What is 4sonline.org and what does the Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) do?

Updated

4sonline.org is the website of the Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S), a global scholarly society whose stated mission is "fostering interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship in social studies of science, technology, and medicine across the globe." It is the right starting point if you want to understand what 4S is, follow news and calls in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), or find its publications and blog. The homepage is organized around three main areas: 4S News, 4S Publications, and the 4S Blog (Backchannels).

What 4S is

4S stands for the Society for the Social Studies of Science. Its focus is STS — the social study of science, technology, and medicine — and it describes its mission as interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship across the globe. In practice, the site presents 4S as a society that connects a worldwide community of scholars and shares news, research, and commentary relevant to that community.

What you find on the site

The homepage groups its content into a few clear sections:

Section What it contains
4S News Announcements, calls for proposals, and deadlines
4S Publications The society's journals and related research
4S Blog: Backchannels Short academic writing and commentary, including work from and about the Global South

4S News

This section carries time-sensitive items such as calls for papers and editorial opportunities. Examples visible on the homepage include:

  • A call for proposals from the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) for competitive grants, aimed at IAP member academies and regional networks, with priority for collaborations across disciplines such as science, medicine, and engineering. Published Oct 18, 2024, with a deadline of Dec 2, 2024.
  • A call for Assistant Editors for 4S Backchannels, aimed at STS graduate students, postdocs, or early career scholars from or based in the Global South (especially Africa, the Middle East, and Asia). Published Nov 27, 2025, with a deadline of Dec 15, 2025.
  • A Backchannels post, "Chronicity and Its Social Lives," discussing biomedical, social, and personal understandings of ageing, immobility, and care in Zimbabwe through a case study of osteoarthritis. Published Nov 7, 2025.

4S Publications

The flagship publication shown is Science, Technology, & Human Values (STHV), described as providing a forum for cutting-edge research and debate in science and technology studies for more than forty years. The homepage also lists a forthcoming article, "Consolidating the Strata: Geoscience and Underground Territory in South Korean Radioactive Waste Disposal" by Sungeun Kim (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin), which examines high-level radioactive waste disposal in South Korea as a sociotechnical concern. A second item, on emotions in Dutch debates ("Bogeymen," "Murderers," and "Loonies"), is also listed.

A second publication, Engaging Science, Technology and Society, appears among the site's headings.

4S Blog: Backchannels

Backchannels is the society's blog. It publishes short academic writing and is also a route into editorial involvement, as shown by the Assistant Editor call above.

Who this is for

The site is aimed at researchers, graduate students, and others working in or adjacent to STS. If you are looking for a scholarly society in this field, its journals, or current calls and deadlines, 4sonline.org is the primary entry point. The homepage also notes "4SToronto 2026—SOLD OUT!" and a "Renew Membership" option, indicating an active conference and membership program, though details on pricing and registration are not provided on the page itself.