Last week, Palgrave and Springer Nature were privileged to attend, sponsor and speak at the third Social Science Impact conference at Oxford University.  

We listened to some fascinating talks and met a unique mix of researchers who work directly with policymakers, those who have additional jobs outside of the academy and academics who promote the societal value of universities and the work that goes on within them, to the public at large.  

On a personal level, the conference really distilled the key elements of a social science approach to impact for me. It is multifaceted, long term, and often messy. Rather than weaknesses, these should be seen as the superpowers of an ever-evolving and collaborative field, and the experts who spoke about their work, unyieldingly celebrated not only the potential but also the proven ability of the social sciences to imagine and enact a better future.  

Palgrave’s Social Science Matters campaign, now in its eleventh year, was also created to do exactly that. In 2026 and beyond, we are committed to an iterative approach to ensuring that the work of our authors is as effective and impactful as it can possibly be. As discussed in one of the plenaries at the conference,  social scientists start from the first principles of care and equity, which actually allows for impact as a somewhat natural (but sometimes neglected) bi-product. This is where the campaign steps in. 

Two key words from the conference that were emphasised in so many of the presentations that I saw were: empathy; research that is co-created, inclusive and ethical and entrepreneurial; risk taking and not afraid to address failure. 

I would like to see both these elements in the content and the form of the Social Science Matters campaign as it enters its second decade, and with this in mind, here are what I see as three key priorities for the campaign as inspired by the conference.  

I would be keen to hear your thoughts on them in the comments section below. 

1. Storytelling 

This ancient mode of communication is at the heart of all social science research, and the campaign has always been a forum for researchers to articulate the moral and practical stakes of their work. 

We will look to highlight case studies where social science has successfully influenced debate and can promote hope amongst and beyond the academic community, as well as presenting calls for future action.  

The collection will also experiment with a variety of formats to ensure the clarity, accessibility and ongoing relevance of these stores.

2. Action-focus 

The blog format is complementary to our longform book publishing programme, and posting here first could reduce the research-action time lag by generating invaluable pre-publication dialogue, as well as interdisciplinary visibility. 

Equally, reflecting on the challenges, nuances or even failures of the research process during or post-publication is an invaluable method of demystification, and an important part of the broader narrative that we hope to present. 

 3. Diversity of Voice 

The campaign will champion research from less prominent academics who might be outside of the Global North, situated in smaller research institutions or from marginalised communities. We hope to use our extensive reach and breadth of author base to pluralise and enrich academic debate.  

The results of the recent SN impact report show that by far the majority of countries cite research from the US, UK and Europe, highlighting a gap in South-to-South and regional knowledge exchange that our campaign should help to fill.  

In summary, we hope to continue to channel the long-term, imaginative and transformative thinking that defines social science research across the globe, within and between all relevant disciplines.  

I hope that you will contribute your own research to the campaign to join the discussion and create change.  

 Sharla Plant is Editorial Director, Sociology+ books at Palgrave Macmillan, part of Springer Nature.