Users and Social Science Research: Policy, Problems and Possibilities

Recent times have seen a significant reorientation in public funding for academicresearch across many countries. Public bodies in the UK have been at theforefront of such activities, typically justified in terms of a need to meet thechallenges of international competitiveness and improve quality of life. One setof mechanisms advanced for further achieving these goals is the incorporation ofusers’ needs into various aspects of the research process. This paper examinessome of the consequences of greater user involvement in the UK Economic andSocial Research Council by drawing on both empirical evidence and morespeculative argumentation. In doing so it poses some of the dilemmas forconceptualizing proper user involvement.