The Implementation of Social Innovations in Macro Policy Documents to Increase Social Participation in Science and Technology (Case Study of Strategic Transformation of Science and Technology Document)

due to the inefficiency of social participation practices in science, contemporary science policy discourses seek innovative models to increase public participation and cooperation between governments and the public. This is because, socially innovative practices can increase citizen participation in a more appealing way. The present study aims to implement socially innovative practices to increase social participation in the Strategic Transformation of Science and Technology Article.

This research is carried out in three steps (description, challenge-finding and solution presentation). First, after interviewing the experts and using the thematic analysis technique, the framework for social participation in science and technology in macro documents was extracted and then calibrated using Fuzzy Delphi to reach theoretical saturation. Subsequently, in the challenge-finding phase, the text of the Strategic Transformation of Science and Technology Article was evaluated using the quantitative content analysis technique. In the third step, after reviewing the views of people familiar with social participation solutions in science and technology, a number of solutions were identified.

The various components found in the evaluation of social participation in macro documents of science and technology, include: 1. direct reference to social participation, 2. indirect reference to social participation, 3. objectives pursued by social participation, 4. instruments for the realization of social participation and 5. tools used by stakeholder to encourage social participation. The results showed that social participation in science and technology were not adequately addressed in this document, and finally, according to research findings, 25 innovative social solutions were suggested to solve the challenges.

According to research results, one of the main priorities in science and technology programs should be the promotion of the individual’s awareness which in turn leads to social participation in science and technology. Several studies point out social innovation as one of the ways to achieve this.