Compare methods

	Participatory Technology Assessment	Technology Foresight
Field	Science Technology Studies	Science Technology Studies
Family	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Year of origin	1995	1995
Originator	Danish Board of Technology tradition; Simon Joss, John Durant, Leonhard Hennen	Ben R. Martin, Irene Miles, and the UK/Japanese foresight programmes
Type	Deliberative public-participation process	Participatory future-oriented strategic process
Seminal source	Joss, S., & Durant, J. (Eds.). (1995). Public Participation in Science: The Role of Consensus Conferences in Europe. Science Museum. ISBN: 9780901805874	Martin, B. R. (1995). Foresight in science and technology. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 7(2), 139-168.
Aliases	pTA, Public technology assessment, Citizen technology assessment	Foresight studies, Strategic technology forecasting, Future-oriented technology analysis
Related	4	4
Summary	Participatory technology assessment (pTA) involves lay citizens and stakeholders—not only experts—in assessing the social, ethical, and political dimensions of technologies. Through structured deliberative formats such as consensus conferences, citizens' juries, and scenario workshops, ordinary people are informed, allowed to question experts, and helped to form and articulate a considered collective view, which is then fed into public and policy debate. pTA democratises technology assessment, treating the public not as a problem to be managed but as a legitimate voice in technological choices.	Technology foresight is a systematic, participatory process of looking into the longer-term future of science, technology, the economy, and society in order to identify the areas of strategic research and the emerging generic technologies likely to yield the greatest economic and social benefits. Rather than predicting a single future, it brings experts and stakeholders together to explore plausible futures, build shared visions, and translate them into present-day priorities and action.