Introduction to the Research Handbook on Law and Technology

The past decades have witnessed an increasing research interest of legal scholars in the questions pertaining to the use, regulation and governance of and by technologies. This chapter introduces two main aims of the Research Handbook, namely to offer a meta-reflection on different approaches for studying the intersection of law and technology and to serve as a reference point for those willing to embark on academic research in the related topics. The authors argue that what is broadly termed as “law & technology” has become an amalgam of scholarly discourses, methodological approaches and schools of thought. Upon setting the scene for the Research Handbook, this chapter explains the structure of the book, briefly discussing the main theses of each of its contributions. It concludes with some general observations regarding the stance of scholarship on law & technology and suggestions for future avenues for law & technology research.