Electronic funds transfer as a subject of study in technology,society and public policy

As society becomes increasingly dependent upon technology, and so increasingly a subject of public policy scrutiny, it is essential to acquire as much knowledge as possible about technology development, adoption, use, and impacts. The authors propose in detail a long-term study of electronic funds transfer that would cover six major topics: how technology emerges; how new technology is handled by existing institutions; how new technologies are assimilated by the public; what specific impacts new technologies have; how new technologies create synergistic impacts with other technologies; and how technologies change over time to conform to new circumstances and developments. They conclude with a consideration of the measures necessary for the implementation of such a study.