How to Regain Legitimacy for Social Sciences Research

This communication draws from the findings of IMPACT-EV research project (2014-2017), funded by the European Commission under the 7^thFramework Programme. Its main goal is to evaluate the social and political impact of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research in Europe and, for that purpose, another objective is to develop indicators and standards for evaluating all types of impact of SSH. This project has been approved in a context where the usefulness of SSH research was questioned by politicians and society as well. Therefore, IMPACT-EV is a product of the growing demands from governments and society to all sciences, and particular SSH, to have relevant social impact and to show the returns they provide to the society. Social impact of research refers to when the published and disseminated research results, which have been transferred, lead to an improvement in relation to the goals agreed in our societies. Thus, this communication builds on the five cases of the identified successful European research in SSH that have achieved impact, especially social and political, to bring forward the elements that have been identified as enablers and also those elements that are inhibitors for achieving impact. We found that scientists are increasingly encouraged to reach out to their communities, sharing their research and its impact on people's everyday lives and to listen to communities and consider their research and future plans from the perspective of the people they serve.