Making the Case for the Social Sciences: Wales

WISERD, in partnership with the Research Institute for Applied Social Science (RIASS) and the Academy of Social Science, have today launched a new booklet showcasing the vast array of social science research taking place in Wales; titled ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences 10 – Wales’.

It includes a new study by Welsh researchers which has led to transformations in the way homicide teams around the world crack cases. Professor Fiona Brookman from the University of South Wales explored the culture and practices of homicide investigations with officers from Britain and the United States. She devised a new way of judging the success of investigations, leading to changes in how homicide units in the US and around the world conduct murder probes and engage with families and local communities.

Tackling child obesity is another example of how researchers in Wales are impacting policy well beyond their national borders. The Food Dudes programme developed at Bangor University has been rolled out successfully in many places across the UK, increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables children are happy to eat and displacing other, less healthy foods from the diets of both children and their parents diets.

The booklet also showcases research into the importance of peer support groups in preventing teen smoking, as well as the work of Professor Bob Woods on treating dementia through Cognitive Stimulation Theory. Professor Woods, of Bangor University, is overseeing the next issue in the Making the Case series on the topic of dementia.

Other research topics include: improving the evidence base in public sector pay; combating human trafficking; shifting attitudes in favour of Welsh devolution; new approaches to fighting the ‘war on drugs’, and; protecting human rights for young people in Wales.

‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences 10 – Wales’ comprises 14 case studies of research carried out by Welsh institutions which have influenced national and international governments, as well as highlighting the benefits of social science research on public policy.