1. Social science is a whole or any discipline that studies various phenomena in human society by scientific methods. It is a science that studies various social phenomena, such as sociology studies human society (mainly contemporary), politics studies politics, policies and political activities, and economics studies resource allocation.

2. Social science covers subjects such as economics, politics, law, ethics, history, sociology, psychology, education, management, anthropology, folklore, journalism and communication.

Some disciplines, such as anthropology, psychology and archaeology, are the intersection of social science and natural science. Chinese mainland listed psychology as a natural science. For example, the psychology department of Nanjing University, where the Institute of Psychology of Chinese Academy of Sciences was established, was under the Faculty of Science before 1956 (including the Republic of China). Hong Kong SAR followed the example of Europe and America and listed it as a social science.

4. Politics, economics, sociology, law, military science and other disciplines are typical narrow social sciences. But some disciplines, such as history, are the intersection of social science and humanities in a narrow sense, and are usually understood as humanities. "Social science" in a broad sense includes humanities. China Academy of Social Sciences, for example, has two research institutes: social sciences and humanities.

5. In the development of modern science, the new scientific and technological revolution has provided new methods and means for the research of social science, and the trend of mutual infiltration and connection between social science and natural science has been strengthened day by day.