This booklet consists primarily of book summaries about research projects sponsored by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) that have been recently completed. The summaries are arranged by research programs and include 15 reports about food systems and society, 13 about political participation, 6 on refugees, and 2 on measuring and monitoring socio-economic development. An introduction is provided for each section that briefly describes the history and scope of the research project, and each summary contains the book's table of contents. Information is included about the history, development, and purposes of UNRISD, and appendices (annexes) provide names of UNRISD board members, institute staff, and consultants for 1988. (JHP)