The Public Interest Research Network is an informal network of academics and non academics who are interested in producing empirical research in the Public Interest.

We define public interest research as that which seeks to put wider public interests ahead of vested and sectional interests. We recognise the importance of defending the 'public interest' and helping to build an alternative to the market friendly dogma of much public, policy and media debate. This means that our work is guided by a fundamental commitment to the wider public interest as opposed to sectional and vested interests. Crucially, however, we are guided in our research by the drive to uncover the facts about the issues we research and to use these to explain how economic, social and political relationship operate.

It is clear that the neoliberal revolution in global society has been accomplished in part by the waging of the battle of ideas for the best part of 70 years. This battle has succeed in undermining the practice of democracy and ensuring the dominance of corporations and market friendly politicians. We recognise that the defence of the public interest requires that we engage in the battle of ideas to establish greater democratic control over political and economic decision making.

We do not have the advantages of the think tanks and corporate front groups which proselytise for the free market. All we have on our side is the ability to work collectively to build an unstoppable momentum in favour of democracy. We propose to do that in part by working with the Public Interest Research Network.