Knowledge Mobilisation and the Social Sciences : Research Impact and Engagement

The essays presented in this volume examine knowledge mobilisation and its relation to research impact and engagement. The social sciences matter because they can help us to understand and address the complex challenges confronting society. This is particularly true in an era of significant downward pressure on public expenditure, a consequence of the global fiscal crisis, when there is a striking need to ensure that policies are demonstrably effective and efficient. The impact agenda in the UK, reflected in parallel global debates, actively encourages the social sciences to make and demonstrate a difference; to justify and protect social science funding. This volume shows how knowledge mobilisation can be thought of systematically as a process, encompassing engagement, leading to the co-production and channelling of knowledge to make a difference in the economy and society.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Social Science.

Jon Bannister is Professor of Criminology at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, and a Professorial Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK. In promoting a civic agenda for the academy, Jon has supported the establishment of multiple knowledge mobilisation initiatives in the field of criminal justice.

Irene Hardill is Professor of Public Policy, Northumbria University, UK, and a member of the Training and Skills Committee of the Economic and Social Research Council. She has a particular expertise in knowledge exchange and user engagement.