ecoi.net Source Description

STIFTUNG WISSENSCHAFT UND POLITIK (SWP)

German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Mission/Mandate:

“The German Institute for International and Security Affairs of the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) is an independent scientific establishment that conducts practically oriented research on the basis of which it then advises the Bundestag (the German parliament) and the federal government on foreign and security policy issues. The analyses and publications produced by SWP researchers and their participation in national and international debates on key issues help to shape opinion in their respective domains.”

“SWP was set up in 1962 by private initiative in Ebenhausen, near Munich, and given the legal status of a foundation. Late in 2000 its headquarters moved to Berlin, which has been SWP's new home since January 2001.” (SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/other/aufgaben.php?PHPSESSID=bdcac1688c659b32a70b964c5fc4a0ae&active=aufgaben&lang=de&lang=en, accessed on 03 July 2008)

Target group:

German government

Objective:

Advice on foreign and security policy

8 Research Units with more than 50 scientific assistants: EU Integration, EU External Relations, European and Atlantic Security, The Americas, Russian Federation / CIS, Middle East and Africa, Asia, Global Issues (SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/other/struktur.php?PHPSESSID=47054e9a0e40136de119038cf8fe831f&active=struktur&lang=de&page=2&lang=en, accessed on 03 July 2008)

“The department "Library and Information Services" of the SWP (FI) is rendering information services within three main tasks:

* as service provider for the research institute,

* as information service facility for the Bundestag and the ministries of the federal government,

* as coordinator of the German Network on International Affairs and Regional Studies (FIV), which in charge of the federal government acts as the national infrastructure unit in this field.

In this context the database World Affairs Online (WAO) has been developed as well as printed and electronic information products, and the multilingual "European Thesaurus on International Relations and Area Studies".

The department Library and Information Services is subdivided into two functional areas:

* Information Research Units and Information Management

* German Information Network and Library” (SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/other/struktur.php?PHPSESSID=bdcac1688c659b32a70b964c5fc4a0ae&active=struktur&lang=de&page=3&lang=en, accessed on 3 July 2008)

Funding:

“Since January 1965, when the Bundestag unanimously backed the establishment of an independent research centre, the Institute has been federally funded. This support is supplemented by contributions from other research sponsors.” (SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/other/aufgaben.php?PHPSESSID=bdcac1688c659b32a70b964c5fc4a0ae&active=aufgaben&lang=de&lang=en, accessed on 3 July 2008)

Scope of reporting:

Geographic focus: European Union, The Americas, Russian Federation/CIS, Middle East, Africa, Asia

Thematic focus: EU Integration, EU External Relations, European and Atlantic Security, Global Issues (SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/other/struktur.php?PHPSESSID=47054e9a0e40136de119038cf8fe831f&active=struktur&lang=de&page=2&lang=en, accessed on 3 July 2008)

Reporting methodology:

- independent, practically oriented research

- analyses and publications

- participation in national and international debates on key issues

“There are currently more than 130 staff working at SWP's German Institute for International and Security Affairs. SWP has eight Research Units employing more than 60 scholars.” (SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/other/aufgaben.php?PHPSESSID=47054e9a0e40136de119038cf8fe831f&active=aufgaben&lang=de&lang=en, accessed on 3 July 2008)

Publication cycle:

SWP Research Paper: Reports (20 to 50 pages) on various political themes, published on an irregular basis

SWP Comments: series of translations of some selected issues of "SWP-Aktuell" (short articles and statements, published on an irregular basis)

SWP Journal Review and SWP Brief: in German only

Books

(SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/verteiler_produkte.php?PHPSESSID=5ccbc85479ea3ebc9ddf01bfc498e3cd&close=produkte, accessed on 3 July 2008)

SWP Information Products:

- Database World Affairs Online (WAO)

* International Relations and Area Studies Gateway

Updates: monthly; free of charge.

* Meta Search Interface IBLK within Karlsruhe Virtual Catalogue (KVK)

Updates: monthly; free of charge.

* GENIOS

As part of the WISO-Database Package. Licence mandatory. Licensed by nearly all German, Austrian, and Swiss university libraries and there freely accessible for university members. Updates: fortnightly.

- SWP-Topical Dossier: These are current Online-Dossiers with links to internet documents, full texts and web pages dealing with current topics of foreign and security affairs.

- Current Awareness Service International Relations and Area Studies, with new entries of the database World Affairs Online (WAO), edited fortnightly.

(SWP website, http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/produkte/fachinfo.php?PHPSESSID=5ccbc85479ea3ebc9ddf01bfc498e3cd&active=fachinfo-produkte&lang=de&lang=en, accessed on 3 July 2008)

Languages:

German and English

Navigation of website:

Products > SWP Research Paper, SWP Comments, SWP Journal Review, SWP Brief, SWP Information Products

Research Units: In the subchapters, the Dossiers on various topics can be found

Additional references:

Wikipedia: German Institute for International and Security Affairs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Institute_for_International_and_Security_Affairs, accessed on 3 July 2008