Palgrave Macmillan Celebrates 25 Years: The Story of Why Social Science Matters

Author: Clelia Petracca and Beth Farrow

Palgrave Editors Beth Farrow and Clelia Petracca join host Milana Vernikova to discuss Palgrave’s Social Science Matters campaign    

Since its inception in 2015, Social Science Matters has grown into a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, global collaboration, and public engagement. As the campaign marks its 10th anniversary—and Palgrave celebrates 25 years—this interview retraces its evolution, from its roots in Palgrave’s mission to support critical, evidence-based research, to its role today in amplifying the voices of scholars tackling the world’s most urgent challenges. 

Looking back to the beginning of the Social Science Matters campaign and blog, what can you tell us about the original vision for the campaign and how it aligned with Palgrave’s broader mission at the time?

The Social Science Matters campaign was launched in 2015, alongside the publication of Why the Social Sciences Matter—a book produced in collaboration with the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences. The campaign was rooted in the belief that the social sciences are essential to understanding and addressing the world’s most complex challenges. From the outset, it deliberately sought to foster dialogue between and beyond social science disciplines, challenging the notion that the social sciences and STEM sciences are in opposition and highlighting how they are crucially dependent on one another.

How have global, social, and political shifts over the past decade shaped the trajectory of the campaign and the editorial vision within Palgrave?

Over the past decade, the campaign has evolved in response to major global shifts—from the rise of populism and the climate crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and movements for racial and social justice. Social Science Matters has become a space where authors and editors engage with timely issues, connecting academic research with real-world challenges.   

The articles, talks, Q&As, and podcasts featured in the campaign not only reflect these broader changes but have, in some cases, actively informed our publishing strategy. Eleni Kakoullis and Kelley Johnson’s article advocating for inclusive research practices that centre the voices of people with intellectual disabilities highlights an approach that has directly shaped our new publishing efforts in this field. Other contributions have similarly inspired our editorial thinking, leading to the launch of dedicated book lists in gender studies, migration studies, science and technology studies, and disability studies—areas where scholarly momentum and insights from the campaign have driven our response.  

The campaign plays a key role in keeping our publishing rooted in the latest developments and concerns of research communities that we serve. Some timely recent examples include articles on educating in the age of misinformation, the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation for developing countries, and the impact of funding cuts to Tribal colleges.

The campaign aims to break down disciplinary and geographic silos and speak to the complex challenges societies face—what is an example of cross-collaboration fostered through Social Science Matters?

A key example of cross-collaboration fostered through Social Science Matters is its long-standing partnership with organisations such as the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Academy of Social Sciences, including their Campaign for Social Science. These collaborations have brought together researchers, policymakers, and institutions across disciplines and borders to spotlight the role of the social sciences in addressing global challenges—from inequality and climate change to public health and digital transformation.

Can you share any memorable milestones from the early days of the campaign that still resonate today?

One key milestone was our first event for the Festival of Social Science back in 2017. In collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Council we put together a panel and reception at the Royal Society in London hosted by BBC Radio presenter Laurie Taylor. This event helped establish Social Science Matters as a platform for public engagement and interdisciplinary exchange.  

Another foundational milestone was the author and reader survey conducted in the early stages of the campaign, which gathered insights from over 500 social scientists. This consultative approach—combined with feedback collected via postcards at conferences—helped shape the campaign’s direction. The survey revealed a strong appetite for interdisciplinary dialogue, a desire for greater visibility of social science research, and a need to better articulate the real-world impact of the field. These findings directly informed the campaign’s shift from asking why social science matters to showing how it does—through storytelling, impact case studies, and timely commentary.  

Since then, we’ve sought to expand the campaign’s international reach. Today, we’re proud that readers in India and Singapore are among the top five readers of the article hub, alongside the US, UK, and Australia—evidence of the campaign’s growing global resonance.  

A lasting example of this impact is the enduring popularity of a 2015 article by Gino d’Oca, then editor of Palgrave’s first open-access journal, Palgrave Communications. His piece remains one of the most-read on the platform and reflects the campaign’s role in surfacing emerging research trends. Gino’s progression to Editor-in-Chief of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications at Nature also highlights the importance of editorial leadership in building trusted scholarly communities.

What does the next decade and beyond of Social Science Matters look like? How can it continue to support and amplify transformative research?

As the social sciences face mounting political and institutional challenges, the next phase will focus on strengthening its role as a bridge between scholarship, policy, and public discourse. It will continue to champion interdisciplinary, inclusive, and policy-relevant research—while expanding its reach through new formats, international partnerships, and a focus on underrepresented voices and emerging fields. At a time when trust in science is in jeopardy, the campaign marks our ongoing commitment to rigorous research and acknowledges our role as a publisher in making evidence-based insights accessible to the wider public.   

The recent publication of Why the Social Sciences Matter: More than Ever is a defining moment in the campaign’s evolution. While the first edition responded to the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the Arab Spring, the new edition reflects a dramatically changed world—one shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate breakdown, racial justice movements, and the rise of AI. It also features contributions from a new generation of scholars alongside established voices, signalling a broader, more globally engaged and future-facing vision for the social sciences.

As we reflect on 25 years of Palgrave and mark the publication of the new edition, we invite you to join the conversation by signing up for the 2025 Palgrave Annual Lecture series, a space that convenes thought leaders and emerging voices to share fresh perspectives on these issues and much more.