You’ll find brief descriptions of research in the humanities, arts, and social sciences below. Keep in mind, however, that research is often interdisciplinary and doesn’t fit into just one category! You can also check out this Research and Academics Glossary to familiarize yourself with terms your may encounter during your research journey.

RESEARCH IN THE HUMANITIES

Research in the humanities can take a variety of forms; it might include studying language, literature, philosophy, religion, culture, and many other disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas. The study of the humanities is often described as the study of the human experience.

Researchers may interpret texts, films, artworks, music, language, cultural practices, and many other topics and questions. You can explore the video below and the UCLA Humanities Division website to learn about exciting humanities research and events at UCLA.

RESEARCH IN THE ARTS

Arts research might involve creating art (such as creating a sculpture, choreographing a dance, writing music) or investigating and studying art (such as interpreting and analyzing architecture, media arts projects, performances, paintings, etc.).

Arts research can also be broadly interdisciplinary, engaging with humanities, social science, and science topics and questions. You can explore the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture website in order to learn about exciting arts research and events at UCLA.

RESEARCH IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

The social sciences are often described broadly as the study of people and society. The social sciences include investigations of culture, economics, geography, politics, history, identity, and many other areas.

Social scientists use a variety of approaches and methodologies to conduct their research; they might run experiments, analyze statistics and data, interview people, observe people in real life, and/or many other methods. You can explore the video below and the UCLA Social Sciences Division website to learn about exciting social sciences research and events at UCLA.