Effective social science work starts with understanding that social change is shaped by culture, relationships, and shared experiences—it rarely happens in isolation. Whether working on environmental sustainability, community development, or policy implementation, recognising what drives people’s behaviours and decisions is essential for designing effective and inclusive solutions. Social science provides frameworks and methods to help researchers and practitioners understand human dynamics, support collaboration, and navigate complex challenges.
By drawing on social science, practitioners can move beyond surface-level engagement to explore the deeper values, narratives, and power dynamics that influence collective action. These perspectives are not only relevant for academic research, but also for those working in policy, evaluation, facilitation, or community settings who need practical ways to connect evidence with lived experience. Used in this way, social science methods become tools for co-creating knowledge, building trust, and supporting more just and sustainable outcomes.
This page offers a curated selection of resources to support your use of social science in applied settings. These include guides to research design, qualitative and quantitative methods, and participatory approaches such as action research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Additional pages in this section focus on participatory action research, social research ethics, behaviour change frameworks and inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. For practice-oriented tools and strategies see the Supporting Change section.
The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods for Social-Ecological Systems
This book provides a comprehensive open-access guide to methods used in SES research covering practical tools, conceptual foundations, and emerging frontiers in the field. Edited by Reinette Biggs and colleages, each chapter outlines suitable research questions, required skills, and real-world applications. With contributions from nearly 100 authors worldwide, the book offers an accessible entry point into SES research and practice.The SES research methods website is a is a companion and additional resource to the handbook.
The GO-GN Research Methods Handbook
Farrow, Iniesto, Weller and Pitt’s open-access handbook (2020) introduces key methodological choices for researchers working in education, technology and open research. Written with doctoral researchers in mind, it explores how research questions, methods and philosophical assumptions shape each other, with particular attention to open practices and mixed-methods work. The guide is also useful for anyone wanting a clear, accessible introduction to research design, methodology and reflective decision-making.
Participatory Methods
This site is curated by the Participation, Inclusion and Social Change cluster at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and offers a comprehensive gateway to participatory research and practice. It provides guides on methodologies, tools, and ethical considerations, alongside case studies from around the world. The site highlights why participatory approaches matter, how they can be funded and supported, and offers practical resources such as the Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. It is a valuable resource for those designing or facilitating processes where communities play an active role in shaping decisions that affect their lives.
Social Science Tools for Coastal Programs Publication Series
This site is managed by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Management Center. It is designed to help marine protected area (MPA) managers use social science to accomplish their goals. Specifically, this site provides basic – but very useful – information about social science concepts and methods, and guides managers in determining the appropriate tools, such as surveys and cost-benefit analyses, to address their specific issues. Managers will learn, too, how to be informed users of social science research.
Center for Social Research Methods
This links to an online hypertext textbook on applied social research methods that covers everything you want to know about defining a research question, sampling, measurement, research design and data analysis. The site and textbook have been developed by William Trochim, a Professor in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University.
How to do a research project
This page by Colin Robson lists a number of Internet resources that can help you get started with your first research projects. The resources are given under the following headings: Preliminaries; Approaches to research; Developing your ideas; Selecting the method(s) of collecting data; Practicalities of data collection; Analysing and interpreting your findings; and Writing the report.
QUALPAGE
Qualpage is a comprehensive and regularly updated list of qualitative resources initially started in 1995 by Judy Norris and currently managed by Kathy Roulston. The site has many resources about qualitative research and is regularly updated. It has a broad range of news and links so that you can find a variety of information on qualitative research.
Qualitative Research in Information Systems
This site is edited by Michael Myers and aims to provide qualitative researchers in IS – and those wanting to know how to do qualitative research – with useful information on the conduct, evaluation and publication of qualitative research. Qualitative researchers can be found in many disciplines and fields, using a variety of approaches, methods and techniques. In Information Systems, there has been a general shift in IS research away from technological to managerial and organizational issues, hence an increasing interest in the application of qualitative research methods.
[* Photo: Will Allen, Marseilles, France]