Read on Twitter
Been thinking about this too and it deserves discussion. Twitter sucks for nuance but, I'll try.
It's okay to have feelings about virtual conference registration fees, I do too. Thing is, they don't just cover the cost of the conference. Some thoughts from a grad student. 1/8 https://twitter.com/jonykipnis/status/1354980817806757900
It's okay to have feelings about virtual conference registration fees, I do too. Thing is, they don't just cover the cost of the conference. Some thoughts from a grad student. 1/8 https://twitter.com/jonykipnis/status/1354980817806757900
Scientific societies depend on revenue from meetings to survive, but they don't just put on meetings. *Some* societies use revenue to fuel:
-programs that empower marginalized scholars
-programs to advocate for federal funding for research
-STEM outreach programs
- etc..
2/8
-programs that empower marginalized scholars
-programs to advocate for federal funding for research
-STEM outreach programs
- etc..
2/8
Now, do these societies develop/run these programs the right way? Do they allocate funds appropriately within the org? These kinds of questions are valid and we should always push leadership on them. This is why I always encourage ECRs to get involved
3/8 https://twitter.com/peiferlabunc/status/1355133887882682368?s=20
3/8 https://twitter.com/peiferlabunc/status/1355133887882682368?s=20
Scientific societies also need to pay staff so they're not laid off in a pandemic. Some societies run mostly on volunteer service, but others (especially ones that develop programs like those mentioned above) have full time staff and they do important work. 4/8
Also, virtual conference platforms can cost $$. The challenge for societies is to keep the community engaged so that they support the society & vice-versa, So if you want something that's not a series of zoom webinars, it costs, especially if attendees are in the thousands 5/8
And I'm not an expert on budget structures in scientific societies that run important scientific journals (such as @SfNJournals), but I imagine when >50% of a society's income is from in-person meetings, the society journals must be struggling during the pandemic. 6/8
I agree (and have advocated for) decreasing virtual meeting registration costs (already a fraction of in-person costs) as one way to make access more equitable. I've seen something like this with 1 conference so far (calibrated cost according to career level & country).
7/8
7/8
A sincere question I have and have been wondering about: how do we ensure scientific societies stay afloat while not creating more paywalls & having high registration fees for virtual event?
Only things I can think of is philanthropy or getting federal pandemic relief. 8/8
Only things I can think of is philanthropy or getting federal pandemic relief. 8/8