At about this time every year, I renew my memberships to several scientific societies, and every year I ask myself the same question: “Should I bother?” In years past, the answer was easy because being a member came with tangible benefits, such as inexpensive journals and the ability to submit abstracts to annual meetings. Nowadays, these perks don’t seem very important. Most society journals are freely available online, and the proliferation of scientific meetings has made it easier to find venues to present my current research. Thus, the frequency with which I ask that question—“should I bother?”—has steadily increased.
Most scientific societies were established to promote the development and acceptance of a particular field of research. More recently, the larger societies have expanded their roles to include lobbying for increases in research funding and providing career advice. Although these are worthwhile activities, I don’t need to belong to multiple scientific ...
