Incidence, in the context of social science and public health research, refers to the number of new cases of a specific disorder, disease, condition, or event occurring within a given population during a stated period of time, often expressed as a rate per a certain number of people (e.g., per 1,000 or 100,000 population per year). Incidence provides a measure of the risk of developing a new case of the condition within the specified time frame and is useful for understanding the spread and trends of various social or health phenomena. It is distinct from prevalence, which refers to the total number of cases (both new and existing) of a condition present in a population at a particular point in time or during a specific period. Monitoring incidence rates can help researchers and policymakers identify emerging social problems or health issues and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention efforts.