Abstract

ALBORNOZ, Mario; ESTEBANEZ, María Elina  and  ALFARAZ, Claudio. Alcances y limitaciones de la noción de impacto social de la ciencia y la tecnología. Rev. iberoam. cienc. tecnol. soc. [online]. 2005, vol.2, n.4, pp.73-95. ISSN 1850-0013.

This paper presents some approaches to the notion of social impact of science and technology, delimiting dimensions in order to operatively define a phenomenon whose measurement is required for the evaluation of science, technology and innovation policies. With such goal, the text evolves toward two directions: one with a theoretical nature, and the other more properly methodological. With reference to the theoretical, the main conceptual problems presented by the notion of social impact are revised, as well as some of the existing perspectives about the modes and dynamics adopted by the production and spreading of scientific and technological knowledge. Regarding the methodological, the paper exposes some of the proposed social dimensions that should be considered in analyzing the impact processes, and it suggests which the levels of observation admitted by this kind of analysis are.

Keywords : Social impact of science and technolog; Knowledge transfer; Science and technology evaluation; Science and technology policy; Innovation systems.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )