Technology Assessment

Technology assessment (TA) arose in the mid-1960s from an appreciation of the critical role of technology in modern society and its potential for unintended, and sometimes harmful, consequences. TA was conceived as a way to identify the desirable first-order, intended effects of technologies as well as the higher-order, unintended social, economic and environmental effects. TA methodology draws upon a variety of analytical, evaluative and planning techniques. Among these are systems analysis, cost-benefit analysis, consensus methods (e.g., Delphi method), engineering feasibility studies, clinical trials, market research, technological forecasting, and others. TA practitioners and policy makers recognized that TA is evolving, flexible, and should be tailored to the task (Brooks and Bowers 1970 and U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment 1977). (NCI Thesaurus)

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