Σύγκριση μεθόδων

	Horizon Scanning	Foresight Scenario Method	Patent Analysis
Πεδίο	Science Technology Studies	Science Technology Studies	Science Technology Studies
Οικογένεια	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Έτος προέλευσης	2009	1995	1994
Δημιουργός	William J. Sutherland, Effie Amanatidou, and the foresight/scanning community	Paul Schoemaker, drawing on Herman Kahn and the Shell/intuitive-logics tradition	Francis Narin (patent bibliometrics) and the patent-analytics community
Τύπος	Systematic search-and-detection process	Structured future-construction process	Document-based technological-intelligence process
Θεμελιώδης πηγή	Sutherland, W. J., & Woodroof, H. J. (2009). The need for environmental horizon scanning. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 24(10), 523-527.	Schoemaker, P. J. H. (1995). Scenario planning: a tool for strategic thinking. Sloan Management Review, 36(2), 25-40.	Narin, F. (1994). Patent bibliometrics. Scientometrics, 30(1), 147-155.
Εναλλακτικές ονομασίες	Environmental scanning, Weak-signal detection, Emerging-issues analysis	Scenario planning, Intuitive-logics scenarios, Scenario building	Patent analytics, Patent bibliometrics, Patent landscaping
Συναφείς	4	4	4
Σύνοψη	Horizon scanning is the systematic examination of information to detect early signs of potentially important developments—weak signals, emerging issues, and wild cards—before they become obvious or fully formed. By surveying a wide range of sources at the edge of current attention, it gives decision-makers advance warning of opportunities and threats and supplies the raw material for foresight, scenario building, and anticipatory policy.	The scenario method constructs a small set of internally consistent, plausible stories about how the future might unfold, built from the key driving forces and critical uncertainties facing a decision. Rather than forecasting one expected future, it deliberately develops several contrasting futures so that strategies can be tested against a range of possibilities and decision-makers can rehearse responses to what might otherwise be surprises.	Patent analysis, or patanalytics, mines the documents and metadata in patent databases to generate technological intelligence. Because patents are structured, dated, classified, and citation-linked records of inventive activity, analysing patent counts, citations, classification codes, applicants, and text reveals who is innovating where, in which technologies, how fields connect, and how the technological landscape is shifting—evidence that feeds competitive intelligence, R&D strategy, and foresight.