ABSTRACT
Scholarship in Science and Technology Studies (STS) has brought forward a variety of contributions to the problem of expertise. The emphasis has been on the nature of scientific work, the relation between science and society, and the role of scientific advisory bodies as boundary organizations of expertise. Important contributions come from laboratory studies, Actor-Network Theory, and regulatory science. These will be important reference points for the argument. However, a limitation of this scholarship is the tendency to use a rather narrow definition of experts as science based. Other relevant research in this field emphasizes the contribution made by laypeople, which has been conceptualized as ‘citizen expertise.’ I will critically discuss important approaches.
