Learned societies for the communication and promotion of scientific thought and experimentation

have existed since the Renaissance.[160] Many scientists belong to a learned society that promotes
their respective scientific discipline, profession, or group of related disciplines.[161] Membership may
be open to all, may require possession of some scientific credentials, or may be an honor conferred
by election.[162] Most scientific societies are non-profit organizations, and many are professional
associations. Their activities typically include holding regular conferences for the presentation and
discussion of new research results and publishing or sponsoring academic journals in their
discipline. Some also act as professional bodies, regulating the activities of their members in the
public interest or the collective interest of the membership. Scholars in the sociology of
science[who?] argue that learned societies are of key importance and their formation assists in the
emergence and development of new disciplines or professions.
The professionalization of science, begun in the 19th century, was partly enabled by the creation of
distinguished academy of sciences in a number of countries such as the Italian Accademia dei
Lincei in 1603,[163] the British Royal Society in 1660, the French Académie des Sciences in 1666,
[164]
 the American National Academy of Sciences in 1863, the German Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in
1911, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1928. International scientific organizations, such as
the International Council for Science, have since been formed to promote cooperation between the
scientific communities of different nations.