ABSTRACT Scientific societies play an important role in scientists’ career development and can have an impact on scientific advancement. The current study explores scientific societies’ view of and support for public engagement. Interviews with key actors of 21 US-based scientific societies suggest that societies recognize the value of public engagement and outreach, and the emphasis has been steadily increasing. Depending on the membership size and discipline of the society, various types of engagement activities are supported and offered. We also explored potential challenges and opportunities for societies in supporting scientific engagement of the public. The current project aimed at providing an overview of the role of scientific societies to help identify ways to areas to enhance the allocation of resources to support public engagement and future research, including theory development.

中文翻译：

---

科学社团对公众参与的支持：访谈研究

摘要科学社团在科学家的职业发展中起着重要作用，并且可能对科学进步产生影响。当前的研究探讨了科学社会对公众参与的看法和支持。对21个美国科学协会主要参与者的访谈表明，这些协会认识到公众参与和外联的价值，并且重点一直在稳步增加。根据会员人数和社会纪律，支持和提供各种类型的参与活动。我们还探讨了社会在支持公众科学参与方面的潜在挑战和机遇。