It focuses on the study of S&T activities understood as forms of social action, especially with regard to understanding the role of scientific and technical knowledge in society. The patterns of formal and informal organization that characterize these activities have played an important role in shaping the specificities of these activities. Recent research in this area includes the study of international scientific cooperation; socio-technical controversies and S&T governance; the relationship between science and politics; the role of international and national private science funding foundations; bibliometrics, scientometrics and altmetrics; the sociology and anthropology of S&T; and the social studies of S&T&I.
