Priced out of belonging? Insufficient concessions on membership fees across international societies in ecology and evolution

Malgorzata Lagisz, Kevin Bairos-Novak, April Martinig, Michael Bertram, Ayumi Mizuno, Saeed Shafiei Sabet, Matthieu Paquet (matthieu.paquet@outlook.com), Manuela Santana, Eli Thoré, Nina Trubanová, Joanna Rutkowska, James Orr, Elina Takola (elina.takola@ufz.de), Yefeng Yang, Patrice Pottier, Dylan Gomes, Ying-Chi Chan, Zhenzhuo Xian, Caleb Akogwu, Szymon Drobniak and Shinichi Nakagawa
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Matthieu Paquet: SETE - Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - FR AIB - Fédération de Recherche Agrobiosciences, Interactions et Biodiversité - UT3 - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier - UT - Université de Toulouse - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: Learned societies, as professional bodies for scientists, are an integral part of the scientific system. However, their membership fees have the potential to be prohibitive to the most vulnerable members of the scientific community. To shed light on how membership fees are structured, we conducted a survey of 182 international learned societies relevant to researchers in ecology and evolution. We found that 83% of these societies offered fee concessions to students, but only 26% to postdoctoral researchers. An average regular membership fee—US$67.8, student fee—US$27.4 (42.7% of the regular fee) and postdoctoral fee—US$42.7 (52.9%). Other types of individual concessions, such as for emeritus, family or unemployed, were rare (2–20%). Of the surveyed societies, 43% had discounts for members from developing countries (Global South). Such discounts were more common among societies located in high-income countries. Societies with a publicly visible commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion were more likely to offer different types of concessions. Currently, fees may prevent researchers from vulnerable and underprivileged groups from accessing multiple professional benefits offered by learned societies in ecology and evolution. This includes postdoctoral researchers, who should receive more support. We recommend tangible actions towards making learned societies more affordable and accessible.

Keywords: equity; diversity and inclusion; meta-research; open science; professional and academic organizations; career barriers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04948128v1
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Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2025, 292 (2040), ⟨10.1098/rspb.2024.1430⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04948128

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1430

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