Research with impact

Our research is changing lives. The high quality research that takes place across the Faculty explores what makes us human through the study of languages, cultures, histories and ideas.

REF 2021 illustration showing University building and subject areas

“Our thriving and active academic community, with excellent support from those who enable research, works at the cutting-edge of research in the arts and humanities. Together we produce significant and impactful research both within our disciplines and in a collaborative, interdisciplinary way allowing us to contribute to the wider understanding of individuals and societies at a local and global level.”

Professor Susan Fitzmaurice, Vice-President and Head of Faculty

Elevating underrepresented voices in Sheffield

The restrictions of the pandemic affected our sense of place, space and community, distancing us from others. One Sheffield-made project overcame this adversity with a digital project that explored the place-based heritage of North Sheffield while elevating the voices of underserved communities.

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How researchers are challenging complex Japanese stereotypes

Researchers at the University of Sheffield are challenging Japanese stereotypes, changing the way we think about Japanese culture and our own.

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A narrative approach to mental health

For centuries, storytelling has been used as a tool to communicate ideas and understanding about the world. Research at the University of Sheffield has adapted this tool to give those living with mental health illness a voice and a community.

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Tea being poured into a white cup and saucer

How the psychoactive revolution shaped society

Tea is the nation’s favourite drink, but this wasn’t always the case. Research from the Department of History explores how intoxicants such as coffee and tobacco were trafficked into Western Europe and how they influenced today’s public spaces.

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Trapped: the truth behind narco-trafficking in Mexico

Few would choose to spend their day in the London Immigration Tribunal Chambers, but for those who have to, it’s often a matter of life and death. This was the case for Peter. Except for him, it's a matter of the lives of Mexican nationals he helps to save.

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Changing the course of justice for victims and offenders

After being on the receiving end of a criminal offence you might find it uncomfortable to talk to the perpetrator. But what if you could use that opportunity to get answers and explain the impact the offence had on your life?

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University of Sheffield research ‘sparks’ new consultancy to make research more accessible for arts and cultural organisations following the Covid-19 pandemic

Research by the University of Sheffield’s Performer and Audience Research Centre (SPARC), has been the catalyst for a new consultancy that is helping arts, heritage and performance organisations nurture and grow their audiences in the wake of the pandemic.

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Cubes that read fake at the top and fact at the bottom

Fact or fiction: how a world of misinformation can be challenged through philosophy

In a world of misinformation and fake news it can be challenging to discern fact from fiction. But by introducing philosophical education into the curriculum from a young age, children could be armed with the tools to do just that.

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