Research

Our Research Vision and Community

At the School of Social Sciences, we are committed to developing and sustaining research that is original, significant, and rigorous. Our work is grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration and a supportive research culture that supports innovation and impact. Bringing together scholars and students across both the university and the world, we address pressing social, cultural and educational challenges. We offer a range excellent research facilities to support this.

Research Facilities

Research Themes

Our research spans a wide range of areas, with particular strengths in science and technology studies, gender and women’s studies, political economy, mobilities, media and cultural studies, political sociology, children and young people, disability studies, and English language and linguistics.

We are also home to a diverse group of research centres which host a vibrant calendar of events including seminars, conferences, and film screenings.

Research Centres

Linguistics and Language Research Excellence

We have long been recognised as an internationally excellent centre for the study of English Language and Linguistics. For the last fifty years, we have been known for cutting-edge empirically-based theoretical and applied linguistics research in a wide range of areas. Our mission is to shape and inform pressing cultural, social and educational issues through engagement with key stakeholders in the UK and at a global level.

In the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021) Linguistics was submitted to Modern Languages and Linguistics. We achieved the highest possible score for impact and were rated ‘outstanding’ for 100% of our research impact. Linguistics is also rated ‘world-leading’ for 100% of its research environment and ranked 2nd in the UK for overall research quality.

With research groups in cognitive linguistics, corpus studies, discourse analysis, forensic linguistics, language testing, literacy studies, phonetics, and second language learning and teaching, the opportunities for learning extend far beyond the classroom.

Research partnerships

Our research is deeply collaborative, involving sustained partnerships with:

International organisations (e.g., European Parliament, UNESCO)
National and local government bodies (e.g., Defra, Equality and Human Rights Commission)
Public services, political parties, and city governments
Major science institutions (e.g., Royal Society, Natural History Museum)
Corporations and SMEs (e.g., Intel, Microsoft, Chinese low-carbon enterprises)
NGOs and community organisations (e.g., NSPCC, Women’s Aid, Age UK)

We actively contribute to public discourse and social change through blogs, podcasts, and social media. Visit our YouTube channel to view featured videos from staff and students showcasing the breadth and impact of our research.