STEPS

 

This site serves as the STEPS archive. Please click here to visit the rebranded website and current issue.

 

STEPS stands for Science, Technology and Engineering Policy Studies. STEPS is the technical publication of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, where scholarly articles of broad interest are published for the policy studies communities. We welcome original article submissions including, but not limited to: discussions of policies that either promote or impede S&T research; articles that address implications and/or consequences of S&T advances on national or international policies and governance; articles that introduce or review a topics in science, technology, or engineering, including considerations of potential societal impacts and influences; and non-partisan opinion pieces concerning policies relevant to S&T, to include S&T research trends; S&T policy event highlights; editorials; letters to the editor; book reviews; and similar contributions.

The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies defines policy and policy studies as a two-way street with respect to science, technology, and engineering. Policies are necessary to advance scientific research toward achieving common good, appropriate use of human and material resources, and significant and favorable impacts on societal needs. At the same time, the creation of effective policy depends on decision makers being well-informed by science.

Societal changes arising from technological advances have often been surprises to mainstream thinking – both within technical communities and the general public. STEPS encourages articles that introduce a bold and innovative idea in technology development, or that discuss policy implications in response to technology developments. These articles can include more controversial “outside-the-box,” thought provoking contributions intended to 1) encourage discussions concerning science, technology, and engineering developments and related policies, 2) stimulate new research and development or policy actions, and/or 3) stimulate scientist, engineers, and policy makers to support relevant activities. Articles published in STEPS will include contributions that consider potential advances that might otherwise be suppressed by reviewers as being too unlikely or “too far out there.”

We invite authors to submit original articles for consideration in our widely distributed, indexed publication. Articles should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length, formatted according to The Chicago Manual of Style, and must include citations and/or references for further reading. Contributions must be consistent with the requirements of a scholarly magazine and will undergo in-house review, but will not necessarily be peer reviewed in the traditional manner.

Please submit articles to one of the editors listed below or contact us if you wish to discuss a topic before completing an article. Please refer to the Instructions for Authors for complete information before submitting your manuscript.

Thank you!

 

Robert Hummel, PhD
Editor in Chief
rhummel@potomacinstitute.org

 

Kathy Goodson, PhD
Associate Editor
kgoodson@potomacinstitute.org