included in the second reminder. The single question asked for a reason why the respondent did not complete and return the main questionnaire. One reason for not returning the questionnaire was expressed starkly by a respondent: ‘‘Who cares about what I think?’’ Does not this comment indicate that there is a failure to incorporate what the public thinks into decisions regarding the various technical systems?
A study such as this provides a platform for starting up discussions and enhancing understanding about the opportunities and challenges of assessing the social aspects of technologies. The approach offers the possibility of capturing a range of different social indicators as they are directly perceived by the public. It provides a way to hear what the public has to say regarding different technologies. Most important is its use as a learning tool for taking the role of the public into consideration in the research and development, planning and structuring, and implementation and management of technical systems.
In studies of this type, low response rate and missing data can be a problem. The quality of the information derived depends on the amount of time and resources expended. Carrying out assessments of social indicators, even with a limited scope such as this one, requires greater financial resources. On the other hand, the cost of carrying out the assessment becomes quite low compared to the cost of delaying the introduction of technologies due to a failure to recognise and address the social challenges in time, together with endeavours to address technological challenges.
Public and private sectors that participate in research and development to develop ecologically sustainable and economically viable technologies should consider the social aspects from the outset. They should aim to increase the public’s knowledge so that technologies win the heart of the public, and thereby shorten the time between first discussions and implementation. Unless such efforts are made, it will take far more time for the public to feel comfortable and to accept new technologies—even if their ecological and economic performances are good. In democratic societies, the public can determine the fate of a technology through voting for or against policies that give birth to programmes for research and development, planning and structuring, and implementation and management. Hence, the social dimension gives a indicator of local relevance and context to ecological sustainability and (to some extent) to the economic viability of the technology chains.
The following procedural approach for assessing social indicators has been developed for use in making quantitative comparisons of technologies and technical systems. The approach is composed of the following steps:
1. Selection of relevant social indicators: Three relevant social indicators should be selected for assessment.
2. Characterization of a study area: Important features of the study area should be described.
3. Characterization of the technologies: The technologies or technical systems should be described in such a way that it serves the scope of the assessment.
4. Data collection and quantification of indicators: Develop and use questionnaires by utilising appropriate methods that increase the response rate and enhance the quality of information.
5. Results presentation and aggregation: Aggregation awaits future exploration of the possibilities of developing concepts from life cycle assessment (LCA); and disability adjusted life years (DALY) [17]. This will hopefully help in transforming quantified indicators by simplifying aggregation and results presentation.