jats:titleAbstract</jats:title> jats:pAt the Society for the Social History of Medicine (SSHM)’s biennial conference in Liverpool in July 2018, members gathered to discuss a short working paper developed by the Society’s executive committee to articulate the values underpinning the SSHM’s mission. The occasion marked the first public discussion of this document, in development since 2015, which was intended to encourage disciplinary self-awareness and engagement, to give a sense of the breadth and importance of work carried out in our field and to spark broader discussion. To further these aims as the Society celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, the working paper appears here, accompanied by a foreword from the Society’s Policy Development Officer and the lightly revised invited responses shared that day by five members at different career stages.</jats:p>