The Role of Think Tank Centers Authorized by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in Public Policies: A Research Based on Q Methodology

Think Tank centers in regard to fundamental studies, are deeply involved in pivotal planning and initiating strategically national security activates. These centers are mainly academic and play important roles in policy marking through providing procedures. Since planning in think tank centers should cope with those of other sectors and to avoid any contradictions among different planning activities throughout the country, the Ministry of Sciences, Researches & Technology is solely responsorial to keep co-ordination, support Think Tank centers and also supervise various activities to achieve the specified goals. In this paper the roles of the authorized Think Thank centers based on Q Methodology have been surveyed. The Method is a combined system in which both descriptive and analytical statistics will be utilized. The adaptation of Pierson correlation which is the characteristic of the Q Methodology gives this method an upper-hand in dealing with the subjects being investigated compared to other survey system. Based on The gains achieved by applying analytical Q Methodology, the concepts of the academic members and other participants who play roles on policy making on 9 groups of factors have been examined. The result will signify the interpretation of types of thoughts and the weaknesses that the Think Tank centers expose. Analyzing the concepts of the people instead of the factors, the similarity of roles have been categorized which will have a significant effect on the enhancement of the quality of policy and procedures and at the same time will reduce the unnecessary cost relating, misjudgment in segment of public policy making process.