Assessing the Impact of Technology Assessment, Responsible Research and Innovation and Sustainability Research: Towards a Common Methodological Approach

Miltos Ladikas,Lei Huang,Julia Hahn

doi:10.3390/su14042014

Abstract

The missions of Technology Assessment (TA), Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Sustainability Research (SR) are similar in their relationship to Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). Although adopting different terminology, the three research fields show great conceptual and methodological overlaps, as all three react to societal demands and policy needs via common tools. The impact of TA, RRI and SR is linked directly, but its assessment requires new thinking in terms of common conceptual and methodological approaches. The paper provides an overview of the current discussion on societal impact assessment and identifies areas of particular interest for the three fields. It describes the current discussions on impact assessment and impact indicators in each field and undertakes a bibliometric analysis that shows clear inter-relationships in terms of thematic focus and a common emphasis on impact in all three fields. Following this analysis, the paper argues for a common impact assessment methodology for TA, RRI and SR, under the notion of resonance and based on the concepts of anticipation, reflection and inclusion.

Highlights

Transformation research is essentially a comparative approach
The aim of the paper was not to analyze in detail the conceptual or methodological commonalities/differences in Technology Assessment (TA), Research and Innovation (RRI) and Sustainability Research (SR), it is clear that these have an effect on how a common impact assessment can develop
The further conceptual development of the three research approaches and their applications in STI analysis and policy options, will be crucial in developing a standardized impact assessment methodology. Any work in this field is by necessity limited in identifying potentialities and suggesting the building blocks of such undertaking

Summary

Introduction

Transformation research is essentially a comparative approach. The actual effect of such research in society is far from clear as it usually involves complex, interconnected disciplinary approaches that are not easy to deconstruct into single cause-and-effect processes. There have been significant efforts to identify the dynamics of STI impact in society, and this is nowhere more evident than in the debate on impact indicators. The application of methods to evaluate STI is relatively new, with the first use of scientometric indicators taking place at the beginning of the 1980s [1], the debate on the use of quantitative measurements to assess the impact of STI is evident since the early 1970s with viewpoints to evaluate scientific journals [2], scientific disciplines [3]

Objectives

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion