This report includes statements by the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the board, TAAC Chairman, and the director of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). The report discusses the year in review regarding the work in progress, organization and operations of OTA.

An assessment by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that assesses the potential of the solar power satellite (SPS) as a source of energy, looking at four alternative SPS systems and at their "technical characteristics, long-term energy supply potential, international and military implications, environmental impacts, and institutional effects" (p. iii).

This paper describes the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) and its relationship with Congress in developing technology-related policy.

A case study commissioned by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that attempts to "advance the state of the art cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) as the technique pertains to disease prevention and health promotion programs," using cervical cancer screening as the object of analysis (Summary).

A case study requested by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that presents "a brief overview of selected respiratory therapy modalities, including an assessment, drawn from the available medical and scientific literature, of what is known about the efficacy or effectiveness of various respiratory therapy procedures" (p. 3).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that assesses the resources of mining activities and coal leases, specifically the "estimation of the likely production from the existing 548 Federal coal leases in the seven major Western coal States" (p. iii).

A case study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "touches on only some of the aspects of technology assessment that might be undertaken with respect to multichannel chemistry analyzers" (p. 7).

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "evaluates influenza vaccination on the basis of another criterion-cost effectiveness"

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that looks takes the approach that "hysterectomies that are performed for indications that could be treated by alternative therapies or by no therapy at all, with fewer resultant health risks to the woman and lower economic costs in general" (p. 3).

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that analyzes "two instances of the use of formal analysis in the formulation of Federal Government policy for end-stage renal disease (ESRD)" (p. 3).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "examines the application of classical and molecular genetic technologies to micro-organisms, plants, and animals" (Foreward).

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that examines a new intercontinental ballistic missile known as the MX, identifies MX basing modes and assesses "the major advantages, disadvantages, risks, and uncertainties of each" (p. 3).

An assessment by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that addresses "basic issues surrounding a degree-of-hazard classification approach" and "various methods for applying a degree-of-hazard classification system" (p. iii).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that looks at four approaches to the standardization of light water reactors and "considers these four representative approaches to standardization and examines the major advantages and disadvantages of each concept" (p. 3).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "examines the relationships between patent-term extension and pharmaceutical innovation," paying special attention to social implications of patent-term extension (p. iii).

A technical memorandum by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "identifies the participants in the Federal coal leasing program between 1950 and 1980, traces the ownership on a lease-by-lease basis, and discusses the business activities and organizational structures of the lessees [sic]" (p. iii).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "discusses the strengths and weaknesses of data sources used for determining trends in cancer occurrence and mortality, and reviews estimates of the contribution of various factors-behaviors and exposures-associated with cancer in this country" (p. iii).

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "addresses the question of local development and the opportunities for-and appropriateness of-various technologies that can help local people to take advantage of local resources in meeting the needs of their own communities" (p. iii).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that addresses issues of "the roles of the research participants, long-range research priority planning, funding for research, and the organizational structure of the food and agricultural research organizations" as they relate to increasing demands on agricultural resources (p. iii).

A case study prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "presents a conceptual model for assessing the benefits and costs of medical technology, and uses this model as a framework for analyzing the benefits and costs of cimetidine in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease" (p. 3)

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that looks at federal policies that affect coal exports and port development and finds that "sizable increases in future U.S. coal exports are achievable if the Federal Government and the private sector complement the efforts of each in encouraging these exports and if present trends are not drastically altered by developments in other exporting and importing countries" (Preface).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "presents the results of an overview study on the use of computer technology in national information systems and related public policy issues" (p. iii).

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) with the purpose of "the feasibility and potential usefulness of undertaking cost-effectiveness/cost-benefit analysis (CEA/CBA) of orthopedic joint prostheses" (p. 3).

A report by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "presents an analysis of the cost and efficacy of the current use of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy" (p. 3).