ABSTRACT
The book about working as a social scientist in Esso came out in 1976. It was a very detailed case study, and it seemed obvious that the way to take the subject further would be to document other attempts and compare them to see what could be learned. In the 1970s, it seemed clear that the subject of utilization needed further explicit attention, both research and development. As regards research, the Esso experience and book had the disadvantages as well as the advantages of a case study: however valuable the experience, and however many ideas and hypotheses it might generate, if the subject of utilization as such was to be further explored the enquiry would now need to be systematized. Major research-grant applications involved a site visit from members of the relevant committee. That immediately opened up a problem, since these committees were organized according to academic disciplines. Problem-oriented work cut across the boundaries of several disciplines.
