The Collective for Social Science Research was established in 2001 with a small core staff of researchers in the social sciences who have extensive experience conducting multidisciplinary research both in Pakistan and internationally. Areas of research interest include social policy, economics, poverty, gender studies, health, labour, migration, and conflict. The Collective's research, advisory, and consultancy partnerships include local and international academic institutes, government and non-governmental organizations, and international development agencies. It is recognized for three main areas of innovation in the practice of applied social sciences in Pakistan: the introduction of a political economy perspective in macro- and micro-issues; the attention to informal collective action and social networks; and the combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The Collective's objective is to produce high quality academic research in the social sciences and to foster informed debate on social, political and economic issues and policies.

Research projects of various sizes constitute the main activity of the Collective. While many of the research projects are consulting assignments for development organizations or collaborative partnerships with local and international academic organizations, some are self-generated by the Collective in pursuit of its own research agenda.

The development organizations that have used our services recently include the Asian Development Bank, International Labour Organization, Oxfam GB, The World Bank, and UNICEF. There are or have been academic partnerships with Aga Khan University, BRAC University (Dhaka), David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the London School of Economics, the Institute of Development Studies (Sussex), Institute of Human Development (Delhi), the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).