What Difference Did Computers Make?

by: Jon Agar

Social Studies of Science, Vol. 36, No. 6. (1 December 2006), pp. 869-907.

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Abstract

This paper asks the question: what difference did access to computers make to the first generation of scientists to use them? While we do know something about the use of computers in particular scientific specialities, a comparative perspective across disciplines is revealing. So this paper casts the net wider, not only revisiting microphysics and X-ray crystallography, but also examining natural history and the implicit social science of government administration. It focuses on the period when computers were first introduced, since the novelty of the techniques caused scientists to reflect on the changes. This has the advantage, too, of bringing to light the important relationship between routinization of scientific work prior to computerization and computerization itself. 10.1177/0306312706073450

@article{citeulike:943435, abstract = {This paper asks the question: what difference did access to computers make to the first generation of scientists to use them? While we do know something about the use of computers in particular scientific specialities, a comparative perspective across disciplines is revealing. So this paper casts the net wider, not only revisiting microphysics and X-ray crystallography, but also examining natural history and the implicit social science of government administration. It focuses on the period when computers were first introduced, since the novelty of the techniques caused scientists to reflect on the changes. This has the advantage, too, of bringing to light the important relationship between routinization of scientific work prior to computerization and computerization itself. 10.1177/0306312706073450}, author = {Agar, Jon }, citeulike-article-id = {943435}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0306312706073450}, journal = {Social Studies of Science}, keywords = {hci, sts}, month = {December}, number = {6}, pages = {869--907}, posted-at = {2006-11-14 20:58:07}, priority = {2}, title = {What Difference Did Computers Make?}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0306312706073450}, volume = {36}, year = {2006} }

RIS record

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:943435 L3 - citeulike-article-id:943435 TI - What Difference Did Computers Make? JF - Social Studies of Science VL - 36 IS - 6 SP - 869 EP - 907 N2 - This paper asks the question: what difference did access to computers make to the first generation of scientists to use them? While we do know something about the use of computers in particular scientific specialities, a comparative perspective across disciplines is revealing. So this paper casts the net wider, not only revisiting microphysics and X-ray crystallography, but also examining natural history and the implicit social science of government administration. It focuses on the period when computers were first introduced, since the novelty of the techniques caused scientists to reflect on the changes. This has the advantage, too, of bringing to light the important relationship between routinization of scientific work prior to computerization and computerization itself. 10.1177/0306312706073450 KW - hci KW - sts AU - Agar, Jon PY - 2006/12/01/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0306312706073450 ER -

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