The research activity of the Department is represented by the research lines active within groups and individual researchers. The progress of the Department's empirical research is also supported by the numerous activities carried out at its various laboratories, equipped with advanced scientific equipment and instruments. The presence of five local services and two inter-university research centers enrich and complete its profile. The Department's research also develops through consolidated collaboration with public and private bodies. The researchers belonging to the Department also carry out many third mission activities, such as disseminating the results of scientific research to the general public.
The Department has diversified and highly specialized skills and knowledge in both quantitative and qualitative methods. These skills, applied transversally to the different thematic areas, allow for complex representations of the phenomena investigated. As a guarantee in carrying out research, the Department has an Ethics Committee that assists researchers.
In 2018 the Department was selected among the 180 Departments of excellence of the Italian state university system, thanks to a project on the topic of migratory flows and inclusive practices in Europe and Italy (see link).