Authors

• Late, Elina (Tampere University)
• Korkeamäki, Laura (Tampere University)
• Pölönen, Janne (Federation of Finnish Learned Societies)
• Syrjämäki, Sami (Federation of Finnish Learned Societies)
• Ryynänen-Karjalainen, Lea (Federation of Finnish Learned Societies)

Keywords

cooperation, publishing industry, research and development, research finance, scientific research, social influence

Abstract

The survey charted the activities of learned societies in Finland. The data were collected as part of a joint project by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies and Tampere University, which aimed to investigate the activities of learned societies and make them more widely known.

First, some background information was collected on the learned societies. The respondents were asked which field of science the society represented, in which area of Finland the society operated, whether the society operated internationally, what the primary aim of the society was, and why the society was a member of the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies. Next, the survey charted the society's finances, such as the annual budget, changes in the budget in the past five years, and the most important sources of income for the society. The organisation and staff of the society were surveyed with questions on, for example, how the society was organised (e.g. departments or working groups), whether the society had salaried employees, and how large a share of the society's tasks were carried out without a salary or compensation. The respondents were also asked about the society's membership composition (e.g. individuals, organisations, or both), membership fee, member benefits, and recruitment of new members.

The publishing activity of the society was examined next with questions on how many peer-reviewed and other journals, book series, and monographs the society had published in 2018. The languages of the publications were also charted, and the respondents were asked if there had been any changes in the society's publishing activity in the past five years. The society's seminar and conference activity as well as research activity were surveyed with questions focusing on the number of organised seminars and conferences and the types of research activities the society engaged in. Finally, the respondents were asked about the society's social influence and science communication, the promotion of open science by the society, collaborations with other organisations, and the future of the society.

No background information was collected on the respondents.