TECHNOLOGY-ASSESSMENT - PRODUCT OR PROCESS

Technology assessment was originally conceived of as an analytic activ ity, aimed at providing decision makers with an objective analysis of effects of a technology. Early in the history of technology assessment , it became clear that assessment projects must involve multiple persp ectives. In the United States, this led to stakeholder involvement in the analysis. In a number of European countries, however, forms of tec hnology assessment developed in which the analytic product became of r elatively minor importance compared to the interactive process: consen sus conferences and constructive technology assessment developed as al ternative forms. This article discusses four paradigms of technology a ssessment: the classical paradigm; the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) paradigm; public technology assessment; and constructive techno logy assessment. It concludes that the multiple views of technology as sessment and its position between academia and politics lead to dilemm as for technology assessment organizations, especially after the demis e of OTA. It stresses the importance of experimenting with various way s of conducting technology assessments and of addressing quality contr ol. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.