Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Gault, Fred
Author-Email: gault@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: UNU-MERIT, and TUT-IERI Pretoria
Title: Social impacts of the development of science, technology and innovation 
	 indicators 
Abstract: This paper examines the social impacts of the development of science, 
	 technology and innovation indicators. The approach deals separately with 
	 the development process and with the use of the indicators that result. 
	 Underlying the discussion is an assumption that indicators are a 
	 technology, a product, which governs behaviour, is modified by users 
	 (outside of the producer community), and develops in response to user 
	 needs. Science and technology indicators are considered separately from 
	 innovation indicators, and the importance of language based on codified 
	 and tacit knowledge is emphasized. The knowledge is codified in manuals, 
	 and the tacit knowledge is held in overlapping communities of practice 
	 that develop the manuals, gather the data, produce the indicators and 
	 use them. Finally, there is a discussion of how this process changes and 
	 renews itself. 
Classification-JEL: O33, Z13
Keywords: Economic impacts, social impacts, innovation indicators, science 
	 and technology indicators, indicators, social constructs, knowledge   
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 2011
Number: 008
File-URL: http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2011/wp2011-008.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2011008