Social Sciences Week is coming up on 12-20 September 2026. Research suggests that the social sciences and humanities have diverse relevance to many sectors. The challenge lies in how to best communicate knowledge, and engaging effectively with stakeholders. Let’s look at the research, and how government, communities, and other groups can apply social science and humanities findings to their work.

Summary

• Policy-makers, non-government organisations, private industry, and other experts can use social science and humanities research to better understand, interpret, address, and anticipate societal issues
• Supporting funding and resourcing of social sciences and humanities ensures these insights continue, especially in times of social crisis, such as pandemics and other major civic changes
• Researchers must translate their research into practice, by using plain language, making our methods and results brief and clear to lay audiences. In particular, we must educate the public to better understand how culture, history, and power shape how “truth” is understood, and why social issues appear less concrete than the natural sciences
• Decision-makers, media, and other community stakeholders can work collaboratively with social scientists and humanities experts when we make our findings more digestible and accessible in multiple formats
• Other ways to improve collaboration with stakeholders include co-designing solutions, being transparent, and demonstrating the practical applications of our results, being empathetic, and working on altruistic outcomes
• Government, communities, the private sector, and other groups can use social sciences and humanities research by following researchers, signing up to newsletters, and establishing collaborations.

Social science and humanities have broad application

Social Sciences Week is hosting many free and interactive events from 12-20 September 2026. The events showcase research which helps us understand and shape society. Researchers will share their knowledge in accessible, engaging ways — from panel discussions and film screenings to hands‑on workshops and public conversations.

In honour of this program, let’s explore research on how the social sciences and humanities contribute to social policy, not-for-profit organisations, culture, and the business sector.

In a study published in Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, in 2021, interdisciplinary science studies scholar, Dr Benedikt Fecher, and colleagues, consulted with 125 experts in Germany, including social science and humanities researchers (“scholars”), and stakeholders from non-government organisations, policy, the private sector, the cultural sector, and science communication consultants.

In particular, this research asks: what makes collaborations between researchers and stakeholders successful?

Overwhelmingly, participants say that the social sciences and humanities have ubiquitous application across a range of topics. From climate change, to migration, to the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond, they see diverse value. A journalist says:

“Every topic has a societal component—from fundamental questions of democracy and politics to questions concerning nature and technology. Basically, each question that requires social action and regulation.”

Dr Benedikt Fecher and colleagues find that social sciences and humanities play six societal roles: explaining, reflecting, educating, signalling, foresight, and informing

Explain: Describe and contextualise issues, and generate knowledge about systems. “It is always about identifying—understanding—explaining and providing contextual knowledge. That is always of importance” (economist)

Reflect: Discuss and interpret issues. “What does it mean that one part of the population can work from home in a relatively safe manner, while another part of the population cannot, and is thus potentially more exposed?” (non-government organisation)

Educate: Build intercultural competence.

Signal: Unearth issues relevant to public discourses and policy-making.

Foresee: Predict potential problems in the future, such as the ethics of new technologies.

Inform: Influence and support decision-making. “Solid analyses of socio-political developments, numerical data, and impact assessments are needed in politics and administration. They are picked up on and incorporated into decision-making” (public administrator)

Challenges to collaboration

The participants see four key challenges to the social sciences and humanities: translating research, institutional barriers, epistemic differences, and lagged uptake.

Translating research into practice. E.g. Communicating results in language that journalism can use, and making recommendations that can be used in policy. “As a journalist, it strikes me that social science researchers very often and unfortunately quite naturally use terms that are hardly used or understood by the general public” (media)

Institutional barriers. E.g. Lack of resources, organisational support, and rewards.

Epistemic differences. Epistemology are the theories and methods about the nature of knowledge, and the ways in which we understand “facts,” “truth,” and “objectivity.” In Fecher and colleagues’ study, epistemic issues relate to ambiguous results (no ‘clear truths’) and conflicting paradigms (different disciplines see the same issue in divergent ways, and this may confuse the public). “Questions and research designs are often too vague, the results too ambiguous. Therefore, journalists prefer communicating results from the natural sciences” (scholar)

Lagged uptake of social science and humanities knowledge. E.g. The public lacks understanding and appreciation of this research. Public attention is also monopolised by loud opinions that lack facts. Additionally, the political climate is ripe for misusing and discrediting research. “Science is a different system than politics; there is a democracy proviso; being an elected official does not give me enough time to read or receive scientific literature” (politics)

“But in contrast to the natural sciences, there are rarely any clear “truths” here. So it’s not easy for the media to present a comprehensive and well-balanced picture when selecting scientific contributions”

Public administrator, on ambiguity of results

“One challenge is the question of how issues that are scientifically controversial can be presented to the public in such a way that the reputation of science does not suffer and, ideally, this heterogeneity can even be used productively”

Scholar, on conflicting paradigms

Opportunities

Dr Benedikt Fecher and colleagues explored the expectations that stakeholders have when dealing with researchers. The participants see process, outcome, and person issues that contribute to positive exchange.

Process:

• Comprehensibility. Summarise findings in concise and easy to read language
• Form. Disseminate findings in multiple formats and channels for specific target audiences. This includes workshops, and public lectures
• Inclusivity. Co-create inclusive solutions to problems. “The goal should be to communicate complexity, reflexivity, and provisionality simply, clearly, understandably, and plausibly” (scholar)
• Pertinence. Applying research knowledge to solve problems, and working in a solution-oriented manner. “For the policy sphere, I would like to see more focused exchanges that bring in key research findings” (politician)

Outcome

• Transparency. Be clear on limitations. E.g. Peer review does not always guarantee quality results
• Relevance. Demonstrate practical benefits. “At the same time, the relevance of science to the reality of life must be recognisable and tangible. This last point in particular is often missing in the social sciences” (media)

Person

• Empathy. Good faith engagement, and “listening without prejudice”
• Disinterestedness. Not pushing an agenda with stakeholders

On the latter, participants shared the following reflections:

“Co-creative exchange between science and non-scientific actors is important. Each group contributes specific knowledge needed for complex problem solving” (scholar)

“The greatest challenge in communicating social science research is often to openly acknowledge the uncertainty inherent in its findings while convincing people that they nevertheless contain important information” (scholar)

“In my view, a good exchange is characterised above all by the fact that it is not primarily guided and inspired by the self-promotional intentions of individual scientists or scientific organisations” (scholar)

How to use this in your work

• Use social science and humanities research: Government agencies, community organisations, the private sector, and other groups can use social science and humanities studies to design solutions to current problems, and to plan ahead to mitigate potential problems in future
• Sign up to newsletters: University and professional associations regularly promote lunchtime presentations by social scientists and humanities scholars. Many of these are delivered online, and are often free to the public. For example, see the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, which hosts Social Sciences Week
• Follow researchers: Many researchers already produce accessible information for general audiences. Stakeholders should follow social and humanities researchers’ blogs, podcasts, and social media. Sign up to the Social Science Insights blog – it’s free. I provide monthly examples of applied social science, as well as graphics that summarise key findings. Also follow @SocialScienceIn on Instagram for videos and posts twice a week
• Establish collaborations: Search online for applied researchers and think tanks, which use co-design and knowledge translation methods. Contact me if you’re interested in co-design projects or consultation.