View source for Theme:F50456f6-9ef5-4d8e-b6c3-c59c3f74888f

{{Theme
|Theme Type=Good Practices
|Has Parent Theme=Theme:72c8ab8d-bbf8-4503-8b48-9de7eac37673
|Title=SSH research as part of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research
|Is About=Integration of social sciences and humanities (SSH) in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration faces some obstacles. Since these disciplines generate knowledge that society would benefit from, there is a need for a clear strategy on how to embed them into interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research.  
|Important Because=Our global society faces important and difficult challenges today, such as climate change, COVID-19 pandemic, migrations, demographic changes and national security issues.<ref name=":0">Pedersen DB. Integrating social sciences and humanities in interdisciplinary research. Palgrave Commun. 2016;2(16036):1-7.</ref> To tackle these issues, we need to combine knowledge from different disciplines<ref>Pohoryles R J, Schadauer A. What future for the European social sciences and humanities? Innovation – The European Journal of Social Science Research. 2009;22(2):147-187.</ref> and conduct interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research.<ref>Guerreiro J A. Interdisciplinary Research in Social Sciences: a two way process? In: Proceedings of the International Congress on Interdisciplinarity in Social and Human Sciences; 2016 May 5-6; Faro: CIEO – Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics; 2016. [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305765986_Interdisciplinary_Research_in_Social_Sciences_a_two_way_process. </ref> Because of the nature of these societal challenges, SSH should be included and well represented in such research. 

SSH disciplines generate knowledge on national and international conflicts, human rights, religious traditions, institutions, media, literacy, different identities and cultural memories, linguistic diversity, creative industries and cultural heritage, among others.<ref name=":1">Social Sciences, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Research. A Showcase of Excellent Research Projects from LERU Universities.  [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.leru.org/files/Social-Sciences-Humanities-and-Interdisciplinary-Research-Full-paper.pdf. </ref> They try to provide society with understanding of human nature and human culture,<ref name=":0" /> thus helping us reveal motives behind actions and anticipate consequences of certain decisions.<ref>Marie Curie Alumni Association. Social Sciences and Humanities Research. [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/magazine/news/social-sciences-and-humanities-research. </ref> We cannot understand climate change, for instance, if we do not try to understand human behaviour in this matter,<ref name=":1" /> but also if we do not approach these issues interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary. 

One of the examples of successfully integrated SSH in interdisciplinary projects is UCL Lancet Commission on Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change (2008-2009).<ref>Institute for Global Health. UCL-Lancet Commission on Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change. [cited 2020 Oct 20]. Available from: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global-health/research/a-z/lancet-commission-climate-change. </ref> The project aimed to address climate change as the greatest threat to global health in the 21<sup>st</sup> century and emphasized the need for policy-makers, practitioners and the public to act immediately.<ref name=":2">Social Sciences, Humanities and Interdisciplinary Research. A Showcase of Excellent Research Projects from LERU Universities.  [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.leru.org/files/Social-Sciences-Humanities-and-Interdisciplinary-Research-Full-paper.pdf. </ref> Experts from various disciplines – climate scientists, geographers, social environmental scientists, biodiversity experts, engineers and energy policy experts, economists, political scientists and public policy experts as well as health professionals – collaborated on this project.<ref name=":2" />
|Important For=Researchers; Policy makers; Funding agencies
|Has Best Practice=Knowledge produced by the SSH does not receive enough attention from policy-makers and other research communities.<ref name=":0">Pohoryles R J, Schadauer A. What future for the European social sciences and humanities? Innovation – The European Journal of Social Science Research. 2009;22(2):147-187.</ref> These disciplines are often not involved in formulating the research questions that identify the interdisciplinary projects from the beginning; they are only included in specific work packages and activities.<ref name=":1">Pedersen DB. Integrating social sciences and humanities in interdisciplinary research. Palgrave Commun. 2016;2(16036):1-7.</ref> Some argue that one of the reasons for that is that research programs do not consider differences between STEM and SSH disciplines which reflects negatively on efficiency, since SSH “have a more complex relationship to truth, power and knowledge than their siblings from the sciences”.<ref>Koenig T. SSH-Impact Pathways and SSH-Integration in EU Research Framework Programmes. IHS Working paper 5. 2019 April. [cited 2020 Oct 19]. Available from: https://www.ssh-impact.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/3_Working-Paper-on-SSH-Impact-Pathways_Final.pdf. </ref> Also, SSH are still concentrated on disciplinary research<ref name=":0" /> and their objectives are mainly local.<ref>Van Langehove. Make social sciences relevant. Nature. 2012;484(442).</ref> With regards to that, there have been ongoing discussions that try to come up with a solution for successful integration of SSH in interdisciplinary research.<ref name=":1" /> 

Representatives of some European SSH institutions presented a strategy to embed SSH in interdisciplinary research.<ref name=":1" /> This resulted in publication of the [http://horizons.mruni.eu/vilnius-declaration-horizons-for-social-sciences-and-humanities/ Vilnius Declaration] which articulated main principles for integration of SSH in one of the major funding programs, the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020.<ref name=":1" /> The Declaration stated that the SSH knowledge and methodologies can lead to new ways of dealing with societal problems. It also presented conditions for the successful integration of the SSH into H2020, for example, through recognising the knowledge diversity, encouraging interdisciplinary training and research as well as connecting social values and research evaluation.<ref>Vilnius Declaration – Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities. 2013 Sept 24. [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: http://horizons.mruni.eu/vilnius-declaration-horizons-for-social-sciences-and-humanities/. </ref>

Although SSH have been part of Horizon 2020 through some programs, their impact has been inconsistent.<ref>The need to integrate the Social Sciences and Humanities with Science and Engineering in Horizon 2020 and beyond. [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regexpert/index.cfm?do=groupDetail.groupDetailDoc&id=30290&no=1. </ref> Social sciences are not included in almost 75% of interdisciplinary projects, while humanities are engaged in about one third of the SSH-flagged topics, which shows that humanities are not included in 90% of Horizon 2020.<ref name=":1" /> This led to a new [https://www.h2020.cz/files/svobodova/SSH-position-FP9.pdf declaration] in 2018, adopted by several European universities, which suggested five concrete actions: creating an SSH Platform to facilitate the collaboration, encouraging researchers to consider academic and societal impact when drafting proposals, recognising that all disciplines can contribute to an “inclusive and prosperous Europe”, investing in SSH research and innovation and also introducing target budget for SSH spending, which is set at 10% of the civil research budget for 9th EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation.<ref>Call on the European Union to create high-quality dedicated and embedded SSH research opportunities in FP9. 2018 Jan. [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.h2020.cz/files/svobodova/SSH-position-FP9.pdf.</ref> Regardless of the efforts, the integration of the SSH in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research has been moving at a slow pace. There is still a lot of work to do for the SSH to be recognized as important as other disciplines<ref>Marie Curie Alumni Association. Social Sciences and Humanities Research. [cited 2020 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/magazine/news/social-sciences-and-humanities-research. </ref> and to reach their potential. It has been argued that maximizing their participation in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary projects will require new platforms and tools.<ref name=":1" />
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{{Related To
|Related To Resource=Resource:D78e9b46-b34d-4da0-a08f-0b042253dc5b;Resource:3971e783-f697-4267-8349-0eb9b615b066;Resource:Ac06b60a-b37e-4c9c-8b9b-6b9b318d9721
|Related To Theme=Theme:72c8ab8d-bbf8-4503-8b48-9de7eac37673
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{{Tags
|Involves=David Budtz Pedersen; J André Guerreiro
|Has Location=Europe
|Has Virtue And Value=Respect; Collaborative spirit
|Has Good Practice And Misconduct=Collaborative research; Grant applications
|Related To Research Area=SH - Social Sciences and Humanities
}}