Research within the School of Humanities and Social Science

Over the past six years staff in the School have produced a wealth of published research, authoring or editing 52 books, producing 192 articles and contributing to 95 chapters in books or entries to edited collections. We have also been involved in interdisciplinary collaborations throughout the University and have forged external research partnerships both nationally and internationally. We feed all of this cutting-edge research into our teaching.

This work helped us achieve excellent Research Excellence Framework 2014 results, with an increased level of 3* and 4* activity across the School. It has also provided us with the strong foundation we need to continue to improve the range, impact and quantity of our research within our key areas of research, which are:

• Communication, cultural and media studies
• English literature
• History
• Social work and social policy

In addition to our research, the educational experience we offer is further enriched by our international partnerships, which have been developed across the world, from Europe to China and the USA. These links not only provide students and staff with the opportunity to study or work overseas, but they also enable international visiting scholars to make valuable contributions to our curriculum.

We are dedicated to providing a stimulating and challenging environment for all our staff and students, which is why we run regular research seminars, international conferences and lectures.

Our work also extends beyond the University. In 2014 we launched a new project – Merseyside at War. This initiative honours the people of Merseyside’s role in the First World War and captures stories, such as John Condon’s (the youngest allied solder to die in WW1), records memorabilia and promotes local First World War related events.

The School of Humanities and Social Science has an extremely strong research profile and our research teams – which are made up of academics, remarkable postgraduates and visiting scholars – champion our School’s culture of scholarship, collaboration and academic excellence.

The volume of research our teams produce is prolific. In the latest research assessment (REF2014), 70% of our staff were considered for submission, making us one of the most active Schools in the University.

Our Research Excellence Framework 2014 results demonstrate an increased level of 3* and 4* activity across the School and we are now well-positioned to consolidate our School’s international reputation for producing world-leading, high-impact research.

Our future plans include strengthening our external partnerships, enhancing our interdisciplinary research, continuing to secure external funding and increasing our impact activities through hosting conferences and symposia.

Our research centres