If you’re working within the humanitarian system, the following response to a question frequently asked of social scientists during emergencies can be helpful to foster an understanding and appreciation of the rationale for social scientists’ work:

Question: “It is difficult to know how to use social science insights if they are not specific to my work. How am I supposed to action these findings?” 

Answer: Social scientists need to be proactive in understanding emergency response structures, advocating for the uptake of their evidence within these structures, and documenting key lessons learned and good practices regarding use of their findings.

You can start by first seeking to understand your questioner’s data needs. For example, you could ask:

  • What is the specific role of [your organisation] within the response?
  • Is there a specific programme or initiative or vulnerable population that you’re focusing on/working with?
  • What questions do you have about what is happening [with regards to that programme/population] that could benefit from additional data?

Anyone working within the humanitarian system needs to understand who is leading on what, where and why – the ‘four Ws’ – if they are going to be effective in integrating data into this system. As a starting point, I would recommend familiarising yourself with the Humanitarian Cluster System which was adopted in 2005 to better coordinate emergency response operations. Commit to memory the Humanitarian Programme Cycle, which is an operational framework developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee which sets out a sequence of actions to be taken to manage international humanitarian response operations. Social scientists and the data they produce are relevant to every phase of this cycle. If you understand this system and can articulate how social science insights contribute to this cycle, you will be able to respond effectively to this type of question.

Social science does not have all the answers. However, skilled experts knowledgeable in how emergency response operations work are well placed to ask the right kinds of questions, and to critically reflect on whether emergency interventions are achieving their intended impact. For additional insights, I would recommend reading Anthropology in public health emergencies: What is anthropology good for?

Advice for emerging social scientists

Even if it is apparent to you how responders can and should use your findings, it may not be apparent to them. The kind of in-depth data that social science methods are most likely to provide often require unpacking (translating data into action), especially for those who are not familiar with using this type of information. The best way to do this is to know who you are talking to, what their specific areas of work and interests are, and what their role is within the cluster system – and highlight any specific findings of relevance you have to them directly and in connection to the programme cycle. This is also a good way to demonstrate the value of your work and begin establishing two-way communication with relevant response actors.

Responses such as those above can help you to:

  1. Highlight the unique insights that social science evidence gives about the needs and concerns of affected communities.
  2. Advocate for the inclusion of social scientists in emergency planning, ideally before a crisis begins.
  3. Challenge the myth that social science research is too slow or that it is not representative in an emergency setting.

Dr Ginger A. Johnson is a medical anthropologist with over 15 years of experience working within the UN system and with international humanitarian organisations. She co-founded the Rapid Research Evaluation and Appraisal Lab, co-developed the Collective Service’s Social Science for Emergency Preparedness and Response training package, and has recently co-facilitated Rapid Qualitative Assessment courses conducted on behalf of UN/INGOs in the East and Southern Africa for the Collective Service and SSHAP. You can listen to her recent podcast focusing on unpacking qualitative research in emergency response recorded by the Qualitative Applied Health Research Centre at King’s College London.

  • Do you have any additional tips to share based on your work and experience? Do you need support in undertaking rapid social science in emergencies? If so, please reach out to Annie Lowden (a.lowden[@]ids.ac.uk) or Juliet Bedford (julietbedford[@]anthrologica.com).