Introduction, Methodology and Data

In Part II of the book, we discuss the national discourses and practices researched in the project. In this chapter, we introduce the topic, the methodology and the theoretical framework used to analyse the data. Because the focus of this research is different from that of Part I—national discourses and practices rather than organisations—we use a different method and analytical framework, namely sociotechnical imaginaries. In Chap. 7, we identify imaginaries of science in each of participating country that we use to explain differences in RRI uptake at a national level. Due to the nature of the project and the data gathered, the focus will be largely on the ‘science’ part of the science, technology and innovation (STI) system, though we also reflect on the broader STI system, especially where the three elements are strongly linked. In Chap. 8, we discuss the lessons that we draw from comparing the imaginaries.