The Accademia dei Lincei, established in Rome in 1603, was the first scientific society, inspiring the creation of others like the Royal Society in London. Today, scientific societies are crucial for researchers to network and share knowledge. However, they face challenges due to the rise of virtual networking and open-access publishing, trends accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many societies struggle to sustain activities with declining revenue from membership fees and journal subscriptions. Ratko Magjarević, a prominent figure in the field, highlights the importance of societies in providing networking and publicity opportunities, especially for researchers from less-established scientific communities. His experience underscores the value of these organizations in fostering diverse academic interactions and career growth.
QUESTION: How might the shift towards virtual networking and open-access publishing impact the future of scientific societies and their role in the scientific community?
Now is the time for scientific societies to guide global research
