Randall Harp's main research areas are in the philosophy of action (particularly collective action and decision theory) and in the philosophy of social sciences. His research focuses on questions of the proper way to characterize individual versus collective goals, and of the proper way for a model of deliberation to use these goals. He is also interested in the explanatory powers of collective entities. His other research interests include the explanatory adequacy of rational choice models of human agency.

Professor Harp teaches introductory classes in logic and in ethics; he teaches intermediate lectures on ancient philosophy and on the philosophy of action; and he teaches advanced seminars in the philosophy of social science.