Research in the humanities and social sciences faces distinct characteristics in terms of knowledge production and social application due to the complexity of human phenomena, methodological difficulties, and the entanglement of values with the cognitive process. Despite the rapid growth of quantitative research indicators in Iran (an increase in theses, articles, and research projects), the quality and impact of this research encounter a set of structural issues. The most significant challenges include policymakers' superficial approach to the authority of the humanities, a lack of coherence in research policymaking, low budget shares and inefficient allocations, weak university ties with the government, society, and market, limited private sector participation, ambiguity in identifying research stakeholders—particularly in dissertations and theses—the dominance of bureaucracy over the academic sphere, the prevalence of quantitative and coercive evaluation criteria that fuel pseudo-science and academic corruption, and the excessive blending of the humanities with political and ideological tendencies. Furthermore, researchers' predominant inclination toward general and abstract issues, coupled with a neglect of micro and local problems, has undermined problem-solving functionality. Remedial strategies include revising research prioritization criteria, increasing and optimizing budgets, targeted deregulation to strengthen university independence, reforming the private sector participation mechanism, balancing foundational, applied, and critical research, supporting interdisciplinary and collective research, mandating stakeholder identification, and reforming the educational and evaluation system to enhance quality and problem-oriented research.