Handbook of Science and Technology Studies

Abstract

The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies, Third Edition, testifies to a thriving field of research in social studies of science, technology, and their interactions with society. The editors of the third Handbook have done a tremendous job by mapping a multifaceted but now clearly maturing field. This volume shows the richness of current empirical and theoretical research. The volume also displays—indirectly, in the notes, references, and bibliographies—the institutional strengths of the field in terms of journals, book series, research institutes, and graduate and undergraduate pro- grams. And it significantly highlights that research in science and technology studies is increasingly engaging with the outside world. This engagement is partly directed toward other academic disciplines and practices and partly toward addressing ques- tions of policy and governance in public and political institutions. This Handbook was produced under the aegis of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S). The Society selected the proposal by the editorial team and constituted the Handbook Advisory Board to monitor and assist in the process. Most importantly, the editors drew on the wealth of scholarship produced by the 4S membership. During 4S annual meetings, consecutive steps for developing the Handbook were presented by the editors and discussed with 4S members. The Handbook thus bears witness to the richness within the STS scholarly community, encompassing different generations of researchers, different research agendas, and different styles of engagement. It is, then, with conviction and pride that 4S grants its imprimatur to this Handbook. 4S extends its gratitude to all who have contributed to the realization of this grand project: the contributing authors, the members of the Advisory Board, and the staff at MIT Press. First and foremost, however, the Society is indebted to the editors Ed Hackett, Olga Amsterdamska, Mike Lynch, and Judy Wajcman. They succeeded in pro- ducing a truly exciting handbook that maps the current state of the field while also offering new challenges and innovative perspectives for future research.