About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Science & Technology Studies is an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the advancement of scholarly studies of science and technology as socio-material phenomena, including their historical and contemporary production and their associated forms of knowledge, expertise, social organization and controversy. This includes interest in developing Science and Technology Studies' own knowledge production techniques, methodology and interventions. The journal welcomes high quality contributions to that are based on substantial theoretical or empirical engagement with the multidisciplinary field of science and technology studies, including contributions from anthropology, sociology, history, philosophy, political science, educational science and communication studies.

Science & Technology Studies is the official journal of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) and the Finnish Association for Science and Technology Studies. 

Open Access

The journal is Open Access, and is freely available anywhere in the world. The journal does not charge Author Processing Charges (APCs), meaning that the journal is free to publish at every stage. 

History and Sponsors

Science & Technology Studies was launched in the Fall of 2012 as an e-journal. It was built on the long running journal Science Studies which was first published in 1988 by the Finnish Society for Science Studies (later re-named as The Finnish Society for Science and Technology Studies). Originally the journal sought to promote a Scandinavian perspective and contribution to science and technology studies, but in 1994 it re-oriented itself to become more global and introduced the notion of interdisciplinarity into its subtitle. This was also reflected in the changes that were made to its editorial board, which sought to reflect the international nature of STS.

The journal has been headed by five chief editors: Veronica Stolte-Heiskanen (1988-1989), Marja Häyrinen-Alestalo (1990-2004), Henrik Bruun (2005-2006), Tarja Knuuttila and Sampsa Hyysalo (2007-2009). The post was then redesignated as that of coordinating editor, and has been held by Sampsa Hyysalo (2010-2016), Salla Sariola (2016-2022) and Antti Silvast (2022-. Since its launch over 20 years ago the journal has expanded its scope to become an important international journal addressing a broad range of interdisciplinary issues in science and technology studies. Today the journal is available in over 700 institutions in more than 80 countries around the world.

The Finnish Society for Science and Technology Studies was founded in 1985 to support the research, teaching and publication of science and technology studies in Finland. Having over 150 members, the Society brings together a broad range of researchers, such as sociologists, philosophers, historians, psychologists and many other experts who are interested in the study of science and technology studies.

Both the Society and the journal are non-profit organizations. Science &Technology Studies is published with the help of a generous grant from the Academy of Finland, subscription fees and a fee from European Association for Science and Technology Studies (EASST) to offer the journal as its membership benefit journal also to EASST members.

Instructions for Referees

If you have been asked to serve as a referee for Science & Technology Studies and you are interested to do so please read the following guidelines that have been prepared to help you in you work.

Science & Technology Studies puts great emphasis on the quality of reviews. We are especially committed to the fair and impartial treatment of authors of manuscripts and work hard to develop and maintain a culture of academic rigour, without sacrificing diplomacy. Thus, we ask you to respond in a way that is constructive for the author, both in cases of acceptance and rejection. If you suggest revision, clearly point out what should be revised, and preferably also how. In the case of rejection, clearly articulate the reasons for rejection so as to help the author to write a better or more fitting piece next time.

In order to avoid undue delay in our response to our authors, we appreciate receiving referee comments within five weeks. If you are interested in doing the review but cannot meet the dead line, or if you are unable to comment on the manuscript at all, please inform us as soon as possible. In case of the latter, we would appreciate a suggestion for an alternative referee.

The review consists of two parts. On the one hand there is a list of questions that are to be answered with a yes, no or partially. The second part of the review consists of a freely formulated comment, in which you can explain your answers and go into further depth in the commenting. Please remember that the more specific you are in your comments and suggestions for revision, the better the quality of the review will be.

The following issues should be given particular attention:

  • The relevance of the manuscript, its interest to scholars of science and technology studies, and its contribution to knowledge in the field.
  • The quality of arguments, the soundness of methodology and reasoning, the quality of data, and the validity of analysis.
  • Conciseness and comprehensiveness: would the manuscript benefit from shortening or deletion of any sections; have any relevant points not been considered?
  • Any other comments that you feel are relevant concerning the manuscript.

Both the answers and the comment can be written directly into the electronic review sheet electronic review form that you find as item 4 on the review page associated with the manuscript. In your conclusion (item 6 on review page), please indicate whether you recommend publication without revision, publication after minor textual revisions, publication only after major revision, or rejection.

In addition to the electronic review sheet, you are welcome to submit a longer comment as a word processor document to the corresponding Editor. To do so, please use the same form as the review to attach a file. Before sending documents, we kindly ask you to remove any author and organisation information from the document file.

Your anonymous comments will be forwarded to the author. If you have recommendations for the editors only, please give these separately.

We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

Access and Indexing 

Science & Technology Studies is available as an e-journal from 2/2012 onwards. Science Studies is available in both print and electronic versions. Print versions of back issues (up to 1/2012) can be ordered directly from us and are available in libraries around the world.

Abstracting and Indexing Services:
  • Scopus
  • Sociological Abstracts
  • CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts)
  • Social Services Abstracts, 1998 -present
  • Kauffman Foundation: Entrepreneurship Research Portal
  • Russian Academy of Sciences Bibliographies
Online versions of the journal are available through the following services:

EBSCOhost:

  • Academic Search Alumni Edition, 1998 - present
  • Academic Search Premier, 1998 - present
  • Academic Source Premier, 1998 - present
  • EBSCOhost MegaFILE, 1998 - present
  • Sociological Collection, 1998 - present

Document availability:

  • British Library Document Supply Centre (8164.287000)
  • University College London, London, UK
  • Deutsches Museum Bibliothek, Munchen
  • Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Firenze
  • Kungliga Biblioteket, Stockholm
  • Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit, Groningen
  • Burndy Library, Dibner Institute, Cambridge, MA
  • University of California Libraries, California
  • Copenhagen Business School Library, Denmark
  • Tartu Ülikooli Raamattukogu, Estonia
  • University of Helsinki, Finland
  • University of Tampere, Finland