Academic Social Science Research Research Articles

The Last 20 Years of Empirical Research on Government Utilization of Academic Social Science Research: A State-of-the-Art Literature Review

We organize and critique the last 20 years of empirical research on policy utilization of academic social science, offering eight recommendations for future research: (1) improvement in utilization measures; (2) greater alignment on constructs of interest; (3) greater address of different national contexts; 4) study of mechanisms connecting academic research to policymakers; (5) incorporation of knowledge on information search; (6) attention to differences between utilization of policy, social, and physical science in different sectors; (7) evaluative inquiry on the effects of research utilization; and (8) investigation of the value of research in addressing different classes of societal problems.

Guest Editors’ Introduction: Opening Conversations that Matter in Public Music Studies

Guest Editors’ Introduction: Opening Conversations that Matter in Public Music Studies

Beyond ‘do no harm’? On the need for a dynamic approach to research ethics

AbstractDespite ongoing critical engagements with the remit and functioning of research ethics boards and review processes – not least in the limitations of transposing medico‐scientific ethics approaches to the social sciences – the need for ethical practice in research is well established and accepted. Consequently, we see the ubiquitous requirement for academic social science research – whether by an undergraduate student, a PhD candidate, or an established professor – to undergo ethical review. Despite (or perhaps because of) this ubiquity in expectation, engagement with research ethics often remains perfunctory, formulaic, and procedural. Too often research ethics is reduced to a bureaucratic hurdle, a singular moment of approval that overlooks the dynamic, messy, and complex realities of the research journey. Moreover, this reductionist approach to research ethics is often replicated in teaching and training and reinforced as review duties are subsumed into the general administrative burden of academic life. How, then, might we move beyond the procedural and static to a substantive and dynamic research ethics process? Building on existing debates, we set out a number of possible strategies for realising this aim – not only in individual practice but linked to institutional processes in the set‐up and management of ethics review, and opportunities for promoting the teaching of research ethics in a dynamic manner.

Debating priorities and facts on: “Whither Plastics?”

This paper responds to a Perspective by B. van Veelen and J. Hasselbalch on my paper “Whither Plastics?”. It sets out why van Veelen and Hasselbalch are in error in alleging that the paper conflated and misrepresented data; disregarded academic social science research on plastics; promoted over-simplistic solutions to a complex set of problems; and focussed solely on behavioural issues rather than industry contributions. Here the relevant data from BP's “Energy Outlook” (2019 edition) are again set out [BP Energy Outlook, 2019 edition, BP plc, 2019] [1]; references discussed (they include several in common with those provided by van Veelen and Hasselbalch but go back far longer and are more comprehensive); the whole range of actual and possible solutions mentioned (not just behavioural changes); and provides more specific information on potential health issues posed by plastics ingestion and inhalation scarcely mentioned by van Veelen and Hasselbalch. This response concludes that van Veelen and Hasselbalch have fallen well short of giving “Whither Plastics?” an accurate portrayal.

Power and politics in plastics research: A critique of “Whither Plastics”

The article ‘Whither Plastics?—Petrochemicals, plastics and sustainability in a garbage-riddled world’ discusses a number of recent issues around plastics, including plastics’ dependence on fossil fuels, its contribution to ocean waste, and its possible impact on human health [M. Jefferson, “Whither plastics?—Petrochemicals, plastics and sustainability in a garbage-riddled world,” Energy Res. Soc. Sci. 56 (2019)]. Despite these multiple ways in which plastics are framed as (potentially) problematic, the author is clear in his recommendations: the most important form of action is behavioural change. While we strongly welcome social science research into plastics, we have several issues with the study in question which we deem significant enough for us to write this response. At the heart of our concern is the paper's handling of extant research. There are three aspects to our critique: (1) conflations and misrepresentations of the data presented; (2) disregard of academic social science research on plastics; and (3) the resultant promotion of over-simplistic solutions to a complex set of problems.

Black men, religiosity and desistance: exploring Islam, desistance and identity

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of Ibrahim, an ex-offender who has embraced Islam. Ibrahim professes Islam to be the influential element to his desistance process. This study explores Ibrahim’s journey, emphasising and reflecting upon youth; criminality and religiosity. Much of the current research relating to Black men and offending is limited to masculinity, father absence, gangs and criminality. The role of religiosity in the lives of offenders and/or ex-offenders is often overlooked. The authors suggest that identity, religiosity and desistance can raise a host of complexities while highlighting the unique challenges and benefits experienced by Ibrahim, following the practice of religion.Design/methodology/approachThis paper took a qualitative, ethnographic approach, in the form of analysing and exploring Ibrahim’s personal lived experience. The analysis of semi-structured interviews, and reflective diaries, utilising grounded theory allowed the formation of the following three core themes: desistance, religion and identity.FindingsThe findings within this paper identify an interlink between desistance, religion and identity. The role of religiosity is becoming increasingly more important in academic social science research. This paper highlights the complexities of all three above intersections.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper explores the complexities of religiosity in the desistance process of Ibrahim. Research in relation to former gang members in the UK and the role of religiosity in their lives is fairly under-researched. This paper seeks to build on existing research surrounding gang, further exploring religiosity from a UK context.Practical implicationsTime spent with Ibrahim had to be tightly scheduled, due to the work commitments of both Ibrahim and the researcher. Therefore, planning had to be done ahead in an efficient manner.Social implicationsResearching the way individuals experience the world is a “growing phenomenon”. This paper aimed to explore the lived experience of religiosity from the perspective of Ibrahim. However, it was important to not stereotype and label all Black males who have embraced Islam and desisted from crime. Therefore, this paper’s intention is not to stereotype Black men, but to raise awareness and encourage further discussion surrounding the role of religiosity in the lives of ex-offenders’.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, studies specifically focusing on the role of Islam in the life of an ex-offender are few and far between. Therefore, findings from this study are important to develop further understanding surrounding religiosity, offending and desistance. This study explores the lived experiences of Ibrahim, an former gang member and ex-offender who professes Islam to be a fundamental source to his desistance process.

Sociological Research in Algeria: Between Theoretical Language and Social Reality

Undoubtedly, the field of social sciences research in general and sociological research is particularly hard hit by the vicissitudes experienced by the theoretical discourse in the field of investigation of the sciences of man and society and its corollary, the practical discourse. This great influence has profoundly shaped the direction of sociological research from classical doctrines to empirical propositions developed by contemporary sociologists.Our paper attempts to analyze the relationship between the theoretical choice of academic social science research and practical content held within academic institutions.In other words the proposed paper proposes to examine the impact of theoretical languages and practices on methodological orientations compared with deferent languages of sociological research in Algeria since the first studies.

What Do Policymakers Want From Us? Results of a Survey of Current and Former Senior National Security Decision Makers

What do the most senior national security policymakers want from international relations scholars? To answer that question, we administered a unique survey to current and former policymakers to gauge when and how they use academic social science to inform national security decision making. We find that policymakers do regularly follow academic social science research and scholarship on national security affairs, hoping to draw upon its substantive expertise. But our results call into question the direct relevance to policymakers of the most scientific approaches to international relations. And they at best seriously qualify the “trickle down” theory that basic social science research eventually influences policymakers. To be clear, we are not arguing that policymakers never find scholarship based upon the cutting-edge research techniques of social science useful. But policymakers often find contemporary scholarship less-than-helpful when it employs such methods across the board, for their own sake, and without a clear sense of how such scholarship will contribute to policymaking.

The utilisation of social science research – the perspectives of academic researchers in Australia

This article reports results from a survey of academic social scientists in Australian universities on reported levels of research utilisation by non-academic users. Using the scale of research utilisation we examine levels of research impact and explore a range of variables to understand factors influencing the use of academic social science research by policy-makers and practitioners. The results indicate that research uptake is enhanced through mechanisms that improve research transfer and the intensity of interactions between academic researchers and users. Our findings provide insights into how the impact of social science research can be improved and draws attention to factors that need to be considered in efforts to evaluate and enhance the impact of academic social research.

Perspectives of academic social scientists on knowledge transfer and research collaborations: a cross-sectional survey of Australian academics

This paper reports results from a survey of academic social scientists in Australian universities on their research engagement experience with industry and government partners and end-users of research. The results highlight that while academics report a range of benefits arising from research collaborations, there are also significant impediments to research translation and uptake, including organisational processes within universities. Using the scale of research utilisation, we examine research transfer and uptake and explore a range of variables to understand factors influencing the use of academic social science research by policy makers and practitioners.

Institutionalising non-governmental organisation dialogue at Unilever: framing the public as ‘consumer-citizens’

Between 1994 and 2001, Unilever engaged in dialogue with environmental and consumer non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the UK over questions raised by the commercialisation of genetically modified foods. This initiative took the form of a ‘Contact Group’, which allowed members from the company and the NGOs to develop close working relations. Through this group, Unilever sponsored academic social science research into public attitudes to genetically modified foods. This paper explores how Unilever sought to reframe its relations with consumers using the concept of ‘consumer-citizens’, which had emerged from the work of the Contact Group. This term acknowledges that consumers can reflect on their relationship with companies such as Unilever in citizen-like ways. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Implementation of CATI Techniques in an Academic Social Science Research Setting

Implementation of CATI Techniques in an Academic Social Science Research Setting

Consulting critics: A new role for academic policy analysts

It is by now widely accepted that social science research has only an indirect and general impact on public policymaking. Academic social science research, it is often argued, is antithetical to policy research: the former is animated by traditional scientific canons while the latter is specific and problem-oriented. Moreover, modern bureaucracies are now understood as political environments within which “pure research” will be routinely ignored if it does not serve someone's interests. For these and other reasons, social scientists are being encouraged either to eschew policy research or not to expect much influence. This article provides an alternative model of social scientists in the policy process, as “consulting critics” reviewing, analyzing and commenting upon substantive policy research. This model holds benefits for both scholars and clients, turns the canons of scientific inquiry into assets instead of liabilities, and responds to some of the concerns recently raised in the literature concerning the role of social science in the policy process.