In social science, formal and quantitative models, ranging from ones that describe economic growth to collective action, are used to formulate mechanistic explanations of the observed phenomena, ...

Although large-scale data are increasingly used to study human behaviour, researchers now recognize their limits for producing sound social science. Qualitative research can prevent some of these ...

Is social science research trustworthy? The economist Noah Smith raises this question in a recent piece entitled “How many of our ‘facts’ about society health, and the economy are fake?” As he points ...

Readers respond to an editorial on difficulties with replicability of results in social science research Your editorial on social science research (15 April) highlights the poor replicability of ...