Science and Technology and Intellectual Property Research

Abstract

This chapter examines science and technology as a subject of legal research and regulation. Rather than reflecting on the regulatory challenges presented by science and (new) technologies intrinsically and generally, this chapter aims to contribute to the methodological debate when conducting legal research on science and technology. The chapter explores the different types of research objectives and related methodological features that legal scholars can pursue in their research on law and science and technology: descriptive, classifying, comparative, theory-building, explanatory, evaluative, and recommendatory research objectives. The analysis is made more exacting by providing concrete examples from research projects in the area of patent and copyright law and technology, ranging from biotechnology, over 3D-printing, to functional design.