The strong program (or strong programme) is a variety of the Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (SSK) particularly associated with David Bloor, Barry Barnes, and Bruno Latour.

Because the 'Science Studies Unit' at the University of Edinburgh is one of the centers of this approach, it is sometimes termed the Edinburgh School. However, there is also a Bath School associated with Harry Collins that makes similar proposals.

Under scientific positivism, a 'true' scientific theory is attributed to sound scientific methods, while an erroneous theory is associated with dubious social factors such as the researcher's self interests or racial bias.

The strong programme proposed that both 'good' and 'bad' science should be treated symmetrically - both are exposed to social factors like cultural context and self interest. All human knowledges, as something that exists in the human cognition, must contain some social components in their formation process. The presence of social factors alone is not enough to falsify a scientific theory.

On the other hand, valid scientific knowledge has dual properties. As knowledge that refers to an empirical world 'out there', scientific knowledge is compatible with the material world; as knowledge known by the human mind in social contexts, it is also socially constructed. (See also Social constructionism)

The strong programme emphasized the presence of social factors in deciding whether a scientific theory is accepted as being 'true' or not. It has been under fierce fire of some natural scientists in 1970s-80s. Arguably, it was one of the forces that unseated scientific positivism from an absolute authoritative position in epistemology.