A learned society is a society that exists to promote an academic discipline or group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honour conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies, such as the Roman Accademia dei Lincei, founded in 1603, the Académie française or the Royal Society of London.
Most learned societies are non-profit organizations. 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. Some also act as professional bodies, regulating the activities of their members in the public interest or the collective interest of the membership.
Learned societies are of key importance in the sociology of science. The formation of a society is an important step in the emergence of a new discipline or sub-discipline.
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learnedsociety, based in the United Kingdom, concerned with the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is an archaeological learnedsociety formed for the purpose of studying the history of Scotland.
The Geological Society of London is a learnedsociety based in the United Kingdom with the aim of investigating the mineral structure of the Earth.
Feeds |
Contact