A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. An organization (or organisation &mdash see spelling differences) is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals which controls its own performance and An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of Knowledge which is taught or Researched at the college or university level Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies, such as the Polish Sodalitas Litterarum Vistulana (founded 1488), the Italian Accademia dei Lincei (founded 1603), the Académie Française (founded 1635), the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (founded 1652) or the Royal Society of London (founded 1660). Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Sodalitas Litterarum Vistulana ("Literary Sodality of the Vistula " was an international Academic society modelled after the Roman Academy The Accademia dei Lincei, (literally the " Academy of the Lynxes" but also known as the Lincean Academy) is an Italian science academy located L'Académie française, or the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Leopoldina is the National academy of Germany. Historically it was known under the German name Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660
Most learned societies are non-profit organizations. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage Their activities typically include holding regular conferences for the presentation and discussion of new research results and publishing or sponsoring academic journals in their discipline. An academic conference is a conference for Researchers (not always Academics to present and Discuss their work An academic journal is a peer-reviewed Periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular Academic discipline is published Some also act as professional bodies, regulating the activities of their members in the public interest or the collective interest of the membership. A professional body or professional organization also known as a professional association or professional society is an organization usually Non-profit, that exists
Learned societies are of key importance in the sociology of science. Sociology of science is the subfield of Sociology that deals with the practice of Science. The formation of a society is an important step in the emergence of a new discipline or sub-discipline.
Societies can be very general in nature, such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, specific to a given discipline, such as the Modern Language Association, or specific to a given area of study, such as the American Association of Professors of Yiddish. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (or AAAS) is an organization that promotes cooperation between Scientists defends scientific freedom encourages The Modern Language Association of America (usually referred to as simply Modern Language Association or MLA) is the principal Professional association
Most are either specific to a particular country (though they generally include some members from other countries as well), often with local branches, or are international, such as the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), in which case they often have national branches. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA is the leading international body representing the interests of library But many are local, such as the Massachusetts Medical Society, the publishers of the internationally known New England Journal of Medicine. The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS is the oldest continuously-operating state Medical society in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine ( N Engl J Med or NEJM) is an English-language Peer-reviewed Medical journal published
Membership
Some societies offer membership to those who have an interest in a particular subject or discipline, provided they pay their membership fees. Older and more academic/professional societies may offer associateships and/or fellowships to those who are appropriately qualified by honoris causa, or by submission of a portfolio of work or an original thesis. The most frequent benefit of membership is a sharply discounted subscription rate for the publications of the society.
See also
- Academic conferences
- Engineering society
- List of learned societies
- Professional association
- Category:Members of learned societies
External links
- Scholarly Societies Project from the University of Waterloo Libraries -- database of hundreds of scholarly societies in various fields, including some of the oldest societies
- Eclectica, virtual exhibit on the history of Canadian learned societies. An academic conference is a conference for Researchers (not always Academics to present and Discuss their work An engineering society is a Professional organization for engineers of various disciplines. This is a partial list of learned societies, grouped by country A professional body or professional organization also known as a professional association or professional society is an organization usually Non-profit, that exists
Dictionary
learned society
-noun
- An organization that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines.
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