Social science has a range of methods that can provide evidence-based policy insights. The purpose of this book is to make the case that the social sciences are more relevant than ever in helping solve the problems of public policy. We provide a critical showcase for new forms of discovery drawn from the social sciences that can be applied in policy making, and do so by drawing on the insights of some of the world's leading authorities in public policy analysis. There are many forms of social science discovery that draw from beyond the established or most prominently used tools. They include making more use of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the analysis of big data, deliberative tools for decision-making, qualitative techniques for comparison using Boolean and fuzzy-set logic, the practice of citizen science, applying design thinking, learning from narratives used by policymakers and citizens, policy visualisation, spatial mapping, simulation modelling, and various forms of statistical analysis (such as cluster analysis). So, the heart of the book is an attempt to expand the awareness of both researchers and policymakers to the contribution that the social sciences can make.

In this introduction, we aim to do some of the ground clearing necessary to make the overall argument of the book more effective. First, we deal with the issue of what the social sciences actually constitute and why we think that they are more relevant today than in the past. Second, we clarify what the core claim of the social sciences can be in respect of solving societal problems. It is not some grand claim to produce a science of society that, if followed, would lead to all societal ills being vanquished; rather, it is a more modest and prosaic set of declarations about how an evidence base provided through rigorous social science can help. Finally, we need to explain our sense that only a limited number of social science techniques are regularly used in policy making and make the case for a wider pluralism and expansion. After these tasks have been undertaken, the introduction concludes with an outline of the remainder of the book.

The rise of the social sciences

The distinctions between different types of academic subjects do not stand up to a great deal of scrutiny.