digitalSTS: A Field Guide for Science & Technology Studies - Hardcover

"This volume addresses the growing intersections of STS with sites and practices shaped by digital technologies, assembling a diverse but concentrated collection of researchers and approaches in a single source. It will be a tremendously valuable starting place for readers interested in the field and a continuing resource for research and teaching."-Lucy Suchman, Lancaster University, UK "Science and technology studies (STS) is one of the most exciting new interdisciplinary fields in the academy. This indispensable collection by leading young STS scholars examines digital technologies, methods, and networks. Global in scope, well-crafted with introductions to different sections, and brimming with deep insights, this timely book is set to become a classic."-Trevor Pinch, Cornell University "A dazzling collection of STS writing and thinking-an indispensable handbook for the next generation of science and technology studies."-Paul N. Edwards, author of A Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming "This delightful collection of thought-provoking essays, case studies, and research findings creates a coherent story out of the disparate threads that have helped animate digital science and technology studies. digitalSTS is an essential volume, helping junior scholars get their bearings while also enabling reflexivity among those deeply immersed in this field."-danah boyd, principal researcher at Microsoft Research, founder of Data & Society, and author of It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens

Scholars across the humanities, social sciences, and information sciences are grappling with how best to study virtual environments, use computational tools in their research, and engage audiences with their results. Classic work in science and technology studies (STS) has played a central role in how these fields analyze digital technologies, but many of its key examples do not speak to today's computational realities. This groundbreaking collection brings together a world-class group of contributors to refresh the canon for contemporary digital scholarship. In twenty-five pioneering and incisive essays, this unique digital field guide offers innovative new approaches to digital scholarship, the design of digital tools and objects, and the deployment of critically grounded technologies for analysis and discovery. Contributors cover a broad range of topics, including software development, hackathons, digitized objects, diversity in the tech sector, and distributed scientific collaborations. They discuss methodological considerations of social networks and data analysis, design projects that can translate STS concepts into durable scientific work, and much more. Featuring a concise introduction by Janet Vertesi and David Ribes and accompanied by an interactive microsite, this book provides new perspectives on digital scholarship that will shape the agenda for tomorrow's generation of STS researchers and practitioners.