Strengthening Social Science Research to Enhance the Quality of Sustainable Development Debate and Policy in El Salvador

This article identifies the elements that a developing country, such as El Salvador, needs to produce better quality research and use the key results to inform public policy. In the Salvadoran case, the social sciences develop in an ecosystem with a variety of stakeholders, resources and basic relationships, but members face challenges in terms of coordination and a sense of belonging. It also emerges that the social sciences have lacked a well-defined purpose and have been undervalued as a discipline. The country has developed capacities to produce and disseminate quality research, but this has not been a priority for national investment, and the release of results has been limited to the academic sphere. Moreover, there is hardly any inclusion of evidence in public policies, because, although decision-makers may seem to acknowledge the benefits of science, the demand for academic sector studies is low, and there is little interaction between the two sectors, generally. Consequently, social research outcomes are as meager as the interactions among different actors either producing or using research by comparison with countries in close geographic proximity, or with similar economic characteristics. Some aspects that are essential for the consolidation of a social science system are strengthening a research-oriented culture and popularizing science through the active participation of its members. These aspects can be extrapolated to similar contexts, encouraging proactive positions to shed light on the connections between research and the advancement of people´s well-being in society