Scientific Societies

Science is social institution. In the 1600s, Robert Boyle coined the phrase “invisible colleges” to refer to the informal networks of individuals with mutual interest in “natural history.” In the current era, individuals interested in science are helped enormously if they feel a part of a social enterprise that treats them respectfully, encourages their questions, and provides continuing relationships with peers doing research similar to their own. Since the 1600s, scientific societies have existed to support their members. From the days of Isaac Newton and the British Royal Society to the current era, scientific societies have benefited scientists and people in general by supporting the search for a deeper understanding of the world.

According to Martha Ornstein, Italy is recognized as the birthplace of the scientific society in the 1600s. Suzanne Zeller argued that there are three prototypes for scientific societies: the Royal Society of London, founded in 1660 as an elitist organization that helped members share scientific activities and shape scientific policy; the British Association for the Advancement of Science, founded at York in 1831 as a more democratic organization, which met at a variety of locations and funded scientific investigations of interest to members; and local natural history societies, including those specializing in botany, entomology, geology, and astronomy, which reflected the popularity of the amateur naturalist tradition in Victorian culture.

As Zeller noted, forces encouraging the profes-sionalization of science favored the elite academy. Mark Schwartz, Malcolm L. Hunter Jr., and P. Dee Boersma contended that the scientific society movement spread through Europe and eventually the world, fostering scientific knowledge, [Page 766]intellectual exchange, and the diversification of science. In the 21st century, many prominent scientific societies have expanded geographically from frequent gatherings of local members to international organizations with peer-reviewed journals, organized annual society meetings, and in many cases, sophisticated policy meetings.