Unlike traditional security studies, which primarily emphasize the protection of states and borders, human security shifts the focus to people themselves—recognizing that individuals face a wide spectrum of risks that go beyond military conflict.

These risks include poverty, disease, environmental  Human Security Research  degradation, political repression, and social inequality. Human security research aims to understand these threats, analyze their underlying causes, and propose policies and interventions that protect and empower individuals.

At its core, human security research is based on the idea that security is multidimensional. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) famously identified seven pillars of human security: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political security.

Research in this field may focus on one or several of these dimensions, depending on the issue at hand. For example, studies on economic insecurity investigate unemployment, income inequality, and financial vulnerability, while research on health security examines access to healthcare, epidemic response, and the impacts of global health threats such as pandemics. By exploring these different layers, researchers build a comprehensive picture of what makes individuals secure or insecure.

Another defining characteristic of human security research is its people-centered methodology. Scholars often rely on qualitative methods—such as interviews, focus groups, and participatory research—to understand how security threats are experienced on the ground.

Quantitative methods are also used, especially in studies that examine large-scale trends such as migration, conflict, or climate-related risks.