Irreconcilable Differences? The Business of Social Research and Users

Research in universities has undergone significant restructuring in the last decade and a half. Much of this restructuring stems from government policies aimed at harnessing research towards the goals of national wealth creation and improved quality of life. A key strategy in achieving these goals is making research relevant to ‘users’, typically defined in terms of business. Although many have commented on the tensions that arise from incorporating the notions of users and relevance in the natural and physical sciences, these have received little attention as they apply to the social sciences. As this paper argues, the application of the notion of users is far from unproblematic and reflects the wider ambiguities of UK science policy in general.