, the public sector, and government."...

Launched in 1988, the ippr is a well-known British think tank committed to producing high quality research in a number of important sectors, including media, asylum and migration, and transport issues. As the website notes, "Our aim is to continue a be a force for change by delivering far-reaching and realistic policy solutions that we hope will produce a fairer, more inclusive and more...

Among urban policy-makers, there continues to be a wide range of opinion on the role of communities that feature a mix of incomes, ages, and household types and how the private and public sector can work together to create such places. This report, published jointly by the Brookings Institution and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in May 2005, reviews the existing research evidence and policy...

The National Center for Social Research is widely considered to be Britain's premier research group specializing in social surveys and qualitative research for the development and evaluation of public policy. Much of the centre's work is done on the behalf of various public organizations, such as research councils, charitable trusts, and foundations. At the homepage, visitors can read about the...