TATuP - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis: Announcements

News: Call for Special topic guest editors

2024-04-09T08:22:35+02:00

This Call for Special topic guest editors (CfSTE) addresses experts who would like to guest edit a special topic in journal TATuP. Submission deadline 30/06/2024, for details on the submission process see the journal's website.

This CfSTE advertises for Special topics as of issue 34/3 (2025). The editorial process for a special topic begins approx. 12 months before publication, i.e. approx. November 2024 for the next possible TATuP special topic of this call.

TATuP is peer-reviewed and accessible free of charge both online and in print (diamond open access for authors and readers). The journal is published three times a year and is indexed, amongst others, in the databases Scopus, DOAJ, Crossref, Google Scholar etc.

TATuP publishes current scientific research results as well as practical and problem-oriented findings from the interdisciplinary and interlocking fields of technological innovation, social change and policy advice. TATuP aims at a high outreach by addressing research findings and policy recommendations also to transdisciplinary stakeholders.

Each issue of TATuP publishes a series of peer-reviewed research articles on a specific empirical or conceptual field of technology assessment in the "Special topic" section. For an overview of previously published TATuP special topics and research articles, please visit the journal's archive.

By editing a TATuP special topic, you will make an important contribution to debates on technology assessment and at the same time strengthen your research fields!

We look forward to receiving your suggestions!

TATuP editorial office

News: New TATuP issue “AI for decision support: What are possible futures, social impacts, regulatory options, ethical conundrums and agency constellations?"

2024-03-19T08:54:41+01:00

The full issue is available here.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems are no longer merely the subject of research, but affect ever larger parts of society since they made their way into every-day life. Where machines make decisions for which human beings used to be responsible or where machines assist in decision making, there are not only technological but also in particular ethical, legal, and social challenges to deal with.

The Special topic “AI for decision support” of the new TATuP issue addresses key challenges arising from the integration of AI systems into human decision making. Using the example of AI for decision support in health care, justice, or at border controls, societal challenges, ethical questions, regulatory options, and possible futures will be discussed.

The Special topic is edited by Diana Schneider, research associate at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, and Karsten Weber, Professor for Technology Assessment and AI-based Mobility at OTH Regensburg.

Interview with science fiction author about uncontrollable AI

In the TATuP interview, science fiction author Karl von Wendt talks about the possibility of artificial intelligence getting out of control and threatening the existence of the entire human race. Von Wendt completed his dissertation on AI in the 1980s, founded several AI-related start-ups, and writes novels about the risks of artificial intelligence under the pseudonym “Karl Olsberg.”

Also in the current issue: a research article on the results of a citizens’ report on the decarbonization of the transport sector in Berlin, conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community.

Call for Abstracts: “Practices and concepts of 'care' in sustainability transformations. Critical perspectives in technology assessment“

2024-03-01T09:08:02+01:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF) here.

Guest editors of this TATuP Special topic:

Sarah Hackfort, Dr., Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
Julia-Lena Reinermann, Dr., Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences, FernUniversität Hagen (DE)
Daniela Gottschlich, Prof. Dr., Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung, Koblenz (DE)

Editorial Process Outline:

29 April 2024: Deadline for abstract submission
May 2024: Notification of invitation or rejection to submit research articles
August 2024: Deadline for submission of research articles, followed by peer review
October 2024: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by revision by the authors
November 2024: Submission of the revised research articles
December 2024: Further revision, if necessary
February 2025: Editorial deadline
March 2025: Publication (print and online)

TATuP - Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice is the international and peer reviewed open access journal for the interdisciplinary field of technology assessment and neighboring fields of research.

News: New TATuP Special topic “Technology hype: Dealing with bold expectations and overpromising”

2023-12-13T19:39:02+01:00

The full issue is available here.

To date, the study of hype has become a productive but also eclectic field of research. This introduction provides an overview of the core characteristics of technology hype and distinguishes it from other future-oriented concepts. Further, the authors present promising approaches from various disciplines for studying, critiquing, and dealing with hype. The special issue assembles case studies, methodological and theoretical contributions that analyze tech hypes’ temporality, agency, and institutional dynamics. It provides insights into how hypes are triggered and fostered, but also how they can be deconstructed and anticipated.

Special topic editors of this issue are Jascha Bareis (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology & Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Germany), Maximilian Roßmann (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University (UM), Netherlands), and Frédérique Bordignon (Ecole des Ponts ParisTech & Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Sciences Innovations Sociétés lab, France).

Interview with Danielle Shanley on Responsible Innovation and Hype

The interview with Danielle Shanley, conducted by Maximilian Roßmann, explores the origins of Responsible Innovation (RI) and technology assessment in the 1960s, revealing early visions of collaboration and interdisciplinarity a decade before the Office of Technology Assessment was founded in the United States. Shanley highlights the significance of history in understanding hype and identifying with the intellectual movement despite its contested concepts and folk history. She suggests proactive engagement to ensure RI’s continuity beyond buzzwords.

Also in the current issue: research articles on Chatbots as an educational challenge for School and Teching, on the Mirke Neighbourhood Panel as well as conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community.

News: Call for Abstracts: "The material transition in architecture and construction. Social, economic, spatial and cultural implications and appropriation processes"

2023-11-23T12:38:47+01:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF) here.

Guest editors of this TATuP Special topic:

Simon Aicher, Dr. rer. nat., Dept. Timber Constructions and Unit Green Engineering, Materials Testing Institute (MPA), University of Stuttgart, DE
Cordula Kropp, Prof. Dr. phil., Chair of Sociology of Technology, Risk and Environment, Institute for Social Sciences, University of Stuttgart, DE

Editorial Process Outline:

05 February 2024 Deadline for abstract submission
February 2024 Notification of invitation or rejection to submit research articles
13 May 2024 Deadline for submission of research articles, followed by peer review
Mid-July 2024 Feedback from the reviewers, followed by revision by the authors
End of August 2024 Submission of the revised research articles
September 2024 Further revisions, if necessary
October 2024 Editorial deadline
December 2024 Publication (print and online)

TATuP - Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice is the international and peer reviewed open access journal for the interdisciplinary field of technology assessment and neighboring fields of research.

News: Call for Abstracts: “The ambivalence of emergent technologies: Malevolent creativity and civil security”

2023-07-21T11:32:03+02:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF) here.

Guest editors of this TATuP Special topic:

Dr. Georg Plattner, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Institute for Technology Assessment
Dr. Octavia Madeira, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Institute for Technology Assessment
Dr. Christian Büscher, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Institute for Technology Assessment
Alexandros Gazos, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Institute for Technology Assessment
Tim Röller, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Institute for Technology Assessment

Editorial Process Outline:

22. September 2023: Deadline for submitting your abstract.

End-September 2023: Decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript.

End-December 2023: Deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a double non-blind review process.

Mid/End-February 2024: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions (four weeks).

Mid-April 2024: Feedback on revisions.

End-April 2024: End of revision period.

Mid-June 2024: Publication (print and online).

News: New TATuP issue “Potentials of technology assessment in sudden and enduring crises”

2023-07-10T11:14:48+02:00

The full issue is available here.

The COVID-19 pandemic, looming energy shortages, or the consequences of climate change – crises that occur suddenly or will be with us for a long time require the attention of technology assessment: It identifies technologies that can potentially trigger or exacerbate a crisis as well as those that can contribute to crisis management. At the same time, crises demand immediate action. Society and politics not only rely on sound information but also need it as soon as possible.

In its Special topic “Potentials of technology assessment in sudden and enduring crises,” the current TATuP issue examines how technology assessment can adapt to this new situation. Four contributions show how TA practice can be adapted to crisis conditions. The contributions are complemented by an overview from the Special topic editors from ITAS.

Interview on the relationship between the Church and technology assessment

In the TATuP interview, Gernot Meier, commissioner for ethics and theology of digitalization in the Evangelical Church in Baden, talks about the relationship between the Church and technology assessment. Other topics of discussion include changes in the image of humankind that accompany digitalization and the need to keep the future open and actively shape it.

Also in the current issue: research articles on the implementation of artificial intelligence in the world of work and on nuclear waste as a sociotechnical problem as well as conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community.

News: New TATuP issue “Modeling for policy”

2023-03-28T12:33:26+02:00

The full issue is available here.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasts of infection dynamics were used to evaluate and justify political decisions. In this way, the relevance of computer models for the decisions of policy makers was impressively demonstrated to the public.

Against the background of this development, computer simulations – which are more and more often developed using artificial intelligence methods –also play an increasingly important role for technology assessment. The current TATuP issue “Modeling for policy: Decision making with AI, models, and computer simulations – challenges for TA from new prognostic methods” asks about this role.

Case studies on sustainable mobility and risks of nanotechnologies

The special topic combines basic contributions on the subject with case studies on the role of modeling in different fields. In addition to the evaluation of the pandemic management, this includes, e.g., the risks of nanotechnologies, aspects of justice in the use of facial recognition software, or models for sustainable mobility.

Interview on TA for the Austrian parliament

In the TATuP interview, Eva-Maria Himmelbauer, member of the Austrian National Council, talks about the importance of TA studies for the Austrian parliament. Since 2013, the ÖVP politician has been a member of the Committee for Research, Innovation, and Digitalization, which is responsible for technology assessment and has recently extended its cooperation with TA researchers.

Also in the current issue of TATuP: a research article on the linguistic and epistemological analysis of texts in scientific policy advice, conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community.

News: Call for Abstracts "AI for decision support: What are possible futures, social impacts, regulatory options, ethical conundrums and agency constellations?"

2023-03-15T16:19:02+01:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF) here.

Guest editors of this TATuP Special topic:

Diana Schneider, M.A., Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Competence Center Emerging Technologies
Karsten Weber, Prof. Dr., OTH Regensburg, Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment

Editorial Process Outline:

2. May 2023: Deadline for submitting your abstract.
June 2023: Decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript.
August 2023: Deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a double non-blind review process.
October 2023: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions
November 2023: Feedback on revisions.
December 2023: End of revision period.
March 2024: Publication (print and online).

News: New TATuP issue “The future of radioactive waste disposal”

2022-12-16T09:07:51+01:00

You find the full issue here.

The question of permanent storage of highly radioactive waste – nuclear waste – is still unsolved in a number of countries all over the world. What are the developments, questions, and discussions that represent and define the overlong time perspective related to the realization and existence of a final repository? What happens after a site has been selected, a decision that is – from today’s point of view – still in the future in many countries? How does
climate change as a contextual factor influence the repository plans in the respective countries?

The future is unpredictable and under these circumstances, it is an immense challenge to plan and construct a nuclear waste repository that is supposed to safely store the waste for up to a million years. How long will the task of finding such a repository take, another hundred years? Ulrich Smeddinck, Anne Eckhardt, and Sophie Kuppler take a first look at this question in her introduction to this Special topic. Other research articles address the challenges in communicating the future of high-level radioactive waste disposal, the timeprints of radioactive waste management or ask the question of intergenerational justice (and much more).

Interview on Swiss repositories for nuclear waste

In the TATuP interview, Tim Vietor, head of the Safety, Geology and Radioactive Materials division at Nagra, talks about a cross-generational project in Switzerlang to dispose of radioactive waste ‘once and for all’. Nagra has just proposed the site for the deep geological reposi-tory for radioactive waste. Vietor evaluates the meaning of this step for affected communities and talks about his expectations for future tasks.

Research article and Reflections

Also in the current issue of TATuP: A Research article on Human dignity and lethal autonomous weapon systems, conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community.

News: Call for Abstracts: "Assessing the (de)construction of technological hypes"

2022-12-15T19:55:20+01:00

Please read the complete CfA (pdf).

Guest editors of this TATuP Special topic:

Jascha Bareis, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology (KIT) & Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Germany;
Maximilian Roßmann, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS), Maastricht University (UM), Netherlands;
Frédérique Bordignon, Ecole des Ponts ParisTech & Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Sciences Innovations Sociétés (LISIS) lab, France.

Editorial Process Outline

03 February 2023: Deadline for submitting your abstract.
February 2023: Decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript (28.000 characters over the whole document including spaces).
June 2023: Deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a double non-blind review process.
July 2023: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors' revisions.
September 2023: Feedback on revisions.
October 2023: End of revision period.
December 2023: Publication (print and online).

News: Call for Special topic editors

2022-11-11T13:12:13+01:00

This call for Special topic editors addresses all those who are interested to edit a Special topic in the Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice (TATuP). Proposals should be submitted in English language to redaktion@tatup.de by 31 January 2023. You will find full information on the journal website on how to submit your proposal for a TATuP Special topic. Free slots in the journal’s longstanding Special topic series will be available starting with issue 2/2024. The editorial process for TATuP Special topics starts around 12 months ahead of publication, i.e. the editorial process for the next available Special topic will start c. July 2023.

The journal TATuP is peer reviewed and diamond open access, both online and in print. Its scope covers scientific research and practical as well as problem oriented findings from the interdisciplinary fields of technological innovation, social change and policy advice. TATuP aims at creating public outreach by communicating research findings and policy recommendations also to transdisciplinary stakeholders.

Each issue of TATuP publishes in the journal section “Special topic” a number of peer reviewed research articles on a specific empirical or conceptional field of technology assessment. To get an overview over the topical range and research articles published in past Special topics of TATuP please consult the journal archive.

By editing a TATuP a Special topic you can make an important contribution to debates of technology assessment and at the same time strengthen your field of research!

Do not hesitate to discuss your ideas with the editorial office by writing to the above mentioned e-mail address.

We are looking forward to receiving your proposals!

TATuP editorial team

News: Call for Abstracts: "Potentials of TA in sudden and enduring crises"

2022-09-01T12:28:03+02:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF).

Guest editors of this TATuP Special topic

Tanja Sinozic, Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW), Austria
Julia Hahn, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
Nora Weinberger, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany

Editorial Process Outline

12 October 2022: Deadline for submitting your abstract.
October 2022: Decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript.
January 2023: Deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a
double non-blind review process.
February 2023: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions by
mid of April 2023.
April 2023: Feedback on revisions.
May 2023: End of revision period.
June/July 2023: Publication (print and online)

News: New TATuP issue “Energy sufficiency”

2022-07-18T16:43:09+02:00

The structural dependence on fossil fuel imports is currently being relentlessly demonstrated to Western industrialized countries by the war in Ukraine. At the same time, they are confronted with the urgent challenge of effectively countering climate change. Against this backdrop and in view of the great energy saving potential, which has hardly been exploited so far, a new sufficiency policy seems urgently needed.

This thesis is the starting point of the current TATuP issue “Energy sufficiency: Conceptual considerations, modeling, and scenarios for less energy consumption,” edited by Benjamin Best, Michaela Christ, Tilman Santarius, and Frauke Wiese.

With energy sufficiency against multiple crises

The authors of the Special Topic look at models and scenarios on energy sufficiency, highlight differences between various concepts and definitions, and thus broaden the understanding of sufficiency. Individual contributions also illustrate how current crises could be solved with the energy sufficiency approach and what positive side effects could be expected – for example, greater social justice.

Interview on sufficiency policy

In the TATuP interview, Uwe Schneidewind, Mayor of the City of Wuppertal, talks about the importance of energy sufficiency in times of crisis and ways to incorporate sufficiency into political action. As a sustainability researcher, Schneidewind headed the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, one of the most important institutions for sufficiency research in Germany.

Also in the current issue of TATuP: a research article on the question of whether artificial intelligence can assume leadership tasks in companies, conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community. (18.07.2022)

Further links:

Full issue

News: New TATuP issue “Technology assessment and higher education”

2022-04-08T14:06:45+02:00

Since its emergence in the 1970s, the core of TA has been to integrate perspectives, theories, and methods from very different scientific disciplines and use them for problem-oriented research. So far, TA has mostly operated outside the academic sphere and has not been considered a scientific discipline. However, universities and higher education institutions have discovered technology assessment for themselves. Its issues, content, and methods are increasingly being integrated into teaching. The “TA label” adorns chairs and electives.

Academization of TA

The current TATuP issue “Technology assessment and higher education: Theories, applications, and concepts” discusses how to design good teaching concepts for TA and meaningfully integrate them in teaching as well as the opportunities that arise from academization for TA itself. Editors of the Special Topic are Elke Hemminger, Professor of Sociology at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences RWL in Bochum, and Sabrina C. Eimler, Professor of Human Factors and Gender Studies at the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences.

Interview on digital media in the global south

In the TATuP interview, Payal Arora, cyberanthropologist and award-winning author, talks about her research on digital media consumption in the global south and what a billion new users means for global technology assessment. Also in the current TATuP issue: a research article on challenges of robotics development for care, conference reports, book reviews, and news from the TA community. (08.04.2022)

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/ HTML)

News: Call for Abstracts: “Modeling for policy: Decision making with AI, models, and computer simulations – challenges for TA from new prognostic methods”

2022-04-06T14:57:40+02:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic

Andreas Kaminski (RWTH Aachen, HLRS/ Stuttgart)
Gabriele Gramelsberger (RWTH Aachen)
Dirk Scheer (ITAS)

Editorial Process Outline

17 May 2022: Deadline for submitting your abstract.
End of May 2022: Decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript.
August 2022: Deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a double
non-blind review process.
October 2022: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions by
end of November 2022.
December 2022: Feedback on revisions.
February 2023: End of revision period.
March 2023: Publication (print and online).

News: Call for Abstracts: “The future of high-level radioactive waste disposal: What are the developments? What are the challenges after a site selection?”

2022-01-18T12:01:13+01:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic

Ulrich Smeddinck (ITAS)
Anne Eckhardt (Risicare, Schweiz)
Sophie Kuppler (ITAS)

Editorial Process Outline

18 February 2022: Deadline for submitting your abstract.
March 2022: Decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript.
June 2022: Deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a double
non-blind review process.
August 2022: Feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions by
end of September 2022.
September-October 2022: Feedback on revisions.
October 2022: End of revision period.
December 2022: Publication (print and online).

News: New TATuP issue “Designing and experiencing AI systems”

2021-12-17T01:53:31+01:00

Artificial intelligence and big data are major topics in business, society, and science. TATuP explores ways to strengthen society’s understanding of AI and to shape the technology’s use in a meaningful way.

Technology assessment has the task of transforming public expectations and fears about artificial intelligence (AI) into well-founded, factual perspectives as well as providing impetus for a socially desirable design of AI. Based on this premise, the current issue of TATuP presents theoretical considerations, historical analyses, and case studies of AI applications in the fields of communicating technology and human genetics.

Transformation in science and society

Bernhard G. Humm (Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences), Stephan Lingner (IQIB), Jan C. Schmidt (Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences), and Karsten Wendland (ITAS/KIT) – editors of the current TATuP issue “Designing and experiencing AI systems. Concepts, values, applications” – see considerable potential for AI in research and development as well as in economic applications. However, in order to create appropriate research programs and sensible regulations, a social design of AI systems and an adequate analysis of risks would be required. The authors of the TATuP special topic provide suggestions and analyses in this regard.

Interview “Public infrastructure crisis in Lebanon”

In the TATuP interview, Karim Eid-Sabbagh, expert in urban planning and resource management, and Ulrich Ufer, anthropologist and historian, discuss the public infrastructure crisis in Lebanon and contributions from critical political economy to technology assessment in countries of the Global South.

Also in the current TATuP issue: an article in the research section on “Citizen science approaches in medical and health research,” conference reports, reviews, and news from the TA community.

30 years of publication: TATuP celebrates anniversary

On the occasion of TATuP’s 30th anniversary, the editors and members of the scientific advisory board have their say. Online (www.tatup.de/TATuP30), they tell us what they particularly appreciate about the journal, what they wish for the future of TATuP, and which article they particularly enjoyed reading. (17.12.2021)

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/HTML)

30 years of publication: TATuP celebrates anniversary

2021-11-22T16:17:13+01:00

On the occasion of the anniversary, we as the TATuP editorial team asked the members of the Editorial Board and Scientific Advisory Board,

which contribution from 30 years of TATuP they would like to recommend,
what they particularly appreciate about the journal,
and what they wish for its future.

PD Dr. Alexander Bogner, ITA, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria

From the impressive TATuP archive, I would particularly recommend the issue “Democracy and technology assessment” (TATuP 29/3 2020). It exemplifies how TA takes current crisis diagnoses as an opportunity for constructive criticism and self-reflection.
I particularly appreciate the fact that the journal keeps the TA tradition alive. And it does so in constant dialogue with neighboring disciplines and non-scientific actors.
For the future, I wish TATuP a continuing passionate editorial team, motivated reviewers, and a large audience.

Dr. Pierre Delvenne, University of Liège, Belgium

I would particularly like to recommend the TATuP article "The hidden fourth dimension" (TATuP 27/1 2018) by Helge Torgersen because it extended the pioneering work of Armin Grunwald on technology assessment theory by opening up a field of research and discussion of crucial importance for TA: normativity.
What I particularly appreciate about the journal is that it is a unique platform to build bridges between the different communities of scientists and practitioners interested in technology assessment.
For the future I wish TATuP, as a leading journal in Technology Assessment, will intensify its exchanges with other journals and practitioner’s communities specialized in neighboring conceptual and policy approaches (public participation, responsible innovation, science policy).

Dr. Elisabeth Ehrensperger, Managing Director of TA-Swiss, Bern, Schweiz

I would particularly like to recommend the TATuP issue “Democracy and technology assessment” (TATuP 29/3 2020), because it makes clear that TA must side with democracy while at the same time striving for (political) neutrality.
I especially appreciate the fact that the journal addresses TA topics in a broad, diverse, and in-depth manner and provides an overview of important TA projects in Europe.
For the future, I wish TATuP further exciting TATuP issues in the same spirit as before.

Prof. Sven Ove Hansson, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Schweden

I would very much like to recommend the article “Does the concept of genetic ancestry reinforce racism?” by Stefan Burmeister (TATuP 30/2 2021). There he asks whether determination of genetic ancestry can contribute to racism. This is a complex question. On the one hand, genetic ancestry determinations can help create positive consciousness among marginalized groups. On the other hand, the notion of genetic ancestry often reinforces racist ideas. It is an important discussion, and one that is done here in a very nuanced way.
What I particularly appreciate about the journal is that so many articles combine analyses from different scientific fields.
For the future, I wish TATuP an even wider distribution among politicians, because TATuP presents important perspectives that often do not receive enough attention in political discussions.

Dr. Karen Kastenhofer, Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria

I would particularly like to recommend the article by Julia Valeska Schröder “The political in TA” (TATuP 28/3 2019). I see technology assessment as a social practice that is ceaselessly inspired and challenged by concrete experiences in the context of practice and theoretical approaches from different sciences. This article copes with the latter in an exemplary way and tells us: We must never get tired of taking a second look!
What I especially appreciate about the journal is that it promotes and communitizes this movement between interaction and reflection with regard to new technologies.
For the future, I wish TATuP a lot of courage for obstinacy and at the same time a watchful eye for new challenges and offers!

Prof. Dr. Cordula Kropp, University of Stuttgart, Germany

I would especially like to recommend the TATuP article “Threat, vulnerability, values, and damage. Cyberattacks and cybersecurity as a subject of technology assessment” (TATuP 29/1 2020), because it raises awareness for the vulnerability of digitally networked infrastructures, shows the limits of a general pursuit of security, and identifies starting points for a reflective societal approach from several perspectives.
I particularly appreciate the journal’s balanced mix of expert articles from the perspectives of different disciplines (especially in the special topics) with reports, reviews, and announcements.
For the future, I wish TATuP the courage to continue to accompany technology development and innovations with a variety of voices from different disciplines and contexts and to comment on them, especially with regard to the challenges of climate change.

Dr. Justine Lacey, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia

I would particularly like to recommend the TATuP article “Responsibility versus sustainability, ethics, and societal engagement” (TATuP 29/3 2020) by Miltos Ladikas et al., because it tackles the implicit and explicit meaning of responsibility when used in the context of science, technology and innovation. The paper points to how this understanding of the responsibility of scientific research shapes expectations and practice with respect to how that will be (or ought to be) expressed to and with society. I particularly like the reminder that while our own context can dominate our focus, there are insights to be found across cultural and geographical boundaries.
What I particularly appreciate about the journal is captured in its title. The interplay between theory and practice around the central focus of technology assessment is executed with precision. Each issue strongly reflects the overarching vision of TATuP through the considered selection and curation of articles. And on any emerging or topical technology related issue, I am always sure to find a dedicated issue to orient me to key developments.
For the future I wish TATuP attracts an even broader readership in parts of the world (such as Australia) that are less familiar with the theory and practice of technology assessment as there is much that my research community can gain from this exchange. Perhaps I also wish for a forthcoming issue on quantum technologies!

Dr. Ralf Lindner, Fraunhofer ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany

I would particularly like to recommend “The hidden fourth dimension. Normative reflexion as an extension for the theory of technology assessment” (TATuP 27/1 2018) by Helge Torgersen, as the article combines quite a few qualities that I appreciate in so many TATuP publications, namely the willingness to critically examine the own foundations, the thereby expressed ability to productively include perspectives outside the own specialist community, and finally the constructive attitude that strives to advance the concerns of TA.
What I particularly appreciate about the journal is that it has always succeeded in addressing the key socio-technical developments that are of high social and political relevance at an early stage. Looking back on 30 years of TATuP, it is quite amazing how often later technology conflicts were anticipated, undesirable consequences were named, and ways of dealing with the identified challenges were pointed out.
For the future, I hope that TATuP will remain the central forum for our community. In doing so, it will always be important to find the right balance between intradisciplinary communication and openness to and exchange with neighboring approaches and disciplines. I think that TATuP has achieved this balance extraordinarily well, especially in the last ten years, and it can therefore safely serve as a model for other journals.

Dr. Stephan Lingner, Institut für qualifizierende Innovationsforschung & -beratung (IQIB), Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany

Among the more recent issues of TATuP, the article “Ambivalences at the core of the scientific-technological dynamic” (TATuP 27/1 2018) by Wolfgang Liebert and Jan C. Schmidt particularly appealed to me, as it commits established basic TA concepts to the special challenges posed by today’s very rapid and far-reaching developments at the interface of science and technology. TA starting at this point could thus be made viable for the future.
As a long-time technology assessor, I like that TATuP defines the scope of socio-technical reflection very broadly and thus represents a good and easily accessible reference of what TA and related approaches in their various forms and contexts are currently concerned with.
For the future, I wish TATuP continued good standing in a lively community.

PD Dr. Michael Nentwich, ITA, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria

I would especially like to recommend the TATuP article “Normativity in technology assessment” (TATuP 28/1 2019) by Linda Nierling and Helge Torgersen, because it brought a central topic of TA back into the discussion. From the beginning until today, neutrality, impartiality, and political abstention of TA have been cornerstones of thought, as it were, but we are all aware that it is not that simple. We should continue this discussion on an ongoing basis.
What I particularly appreciate about the journal is that it offers a good mix of well-founded and up-to-date workshop reports from TA practice and institutional, conceptual, methodological, and theoretical reflection on what we do. It is therefore in the best sense the expert journal of our community, long beyond the original German-speaking area.
For the future, I hope that TATuP succeeds in maintaining and further developing the current convincing concept with open access, peer review, and different types of contributions. We need TATuP!

Dr. Poonam Pandey, DST-Center for Policy Research, IISC, Bangalore, India

I particularly like the interview section in the journal and thoroughly enjoy the discussions especially due to their style and presentation as a conversation between two experts. One of my favorite discussions is between Armin Grunwald and Pierre Delvenne, where they discuss the theme of values of normativity and neutrality in TA. Please find the link to “Balancing engagement and neutrality in technology assessment” (TATuP 28/1 2019) here.
TATuP has been for me a “go-to” reference journal for the most advanced debates around technology assessment and new and emerging technologies for the past 10 years. What I particularly like about this journal is the constant effort that the editors put in to ensure the quality and diversity of topics. The journal issues present a fantastic combination of conceptual, methodological, and empirical studies. Research topics range from contemporary debates on the future of agriculture, health and energy, cybersecurity, and digitalization to reflections on the values and normative aspects of technology assessment itself. In terms of geographical coverage, the journal continues to expand its reach and presents a rich collection of papers on the Global South as well as Eastern Europe and America.
For the future, I would like to see TATuP publish more such debates in new styles and formats to engage wider audiences.

Dr. Witold-Roger Poganietz, ITAS/KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany

I would like to particularly recommend two TATuP articles: "Degrowth and post-growth" by Stephan Lorenz and "Post-growth economy and sustainable development" by Kopfmüller et al. (both TATuP 25/2 2016), because Lorenz systematizes the post-growth discussion and Kopfmüller sets the discussion about post-growth into the context of the sustainability discussion.
What I particularly appreciate about the journal is the variety of topics as well as the range from more problem-oriented contributions to primarily methodological and conceptual discussions.
For the future, I wish TATuP a large readership, but also to initiate even more methodological discussions around TA and its relation to other, seemingly comparable, methods (RRI, systems analysis).

Dr. Pauline Riousset, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB), Berlin, Germany

I would especially recommend the TATuP article “Science and policy advice – an interview with E. D. Rossmann (MdB) about complexity, political decisions, and technology assessment in the German Bundestag" (TATuP 19/1 2020), because it formulates a clear point of view from the political practice on what politics expects from science.
I particularly appreciate that the journal combines relevance and scientific excellence at the highest level.
For the future, I wish TATuP to maintain its sense of relevant topics.

Dr. Martin Sand, TU Delft, Netherlands

I would particularly like to recommend Gotthard Bechmann’s "Describing the future as opportunity or as risk? TA between innovation and prevention" (TATuP 16/1 2007). The article interprets the focus on technology impacts as both a characteristic of TA and its Achilles heel. Bechmann moves easily through such diverse traditions of thought as Luhmann’s systems theory, the Knight School (Marquard), and experimental psychology (Wundt). In doing so, he convincingly questions the idea of linearity in technology development as well as TA’s ability to assume a neutral observer role. This simultaneously embeds TA as an institution within “reflexive modernity” and underlines its peculiar, self-critical attitude.
I particularly appreciate that the journal not only provides its readers with high-quality interdisciplinary contributions but also serves as a central platform for a lively community through conference reports, expert opinions, and news.
For the future, I hope that TATuP will be discovered by even more disciplines as a platform and communication medium. Digitalization and climate change challenge the entire society and all scientific disciplines. TATuP offers the ideal framework for a necessary dialog. Moreover, I hope that TATuP will continue to be used by many young, aspiring scientists as a springboard into the academic community.

Prof. Dr. Karsten Weber, OTH Regensburg, Germany

I do not want to single out one particular TATuP contribution. The broad thematic scope of TATuP, which I consider a great strength, as well as its structure with special topics and general contributions in my opinion do not allow highlighting individual contributions.
I particularly appreciate the fact that the journal demonstrates the diversity of technology assessment and its interfaces with other disciplines. By organizing each issue around a thematic focus, readers can quickly become acquainted with certain issues at a high content level.
For the future, I wish TATuP an even wider distribution and readership, so that technology assessment becomes perceived even more as a scientific discipline, but above all also as a social advisory service in view of the major global challenges.

News: Call for Abstracts: "Energy sufficiency. Modelling and scenarios for less energy consumption"

2021-08-31T10:00:34+02:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic

Benjamin Best (Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie), Frauke Wiese (Europa Universität Flensburg), Michaela Christ (Europa Universität Flensburg), Tilman Santarius (TU Berlin and Einstein Centre Digital Futures)

Editorial Process Outline

30 September 2021: deadline for submitting your abstract
October 2021: Special Topic Editors’ decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript
January 2022: deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by non-blind review
Mid-March 2022: feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions by mid-April
April 2022: feedback on revisions
Mid-May 2022: editorial deadline (end of revision period)
July 2022: publication (print and online)

News: New TATuP issue on “Next generation sequencing”

2021-07-27T11:14:12+02:00

Since their development in the mid-2000s, next generation sequencing methods have led to major gains in knowledge – for example in evolutionary research and epigenetics, in the development of drugs and cancer therapies, or in reproductive medicine. Currently, they enable mass sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and its variants.

Transformation in science and society

The historians Elsbeth Bösl and Stefanie Samida – editors of the current TATuP issue “Next generation sequencing. Challenges for science and society” – observe a technology-driven dynamic in many fields. According to them, the new possibilities of sequencing would not only lead to transformation processes in science, where new fields of research are emerging, but also in society itself, as identity is increasingly negotiated on the basis of genetic analyses. The authors of the new issue discuss ways of dealing with these challenges.

Interview “We can only change the world together”

In the TATuP interview, Patrizia Nanz talks about the importance of a culture of participation in science and politics. The vice president of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) and co-director of the Franco-German Forum for the Future argues for enabling citizens to take on more responsibility. After all, expert knowledge alone is not enough to meet future challenges.

Also in the current TATuP issue: an article in the Research section on “technology trust,” conference reports, among others from the ninth conference of the Netzwerk TA (Technology Assessment Network), reviews and news from the TA scene, and a graphic review of key figures from 30 years of TATuP.

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/HTML)

News: Call for Special Topic Editors

2021-07-13T12:48:20+02:00

TATuP – Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice invites you to submit proposals for future TATuP Special Topics. Each issue of TATuP focuses on a specific field of technology assessment (TA) by publishing a number of peer reviewed scientific papers .

Please pay attention to further information on the website on how to submit your proposal for a TATuP special topic. Proposals should be submitted (preferably in English) to redaktion@tatup.de no later than 01 October 2021.

This call advertises for TATuP Special Topics as of issue 1/2023. The editorial process for TATuP Special Topics starts around 12 months ahead of publication, i.e. the editorial process for issue 1/2023 will start c. January 2022.

TATuP’s Special Topics make important contributions to TA debates.
Strengthen your field of research in TA debates as Special Topic editor in TATuP!
You can get an overview over previous Special Topics in the journal archive.

Please do not hesitate to discuss your ideas with the editorial team by writing to the above mentioned e-mail address.

We are looking forward to receiving your proposals!

TATuP editorial team

News: Call for Abstracts: „Technology Assessment and (Higher) Education: Theories, Applications and Concepts “

2021-04-13T11:58:01+02:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic

Sabrina Eimler (Hochschule Ruhr West), Elke Hemminger (Protestant University of Applied Sciences Bochum)

Editorial Process Outline

12 May 2021: deadline for submitting your abstract.
June 2021: invitation of authors to submit a full manuscript.
September 2021: deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by peer review (double non-blind).
November 2021: feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions.
December: submission of revised manuscript.
January 2022: feedback on revised manuscripts (acceptance or second revision).
February 2022: end of revision period.
March 2022: publication (print and online).

News: New TATuP issue on “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities in Europe”

2021-03-31T11:33:46+02:00

Smart urban futures are very popular in Europe and are being tested and promoted in many places – with innovative and smart technologies, at various spatial levels, and in individual sectors such as energy or transport. However, the big change is yet to come, as the editors of the current TATuP issue “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities in Europe” state.

Cordula Kropp, Astrid Ley, Sadeeb Simon Ottenburger, and Ulrich Ufer are convinced that the necessary transformation cannot be achieved by technical means alone. Rather, approaches are needed that combine socio-cultural innovations with robust technical solutions. The issue discusses what paths to climate-neutral cities in Europe might look like, using the example of the energy transition in the building sector, the urban mobility transition, or collaborative paths to the smart city.

Interview: Urban digitalization and financial capitalism

The future of urban life is also the focus of the TATuP interview with renowned sociologist and urban researcher Saskia Sassen. The Columbia University professor shares her views on the potentials and pitfalls of urban digitalization. She places special emphasis on the risks of financial capitalism and the exploitation of urban resources.

The articles in the “Research” section deal with reversibility as a concept for technology assessment and with a new TA approach to early technology assessment embedded in innovation processes. Also in the current TATuP: a debate on “converging infrastructures” and their importance for TA institutions as well as reviews and news from the TA community.

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/HTML)

News: Call for Abstracts: "Designing, shaping and experiencing AI systems. Concepts, values, applications“

2021-01-19T11:32:17+01:00

Please read the complete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic
Bernhard G. Humm (University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt), Stephan Lingner (Institut für qualifizierende Innovationsforschung und -beratung, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler), Jan C. Schmidt (University of Applied Sciences, Darmstadt), Karsten Wendland (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

Editorial process
22 February 2021: deadline for submitting your abstract
Beginning/middle of March 2021: decision on inviting authors to submit a full manuscript
Beginning/middle of June 2021: deadline for submitting your full manuscript, followed by a double non-blind review process
End of August/beginning of September 2021: feedback from the reviewers, followed by authors’ revisions until late September
Beginning of October 2021: feedback on revisions
Mid-October 2021: end of revision period
December 2021: publication (print and online)

News: New TATuP issue on “Democracy and Technology Assessment”

2020-12-15T15:29:02+01:00

Technology assessment emerged in the USA over 50 years ago with the aim of supporting democratic opinion formation and decision making. Although no longer being institutionally anchored there, TA has been able to continuously develop and diversify in Western democratic societies ever since. For some years now, however, this model has been confronted with considerable challenges, state Armin Grunwald and Thomas Saretzki, the editors of the current TATuP issue “Democracy and Technology Assessment.”

How does technology assessment position itself in view of the strengthening of populist movements in democratic countries? What answers does it find to new digital communication and mobilization patterns far from traditional forms of democratic opinion and will formation? And how flexibly or even “opportunistically” may TA researchers act in authoritarian states? The authors of the TATuP special topic explore these questions from a variety of thematic and disciplinary perspectives.

Interview: Independent policy advice in the USA

Not only in Europe but also in the USA, the question arises as to how scientific policy advice can succeed in the face of rapid technological development and its far-reaching social implications. Timothy M. Persons is Chief Scientist of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which advises the U.S. Congress on a wide range of topics such as artificial intelligence, sustainable chemistry, biosafety, and 3D printing. In the interview, he provides insights into his work and TA practice in the USA.

The two articles in the “Research” section deal with responsibility in the context of research, technology, and innovation in Germany and with building refurbishment in the conflict between energy efficiency and social compatibility. Also in the new TATuP: a contribution to the debate on the role of TA in times of the Covid 19 pandemic as well as reviews, conference reports, and news from the TA scene.

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/HTML)

News: Call for Abstracts: “Next Generation Sequencing: Challenges for Science and Society”

2020-09-09T11:22:29+02:00

Today, DNA sequencing has become part of the common knowledge of biological and medical research. Next generation sequencing (NGS), which was established in the mid-2000s, was the most important catalyst for this development. Knowledge production in molecular based biosciences increased significantly.

This TATuP special issue 2/2021 seeks to reflect on these developments. It is about chances and limits of the new method as well as its entanglement with social, cultural, economic and political challenges in the present. Focusing on ‘genetization’ and ‘molecularization’ on both an individual and collective level, actors and their practices, interests and motives as well as structures and knowledge orders need to be considered. As yet, science and technology studies focused particularly on medical, pharmacological and forensic fields of application because sequencing DNA is usually linked with these fields. This proposed special issue, however, aims to go much further. We ask for contributions on fields of application which defy disciplinary classification because they do not belong to clearly delineated disciplines, but often cross-cutting fields, e.g. archaeogenetics, genealogy, research on biodiversity and molecular (palaeo-)epidemiology. Despite the growing significance of NGS in general, its importance is often ignored in fields such as human remains and repatriation studies and genetic history. Particularly, with the establishment of new fields such as archaeogenetics or paleogenetics traditional and long-established historical disciplines are being challenged.

Expected contributions

Since sequencing DNA pervades numerous social fields there is a broad range of possible perspectives. We are looking both for contributions from all fields related to technology assessment/TA (e.g. history of science, history of technology, science studies, science and technology studies), and, particularly, from disciplines and research fields which explore aspects of NGS (e.g. cultural anthropology, sociology, history, archaeology, politics) and address the below mentioned aspects either theoretically and/or empirically or extend with regard to case studies. We also welcome interdisciplinary contributions.

Please read the com plete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic: Elsbeth Bösl (Bundeswehr University München); Stefanie Samida (University of Heidelberg/University of Zurich)

News: New TATuP issue on “Converging Infrastructures”

2020-07-21T10:22:31+02:00

The coupling of different sectors such as energy, transport, and heating or cooling promises a more efficient use of resources, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and thus a significant contribution to the transformation toward a sustainable energy system. However, this requires profound social, organizational, and institutional integration. As the editors of the current Special Topic suggest, this could lead to manifold socio-technical problems.

Converging infrastructures exacerbate socio-technical problems

Against this background, the authors of the TATuP Special Topic “Converging Infrastructures” examine the opportunities and risks of converging infrastructures from a variety of perspectives. In addition to theoretical considerations for the analysis of socio-technical problems and possible approaches for TA, the authors compare, for example, technologies for the coupling of gas, electricity, and heating networks from an economic and ecological point of view. The focus is also on first results of a pilot project on residential buildings with smart energy supply in Austria, as well as on questions of data protection and democratic control using the example of the increasingly digitalized energy system in the Netherlands.

Interview on India’s Green Revolution

In the TATuP interview, Jack Loveridge explains how technology and international cooperation have contributed to India’s “Green Revolution”. The historian of technology from Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs specifically addresses the challenges related to population control, social and economic inequality, and environmental issues.

Also in the current TATuP: a study on the evaluation of care, therapy, and sex robots, a presentation of research results on 5G wireless communication and health effects, as well as reviews and news from the TA community.

Further links:

Full issue

News: Call for Abstracts: “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities in Europe”: Mission Statements, Paths, Risks

2020-04-21T10:27:12+02:00

Abbreviated version:

In the European Union, the urbanization rate is already over 75% and, with its further increase, the possibilities for a great transformation, but also risks of action accumulate in dense areas.

From the perspective of technology assessment (TA) this call for abstracts puts emphasis on three relevant issues in the development of climate-neutral and smart cities. 1) Mission statements for urban transformation conceptualize, amongst other things, the role of (smart) technologies in urban futures. 2) Paths refer to actor-related transformation paths, implementation strategies, and concrete fields of application of technical and social innovations. 3) Risks and uncertainties that emerge in the processes of urban transformation cannot be defined in technical and quantifiable terms alone and cannot be reduced to already known risks with a view to the long-term nature of urban transformation processes.

Expected contributions and possible questions

We welcome submissions, initially of abstracts, from all disciplines that explore mission statements for urban transformation, paths, and risks of future climate-neutral and smart cities in Europe, either conceptually or with regard to case studies of specific technologies and cities, and that address or extend the following questions in a problem-oriented manner and with reference to TA […]

Please read the complete CfA (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic: Cordula Kropp (ZIRIUS/University of Stuttgart), Astrid Ley (SI/University of Stuttgart), Sadeeb Simon Ottenburger (ITES/KIT), Ulrich Ufer (ITAS/KIT)

News: New TATuP issue on "Cybersecurity"

2020-03-31T14:13:49+02:00

The monetary costs that incur annually around the globe due to cyberattacks are constantly increasing. They almost correspond to the public budgets of entire states. Cyberattacks affect individuals, companies, public institutions, authorities, and governments alike. They affect an infrastructure that is vital for the functioning of modern societies.

Cybersecurity is essential, but guaranteeing it can lead to conflicts of interest. “Technologies for the creation of security and resilience of this infrastructure should therefore be subject to technology assessment,” explain the guest editors of TATuP 1/2020 “Cybersecurity. Threat, vulnerability, values, and damage.”

From autonomous vehicles to water supply

Since cybersecurity plays a vital role in the most different sectors of life and economy, this variety is also reflected in the articles of the current issue.

One article is dedicated to cybersecurity in the transformation of the energy system and the question how the resilience of digital energy systems can be improved. Another contribution analyzes the security of increasingly digitalized urban water management. The automotive industry is also considered, since the transition to e-mobility and (semi-)autonomous driving increases the focus on cybersecurity.

Interview: Science and policy advice

Societal transformation processes present politics with complex challenges too. Ernst Dieter Rossmann, Chairman of the Committee on Education, Research, and Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag, talks in the interview about the demands on technology assessment, its role in democratic systems and the practice of scientific policy advice at the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB).

Also in the current TATuP: A pedagogical evaluation of chances and limitations of digitalization of classes, reviews, conference proceedings, and news from the TA community. (30.03.2020)

Further links and information:

Full issue

News: Call for Abstracts: “Democracy and TA. Practical issues and conceptual consequences”

2020-01-28T12:01:29+01:00

Technology assessment (TA) was established more than 50 years ago to support democratic opinion formation and decision making. The idea of a societal development influenced by “technical constraints” should be overcome by a scientifically reflected analysis of preconditions, fields of conflict, and impacts of technologization processes. A policy supposedly “without alternative” should be replaced by a policy providing different options for action that could be subject to debate and decision making in democratic processes. Since that time, TA has developed and diversified in democratically constituted societies, especially towards participation and inclusion. Four developments give reason to put the relation between democracy and TA in the focus of a TATuP special topic:

All over the world, the assessment of technology impacts is also relevant for countries whose traditions and forms of government are far away from western democratic ideals;
populist movements and authoritarian politicians experience sometimes considerable increases in popularity in almost all western countries, so people often talk about a crisis of western democracy;
digitalization allows for new communication and mobilization patterns far from traditional forms of democratic decision-making processes;
at the local or national level, grass-roots and participative negotiations are becoming more and more relevant for the acceptance of new or obsolescent technologies. There is a conflict in the relationship to the attempts of democratic legitimization of global mechanisms and institutions of negotiations for global impacts of technology.

Expected contributions

Traditional forms of policy-advising and participative TA reach their limits here. Against this background, we invite you to hand in conceptual/theoretical analyses of the current situation in the relationship between democracy and TA as well as empirical case studies in this field. In both categories, perspectives for the further development of TA should be identified.

Read full call (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic: Armin Grunwald (ITAS, KIT); Thomas Saretzki (University Lüneburg)

News: New TATuP issue on Energy Futures

2019-12-18T10:46:13+01:00

Addressing climate change requires a transformation of our energy supply toward a system without fossil fuels. This goal is clear, but there are many ways to achieve it. Moreover, the necessary transformation is not limited to solving technical and economic issues. The population’s approval and the participation of a wide range of social actors are crucial to its success. The task of science is to describe possible paths for the future and to introduce this knowledge into public discourse.

Empirical and conceptual approaches

The TATuP special topic “Energy futures. Knowing, advising, and shaping” brings together innovative approaches that address this task empirically and conceptually – from the perspectives of inter- and transdisciplinary future research, technology assessment, and systems analysis. The editors of the special topic are Dirk Scheer, Lisa Nabitz, and Witold-Roger Poganietz from the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Interview: Privacy in the digital context

What are the implications of the increasing use of “smart” devices for the privacy of their users? Bernadette Kamleitner, head of the Institute for Marketing and Consumer Research at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, talks about this issue in the TATuP interview. With her expertise as psychologist and economist she argues that privacy should be understood as a complex relationship not only of technical but also of social aspects.

Also in the winter issue of TATuP: a research article on the political aspects of technology assessment, a review of the TA19 conference in Vienna, as well as other conference reports, reviews, and news from the community. (18.12.2019)

Further links:

· Full issue (PDF/HTML)

Call for Special Topic

2019-11-13T11:32:25+01:00

Each issue of TATuP focuses on a specific field of technology assessment (TA) by publishing a number of peer reviewed scientific papers. Strengthen your field of research in TA debates as Special Topic editor in TATuP!

TATuP’s Special Topics have initiated TA debates and have made significant contributions to TA since the journal’s inaugural issue in 1992. You can get an overview over the diversity of previous Special Topics in the journal archive.

Please submit your proposals to redaktion@tatup.de by 31 January 2020 at the very latest.

TATuP Special Topics figure on the journal’s title page. Contributions to the Special Topic as well as the Special Topic itself get individual DOIs. This means that the Special Topic with you as Special Topic editor gains high visibility in the journal and is fully referenced in bibliographic records of the journal and associated data bases.
This call advertises for TATuP Special Topics as of issue 2/2021. The editorial process for TATuP Special Topics starts around one year ahead of publication, i.e. the editorial process for issue 2/2021 will start round June 2020.
Find more information on how to become a Special Topic editor here.

We are looking forward to receiving your proposals!

Call for Abstracts: “Amplified sociotechnical problems in converging infrastructures”

2019-09-11T11:03:45+02:00

Read full call (PDF)

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic
Christian Büscher (KIT, Karlsruhe), Michael Ornetzeder (ITA, Vienna), Bert Droste-Franke (EA European Academy)

News: TATuP on Digitalization in the Global South

2019-07-17T12:02:35+02:00

Great hopes are pinned on the increasing digitalization on the African continent as ICT should lead to democratization, equality, and, last but not least, growing opportunities on the world markets. However, unequal power relations, neocolonialism, (digital) illiteracy, barriers to access, and the gender digital divide are, as elsewhere in the Global South, downsides of technological progress.

This issue’s special topic “Digitalization in the Global South” illuminates these aspects through interdisciplinary approaches and also from the perspective of the actors involved. The authors thus make an important contribution to technology assessment (TA) of digitalization in the global context. Guest editors of this TATuP special topic are Jessica Heesen, Laura Schelenz, Kerstin Schopp, and Maria Pawelec from the International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities of the University of Tübingen.

In the TATuP interview, Klaus Töpfer talks about global environmental policy. The former Federal Minister for the Environment and current co-chair of the National Support Body for the selection of a repository site for high-level radioactive waste comments, among other things, on the importance of democracy for long-term environmental policy and emphasizes the great responsibility of TA.

Also in the summer issue of TATuP: two research papers on assistive technology in health care, a plea for developing the openTA portal into an international platform, as well as reviews, conference reports, and news from the community.

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/HTML)

News: Call for Abstracts: “Cybersecurity”

2019-05-02T14:52:25+02:00

Information and communication technology (ICT) has permeated almost all social practices and shapes our way of thinking, our interactions with others and with organisations and institutions; it changes our roles as citizens, workers or consumers. ICT as a complex and networked basic technology of the 21st century makes our world a richer, more efficient and highly interactive place – ICT can facilitate or even enable communication and interaction between people across borders, between countries and cultures.

At the same time, however, complexity and a high level of networking make ICT susceptible to technical failure and criminal, terrorist or even warlike attacks, making it increasingly difficult to maintain the functionality of industries or supply infrastructures as complexity and networking increase. Modern societies whose ability to function is based on ICT are thus – to quote Ulrich Beck (1992) – “societies at risk”. One of the great challenges of our time is to transform these societies into “risk societies”, i.e. societies that organize themselves adequately against corresponding risks and find a socially acceptable and accepted balance between security and other values. This transformation is the starting point of the TATuP theme “Cybersecurity”.

Contributions requested
For the TATuP issue "Cyber Security", contributions are sought that address the subjects outlined above from the point of view of technology assessment and evaluation and cover, for example, technological developments in cybersecurity, the connection between cybersecurity and critical infrastructures, attack scenarios and their possible (social) effects, processes of social change, aspects of cybersecurity discourse at national, European and/or global level, political discourses and reactions, as well as considerations on weighing cybersecurity against other (moral) values.

Read full call (PDF).

Editors of this TATuP special topic
Karsten Weber (OTH Regensburg), Markus Christen (Universität Zürich) and Dominik Herrmann (Universität Bamberg)

News: TATuP on Normativity in TA

2019-04-03T16:34:59+02:00

Since its beginnings in the 1970s, TA asserts its claim to neutrality and impartiality. However, a closer look reveals that normative aspects influence the selection of analyzed technologies and analytical perspectives or the evaluation of research results.

“The spell of neutrality as the myth of TA is broken”, explain Linda Nierling and Helge Torgersen, editors of the TATuP special topic. For TA, this leads to the urgent question of its own implicit and explicit norms and values. What is their nature? And how can they be brought in line with scientific quality criteria? The authors of the current TATuP special topic “Normativity in technology assessment” provide answers to these and other questions.

This issue’s interview contains a controversial discussion: Armin Grunwald (Head of ITAS, KIT) and Pierre Delvenne (Associate Director of SPIRAL Research Centre, University of Liège) debate about commitment and neutrality in TA and the relation between TA and democracy.

Also in TATuP’s spring issue: Reflections on a TA for the society of singularities, a search for traces of the bias of algorithms as well as reviews, conference reports, and news from the community. (04.04.2019)

Further links:

Full issue (PDF/HTML)

News: Call for Abstracts: „Energy futures: to know, to advise and to shape“

2019-02-07T15:07:14+01:00

With the aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions close to zero, the transformation of the energy system on national and global levels is well established on the agendas of scientific research and political decision-making. Main driving forces for reshaping the energy system are anthropogenic global warming and climate change.

The German Energiewende (“energy transition”) shows in particular the socio-technical character of energy systems. On the one hand, ambitious primarily technical targets characterize the Energiewende, such as phasing out nuclear energy, increasing considerably the share of renewable energies and reducing primary energy consumption levels. On the other hand, the transformation cannot be seen exclusively from a techno-economic perspective. Without popular support and a minimum of acceptance, the energy transition will not be feasible, since social backing is central in pluralistic-democratic societies and individual decision-making. Also, consumer behaviour will essentially determine the transformation success. Reshaping the energy system, in addition, is construction work in ongoing processes and needs to be done with maintaining fully functional and powerful system performances. While the goals of the energy transitions have already been specified, the paths and roads of reaching them remain manifold and numerous, they represent a challenge for the scientific community as well as for others...

Please continue reading in the PDF (download this call).

Guest editors of this TATuP special topic
Dirk Scheer, Witold Roger Poganietz and Lisa Nabitz (all ITAS, KIT)

News: TATuP on civilian and military drones

2019-01-09T10:58:04+01:00

Today, so-called “drones” are used in different areas. The development of autonomous weapon systems is becoming a priority for more and more states. The UN and human rights organizations are already warning of potentially catastrophic consequences. However, drones also have great potential in the civilian area. They are hotly debated as a means of transport, in agriculture, or for the transportation of smaller loads on the so-called “last mile”.

What are the likely paths of further technology development? Who are the actors and what are their interests? What are the future fields of application and how does the legal framework for increasingly autonomous flight systems develop? These questions are addressed in the current TATuP 3/2018 “Drones in civilian and military use”. The SPECIAL TOPIC is edited by Karsten Weber (OTH Regensburg), Bernhard Rinke (Osnabrück University), and Christian Alwardt (Universität Hamburg).

The INTERVIEW is about technology assessment outside the European context. Poonam Pandey, researcher at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, talks about her perspective on responsible technology development in health, energy, and agriculture. Also in the winter issue of TATuP: sociological perspectives on the health system regarding drug residues in drinking water and e-health as well as reviews, conference reports, and news from the TA community.

To edition 3/2018 "Drones in civilian and military use"

News: Call for Special Topic

2018-11-14T12:27:45+01:00

Each issue of TATuP focuses a specific theme (Special Topic) by publishing c. six peer reviewed scientific papers.

Strengthen your field of research in TA debates as Special Topic editor in TATuP!
The editorial process for TATuP-Special Topics starts approximately one year ahead of publication. This call advertises for TATuP-Special Topics as of issue 1/2020 (start of editorial process as of February 2019).
All information at Info TATuP Special Topic
Examples of previous Special Topics at http://tatup.de/index.php/tatup/issue/archive

We are looking forward to your submissions!

News: Call for Abstracts: “Digitalisation and Development in the Global South. Progress by Technology?”

2018-09-21T13:01:47+02:00

A “digital divide” separates the countries of the Global North and South: they are unequal in terms of access to and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) such as computers, mobile phones, and the internet. It is widely believed that bridging this divide will positively affect people in under-connected world regions: ICT are assumed to increase economic productivity and prosperity and to have a democratizing effect. They also allegedly support education and the delivery of health care and create new opportunities for cultural and religious expression, social networking and entertainment. In short, ICT may combat numerous prevailing challenges to development and global justice...

Please continue reading in the PDF (download this call).

Editors of this TATuP special topic

PD Dr. Jessica Heesen (IZEW Tübingen), Laura Schelenz (IZEW Tübingen), Kerstin Schopp (IZEW Tübingen), Maria Pawelec (IZEW Tübingen)

News: TATuP on automated driving

2018-07-17T14:30:15+02:00

Automated or even autonomous driving has become the main topic of the industry, politics, science, and the media. All the major car manufacturers, prominent IT companies, and research institutions are working on such technologies and concepts – either making the promise of a vehicle as feel-good location between work and home or promoting the vision of a self-driving robot taxi, which makes private cars redundant. Transport policy concepts are hardly able to keep pace with these dynamics so far, concepts for embedding the technology into a sustainable transport system are still missing.

The authors of the TATuP issue 2/2018 are looking for answers. They explore, among other topics, to which extent self-driving cars can contribute to the prevention of traffic jams and accidents, examine the possibility of rebound effects due to “empty runs”, or present their empirical results on how automated driving is perceived by the public. In the INTERVIEW, Torsten Fleischer and Jens Schippl (both from ITAS) discuss the development perspectives and possible impacts of automated driving with Moshe Givoni, mobility researcher at Tel Aviv University.

Also in the summer issue 2018: An article on a newly developed method to include citizens in the design of research and innovation with a standardized process, a critical examination of the integrative concept of sustainable development, as well as reviews, conference proceedings, and news from the European TA community.

To edition 2/2018 „Automatisiertes Fahren“

Call for Abstracts „Normativity in Technology Assessment“

2018-06-08T09:50:39+02:00

Since its beginnings in the 1970s, claims for neutrality and impartiality have been considered an almost self-evident trade mark of TA. On a closer look, however, both theory and practice of TA draw on normative references on different levels.

This does not only pertain to the choice of the technologies analysed but also to the way of processing research results and the analytic perspectives applied in their evaluation. Influencing factors that play a role when formulating options for decisions, such as the involved actors’ interests, are not always reflected on or even laid open. Often, institutional or personal preferences remain hidden while founding norms on different levels.

TATuP invites authors to reflect on the normative concepts underlying TA. In addition contributions are welcome which describe concrete normative implications in TA practice, for example in projects for research and policy advice. Finally, authors are invited to position themselves with regard to future conceptual requirements that relate to normative implications in TA.

This topic’s guest editors are Linda Nierling (ITAS/KIT) and Helge Torgersen (ITA/ OeAW).

Call for Papers (PDF)

News: Call for Abstracts „Drones and the tension between military and civil applications“

2018-03-07T11:19:51+01:00

Unmanned aircrafts, so-called ‘drones’, are used in very different areas and for both military and civilian purposes today. Key countries such as the USA, China and Russia will give military drones a high priority in the future. At the same time, the UN and human rights organisations warn against the “potentially catastrophic consequences” (UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu) of autonomous weapon systems. However, drones also offer significant potential for commercial applications. The use of drones as means of transport or for transporting smaller loads is the subject of intense discussion. Especially for the so-called ‘last mile’ of delivery, for very urgent goods or for delivery in remote areas, drones have considerable potential.

TATuP is looking for contributions that deal with issues such as the usage of unmanned aircrafts and the resulting implications from the point of view of technology assessment and technology evaluations. Typical examples would be the dual-use problem, sustainability aspects, potential misuse, possible or necessary regulatory measures and last but not least ethical considerations with regard to the consequences of the use of drones.

This topic’s guest editors are Karsten Weber (OTH Regensburg), Bernhard Rinke (Universität Osnabrück) and Christian Alwardt (IFSH).

Call for Papers (PDF)

News: TATuP26/3 (2017) “Technology – Consequences – Simulated” published

2017-12-19T10:06:06+01:00

What are the parameters that determine the development of a complex socio-technical system in one direction or the other? What are the consequences of controlled interventions, for example from politics? Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS) is particularly suitable for modeling complex systems on the computer and simulating their future development. This makes ABMS highly interesting also for technology assessment. The contributions to the current TATuP TOPIC give insights into the functionality of ABMS and explain the potential of closely linking it with TA by using various examples. Guest editors of the TOPIC are Johannes Weyer (TU Dortmund) and Michael Roos (Ruhr-Universität Bochum).

In the Research section, one team of authors formulates requirements for reorienting science communication with reference to green genetic engineering and genome editing. By looking at research on the public acceptance of wind turbines another team of authors reflects whether and how research itself affects the surveys. In addition to reviews, conference reports and news from the European TA community, the current issue also features a detailed interview with Jean Pütz, a veteran of German science journalism. He talks about the political and moral obligation to exchange knowledge, about simple language as a bridge between researchers and citizens, and about “DIY” as a way to acquire knowledge.

Since summer 2017, TATuP has been published as a peer-reviewed open access journal, all contents are freely available.

Current issue

Call for Papers „Automatisiertes Fahren: Fluch oder Segen für nachhaltige Mobilität?“

2017-11-07T16:29:13+01:00

Die Automatisierung von Fahraufgaben in Straßenfahrzeugen hat sich binnen kurzer Zeit zu einem Top-Thema in Industrie, Politik, Wissenschaft und Medien entwickelt. In verkehrspolitischen Strategien hat sich das sogenannte automatisierte oder gar „autonome“ Fahren bislang allerdings noch kaum niedergeschlagen. Beispielsweise findet man den Begriff in dem breit angelegten White Paper der Europäischen Union von 2011 ebenso wenig wie in den aktuellen Verkehrsentwicklungsplänen fast aller deutschen Städte.

TATuP sucht für seine Ausgabe 2/2018 Beiträge, die sich mit den vielfältigen Auswirkungen vollautomatisierter oder fahrerloser Fahrzeuge auf unsere zukünftige Mobilität beschäftigen. Ebenfalls im Fokus stehen die Wechselwirkungen autonomer Fahrzeuge mit Konzepten einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung des Mobilitätssystems.

Gastherausgeber des THEMAS sind Torsten Fleischer und Jens Schippl, beide vom Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS) des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT). Abstracts können bis zum 1. Dezember 2017 eingereicht werden.

Hier finden Sie den Call for Papers.

Be the editor of a TATuP-THEME...

2017-09-26T17:02:56+02:00

About the journal
TATuP – Journal on Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice is a scientific, peer-reviewed open access journal in the interdisciplinary field of technology assessment. more

Rubric THEMA (THEME)
Every issue of TATuP focuses a specific theme with high significance for TA by publishing c. six scientific papers from different disciplinary backgrounds. Examples for a TATuP-THEME are „Open Science“, „Agent-based models and simulations“, „Future Food Systems”, or „Future Mobility“. All articles published in rubric THEME have been positively evaluated through double-open peer re-view. In every issue, the THEME is published by two senior researchers from with an expertise in the specific field fields of TA and in cooperation with TATuP’s editorial office. The THEMA has a prominent place on the journal’s cover, featuring a headline and an illustration.

Submission of a THEME
Researchers from all fields of TA are invited to submit propositions for a TATuP-THEME at any time by sending an abstract to the Editorial Office. Please provide information on the title, relevance, disciplines addressed by the THEMEand possibly on the timing for publication. TATuP will discuss submissions together with the journal’s scientific board and will get back to you within six weeks.

Tasks for publishers of a TATuP-THEME
As publisher of a TATuP-THEME you will author the Call for Papers. You will examine submitted abstracts and invite specific authors to submit a full paper. In cooperation with the journal you will steer papers through the double-open peer review process, and you will author an introductory chapter to the THEME.

Ausgabe 26/1-2 (2017): “Open Science zwischen Hype und Disruption” erschienen

2017-08-08T16:03:58+02:00

„Open Science“ soll die Wissenschaft transparenter und demokratischer machen und Forschenden völlig neue Perspektiven eröffnen. Was genau sich hinter dem Schlagwort der „Offenen Wissenschaft“ verbirgt und ob die enormen Erwartungen realistisch sind, untersuchen die Autorinnen und Autoren der aktuellen TATuP-Ausgabe „Open Science zwischen Hype und Disruption“. Gastherausgeber des Themas sind Michael Nentwich (ITA Wien) und Ulrich Riehm (ITAS-KIT).

Passend zum Thema der ersten Ausgabe nach dem Relaunch hat sich TATuP selbst ein großes Maß an Offenheit auf die Fahnen geschrieben: Als Open-Access-Zeitschrift im oekom verlag stehen alle Texte als HTML- und PDF-Version frei zum Download zur Verfügung.

Mit dem Relaunch der TATuP wurde auch ein Begutachtungsverfahren (non-blind) eingeführt, das neben einer hohen Qualität auch eine besonders verständliche Sprache gewährleisten soll.

News: Call for Papers „Ten years after – Theory of TA reloaded“

2017-05-09T11:11:04+02:00

About ten years ago, a debate on a theory of technology assessment (TA) briefly flared up. Even though the central questions of the positioning of TA as a research as well as advice program have increased, the debate on a theory of TA soon quieted down again.

A decade after, TATuP aims to reignite reflecting on a theory of TA in its 1/2018 edition. Guest editors of this topic are Stefan Böschen and Ulrich Dewald, both from the Institute of Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Abstracts can be submitted by the 15^th of June 2017.

Here you can finde the full call for papers.

News: Call for Papers for TATuP issue 3/2017

2017-03-15T12:17:02+01:00

Heft 3/2017 der Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis (TATuP) erscheint Ende 2017 mit einem Schwerpunktthema, das sich mit dem Nutzen agentenbasierter Modellierung und Simulation (ABMS) für die Technikfolgenabschätzung (TA) befasst.

Gastherausgeber sind Johannes Weyer (TU Dortmund) und Michael Roos (Ruhr Universität Bochm)

Den Call finden sie hier.

News: TATuP erscheint ab 2017 im oekom verlag

2017-02-17T10:29:29+01:00

Im August 2017 wagt sie den Neustart: „TATuP – Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis“ erscheint dann erstmals als begutachtete Open Access-Zeitschrift im oekom verlag in München. Die Redaktion bleibt auch künftig am ITAS angesiedelt.

Melden Sie sich unter tatup@oekom.de für den kostenlosen elektronischen TATuP-Newsletter oder hier für den kostenlosen Bezug der gedruckten Ausgabe (ab August 2017) an.

News: TATuP 1–2/2017 with main topic “Open Science”

2017-01-31T14:57:24+01:00

Der Themenschwerpunkt dieses Heftes ist: Open Science zwischen Hype und Disruption.