pre-Participatory Technology Assessment: A web application for encouraging citizens interest in “science, technology & society”

Participatory Technology Assessment (pTA) is a concept that prompts people to discuss technologies and channel their opinions into policy-making or actual development of the scientific or technological phase being introduced. It has been pointed out that pTA may become a necessary tool in the future. However, at present, the introduction of social progress regarding pTA has not been demonstrated. One factor in this is a general lack of recognition about pTA. To familiarize people worldwide with pTA, we must first generate interest in pTA and increase the number of people who would like to attend pTA events. Our research proposes pre-pTA that would allow users to casually join in the process through use of a Web site application. We have developed such a Web site application as well as research regarding pre-pTA. As a result of their experience pre-pTA, users can then properly avail themselves of pTA. We propose that the pre-pTA application increases the possibility that pre-pTA users will continue to become interested in pTA itself.