The DOI matches its Crossref record; 54 of the 56 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Feelings of Discontent and the Promise of Middle Range Theory for STS: Examples from Technology Dynamics
Open accessAbstract
This article critically discusses the state of STS, expressing feelings of discontent regarding four aspects: policy relevance, conceptual language, too much focus on complexity, theoretical styles. Middle range theory is proposed as an alternative, promising avenue. Middle range theories focus on delimited topics, make explicit efforts to combine concepts, and search for abstracted patterns and explanatory mechanisms. The article presents achievements in that direction for technology dynamics, particularly with regard to the role of expectations, niche theory and radical innovation, and the multi-level perspective on sociotechnical transitions.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“The explanatory focus of the theory, and its emphasis on human agency, sets it apart from sociological theories of actor-networks [12] that take ethnographic case studies at their primary method [13], wrongly attribute agency to things as well as people, and explicitly reject explanation in favour of description [11].”
From Development of a theory of implementation and integration: Normalization Process Theory (2009) · cites this paper as [13]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change.
Loasby, B. J., Nelson, R. R., & Winter, S. G. (1983) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2232409 · Cited by 21,426
Social Theory and Social Structure
Ross, E. J., & Merton, R. Κ. (1958) · The American Catholic Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/3709394 · Cited by 10,318
Mills, C. W. (1959) · Journal of American History · doi:10.2307/1891592 · Cited by 8,892
Geels, F. W. (2002) · Research Policy · doi:10.1016/s0048-7333(02)00062-8 · Cited by 7,275
Self-citationAn evolutionary theory of economic change
Winter, & Sidney, G. (1982) · Cited by 6,343
Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways
Geels, F. W., & Schot, J. (2007) · Research Policy · doi:10.1016/j.respol.2007.01.003 · Cited by 5,245
Self-citationCarpenter, M. A., Cardon, M. S., McMullen, J. S., & Shepherd, D. A. (2011) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781849807630.00018 · Cited by 5,213
Notes on the theory of the actor-network: Ordering, strategy, and heterogeneity
Law, J. (1992) · Systems Practice · doi:10.1007/bf01059830 · Cited by 3,244
An evolutionary theory of economic change
Wright, G. (1982) · Technology in Society · doi:10.1016/0160-791x(82)90007-0 · Cited by 3,207
Kemp, R., Schot, J., & Hoogma, R. (1998) · Technology Analysis and Strategic Management · doi:10.1080/09537329808524310 · Cited by 2,867
Greenblum, J. (1960) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/00005053-196008000-00012 · Cited by 2,170
The Third Wave of Science Studies
Collins, H. M., & Evans, R. (2002) · Social Studies of Science · doi:10.1177/0306312702032002003 · Cited by 2,100
The lever of riches: technological creativity and economic progress
(1990) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.28-1056 · Cited by 1,900
Sutton, R. I., & Staw, B. M. (1995) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2393788 · Cited by 1,883
(1998) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511663901 · Cited by 1,774
The Social Shaping of Technology
Williams, R., & Edge, D. O. (1996) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198774594.003.0004 · Cited by 1,763
Bricolage versus breakthrough: distributed and embedded agency in technology entrepreneurship
Garud, R. B., & Karnøe, P. (2003) · Research Policy · doi:10.1016/s0048-7333(02)00100-2 · Cited by 1,707
The Sociology of an Actor-Network: The Case of the Electric Vehicle
Callon, M. (1986) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-349-07408-2_2 · Cited by 1,624
Latour, B. (1999) · The Sociological Review · doi:10.1111/j.1467-954x.1999.tb03480.x · Cited by 1,469
After Ant: Complexity, Naming and Topology
Law, J. (1999) · The Sociological Review · doi:10.1111/j.1467-954x.1999.tb03479.x · Cited by 1,283
Geels, F. W. (2005) · Technology Analysis and Strategic Management · doi:10.1080/09537320500357319 · Cited by 992
Self-citationTechnological Revolutions and Financial Capital: The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages
Cooper, R. N., & Perez, C. (2003) · Foreign Affairs · doi:10.2307/20033522 · Cited by 981
A Sociology of Expectations: Retrospecting Prospects and Prospecting Retrospects
Brown, N., & Michael, M. (2003) · Technology Analysis and Strategic Management · doi:10.1080/0953732032000046024 · Cited by 955
The social shaping of technology
Williams, R., & Edge, D. (1996) · Research Policy · doi:10.1016/0048-7333(96)00885-2 · Cited by 917
Technological Transitions And System Innovations: A Co-evolutionary And Socio-technical Analysis
Geels, F. W. (2005) · Cited by 780
Self-citationTechnological Transitions and System Innovations
Geels, F. W. (2005) · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · doi:10.4337/9781845424596 · Cited by 701
Self-citationGeels, F. W., & Raven, R. P. J. M. (2006) · Technology Analysis and Strategic Management · doi:10.1080/09537320600777143 · Cited by 653
Self-citationComments on “What theory is not”
DiMaggio, P. J. (1995) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2393790 · Cited by 488 · cited 2×
“DiMaggio (1995) usefully distinguished three styles.”
BackgroundDon't throw the baby out with the bath school! A reply to Collins and Yearley
Callon, M., & Latour, B. (1992) · Cited by 382
Theory Construction as Disciplined Reflexivity: Tradeoffs in the 90s
Weick, K. E. (1999) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.1999.2553254 · Cited by 356
As Time Goes By: From the Industrial Revolutions to the Information RevolutionPreprint
Freeman, C. T., & Louçã, F. (2001) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 337
Geels, F. W. (2005) · Technology in Society · doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2005.04.008 · Cited by 329
Self-citationAfter ANT: Complexity, Naming and Topology
Law, J. (1998) · The Sociological Review · doi:10.1111/1467-954x.46.s.1 · Cited by 292
Geels, F. W., & Deuten, J. J. (2006) · Science and Public Policy · doi:10.3152/147154306781778984 · Cited by 265
Self-citationDo Not Despair: There Is Life after Constructivism
Bijker, W. E. (1993) · Science Technology & Human Values · doi:10.1177/016224399301800107 · Cited by 244
Failed technology futures: pitfalls and lessons from a historical survey
Geels, F. W., & Smit, W. A. (2000) · Futures · doi:10.1016/s0016-3287(00)00036-7 · Cited by 237
Self-citationSchot, J. (1998) · History and Technology · doi:10.1080/07341519808581928 · Cited by 227
van Lente, H., & Rip, A. (1998) · University of Twente Research Information · Cited by 206
What Middle-Range Theories Are
Boudon, R., Clark, J., Modgil, C., Modgil, S., Cohen, I. B., Duffin, K. E., Strickland, S., Feldhay, R., Elkana, Y., Merton, R. K., et al. (1991) · Contemporary Sociology · doi:10.2307/2071781 · Cited by 191
The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress.
Coleman, D., Mokyr, J., Mowery, D. C., & Rosenberg, N. (1991) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2233883 · Cited by 190
Traduction / Trahison: Notes on ANT
Law, J. (2006) · Americanae (AECID Library) · Cited by 183
The Social Construction of Artefacts: a Response to Pinch and Bijker
Russell, S. (1986) · Social Studies of Science · doi:10.1177/0306312786016002008 · Cited by 161
van Driel, H., & Schot, J. (2005) · Technology and Culture · doi:10.1353/tech.2005.0011 · Cited by 159
Davis, J. A. (1994) · Sociological Forum · doi:10.1007/bf01476361 · Cited by 133
Middle Range Theory and the Study of Organizations
(1980) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-009-8733-3 · Cited by 88
Beyond Harmony and Consensus: A Social Conflict Approach to Technology
Hård, M. (1993) · Science Technology & Human Values · doi:10.1177/016224399301800402 · Cited by 86
Collins, H. M., & Yearley, S. (1992) · ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) · Cited by 80
Technology as Practice: Local and Global Closure Processes in Diesel-Engine Design
Hård, M. (1994) · Social Studies of Science · doi:10.1177/030631279402400304 · Cited by 72
Thirty years of science studies: knowledge, society and the political
Pestré, D. (2004) · History and Technology · doi:10.1080/0734151042000304330 · Cited by 68
Molina, A. (1995) · Technology in Society · doi:10.1016/0160-791x(95)00016-k · Cited by 35
Cosmopolitanising technologies. A study of four emerging technological regimes
Deuten, J. J. (2003) · University of Twente Research Information · Cited by 28
What happened to provocation in science and technology studies?
Woolgar, S. (2004) · History and Technology · doi:10.1080/0734151042000304321 · Cited by 27
Joy in Repetition Makes the Future Disappear
Guggenheim, M., & Nowotny, H. (2003) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-010-0185-4_12 · Cited by 17
Edge, D. O. (2003) · Social Studies of Science · doi:10.1177/03063127030332002 · Cited by 8
Research works printed but not linked: 9
- Bijker, W.E., 1995, Of bicycles, bakelites and bulbs: Towards a theory of sociotechnical change
- Flen, J., 2005, Gartner's hype cycle special report for 2005
- Geels, F.W., 2005, Management, 17, 445
- Kemp, R., 1998, Management, 10, 175
- Merton, R.K., 1948, American Sociological Review, 13, 164
- Misa, T.J. 1994. Retrieving sociotechnical change from technological determinism . In Does technology drive history? The dilemma of technological determinism, edited by M.R. Smith and L. Marx, 115—141. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
- 10.4337/9781781005323 · DOI
- Rip, A., and R. Kemp. 1998. Technological change. In Human choice and climate change, Volume 2, edited by S. Rayner and E.L. Malone, 327-399. Columbus, OH: Battelle Press.
- Van Driel, H., 2005, Culture, 46, 51
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions: responses to seven criticisms
Geels, F. W. (2011) · Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions · doi:10.1016/j.eist.2011.02.002 · Cited by 3,092
Self-citationAn agenda for sustainability transitions research: State of the art and future directions
Köhler, J., Geels, F. W., Kern, F., Markard, J., Onsongo, E., Wieczorek, A., Alkemade, F., Avelino, F., Bergek, A., Boons, F., et al. (2019) · Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions · doi:10.1016/j.eist.2019.01.004 · Cited by 2,800
Self-citationOntologies, socio-technical transitions (to sustainability), and the multi-level perspective
Geels, F. W. (2010) · Research Policy · doi:10.1016/j.respol.2010.01.022 · Cited by 1,718
Self-citationDevelopment of a theory of implementation and integration: Normalization Process Theory
May, C. R., Mair, F., Finch, T., MacFarlane, A., Dowrick, C., Treweek, S., Rapley, T., Ballini, L., Ong, B. N., Rogers, A., et al. (2009) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/1748-5908-4-29 · Cited by 1,409
Geels, F. W. (2017) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2017.10.010 · Cited by 437
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Geels, F. W.
- Affiliations
- Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Geels, Frank W.
- ORCID
- Geels, Frank W.
- Venue
- Science, Technology, & Human Values
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-11
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 627-651
- ISSN
- 0162-2439 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-8251
- OpenAlex
- W2111912601
- Cited by
- 130
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 8.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- Locations
- Science Technology & Human Values (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) (Brunel University London) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Innovation, Technology, and Society
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Innovation Diffusion and Forecasting
- Keywords
- middle-range theory, science and technology studies, policy relevance, conceptual language, complexity, technological dynamics, expectations, niche theory, radical innovation, multi-level perspective, socio-technical transitions, explanatory mechanisms
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
