This is one of several study guides on contemporary problems produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science with support of the National Science Foundation. This document is a state of the art report on "social impact assessment." Four components of this process are examined: (1) the problem of social impact assessment; (2) approaches to social impact assessment; (3) the methodology of social impact assessment; and (4) the future of social impact assessment. Included in the document are a narrative, a variety of papers and exhibits, and two extensive bibliographies related to the topic. (RH)