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Research on policy impact has increasingly focused on the practical application of social science research. This paper outlines four roles—substantive expert, information processor, change agent, and scholar—which have helped to increase the potential usefulness of our research while maintaining linkages to the academic community. This paper suggests the general nature of these roles and suggests specific implementation strategies, which need to be pursued as an early and continuing aspect of the research enterprise. Balancing these multiple roles presents several analytical and ethical difficulties, but helps to establish credibility in both the scientific and policymaking communities.

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Technology assessments (TAs) are interdisciplinary applied policy studies undertaken (1) to inform public and private policymakers and interested citizens about the likely consequences of a decision to develop a technology, and (2) to identify, evaluate, and compare alternative policies and implementation strategies for dealing with problems and issues likely to arise when a technology is developed (White et al., 1978: 76). TAs, as do applied policy studies generally, involve technical and policy analyses.' Technical analyses attempt to evaluate and compare technologies on the basis of unbiased scientific and technical criteria. Policy analyses interpret the results of the technical analyses in the context of the social and political system within which the technology is developed.The purpose of this article is to discuss the policy analysis component of TA. First, utilization-central to the design, conduct, and interpretation of applied policy analysis-is discussed. Second, participatory research is assessed as a utilization strategy. Third, issues associated with utilization strategies are identified and several recommendations for the conduct of TAs are presented. The discussion that follows is based on a decade of research