Research Committees

Adopted 2003, Revised and Approved July 2014

I. OBJECTIVES

1.1. The Research Committee on Sociotechnics - Sociological Practice is established by the International Sociological Association with a view to opening up a broader range of opportunities for the participation of individual members in the activities of the Association in the field of Sociotechnics - Sociological Practice.
1.2. In order to achieve this end the Committee shall undertake the following measures:

(a) To secure and develop personal and associational contacts between interested scholars and practitioners throughout the world;
(b) To encourage the international dissemination and exchange of information on significant developments in sociotechnic -sociological practice and related areas, and to promote the development of scientific activities in this field throughout the world;
(c) To facilitate and promote international meetings and research in the field of sociotechnics - sociological practice and related areas;
(d) To cooperate with other Committees in the ISA.

II. MEMBERSHIP

2.1. Members shall be regular members. Regular individual members shall be at the same time members in good standing of the ISA. Affiliated organizations may or may not be members of the ISA.
2.1. All regular individual members of RC 26 shall be entitled to vote as individual members in the discussions about organizational matters according to the principle "one member, one vote" Affiliated organizations are not entitled to a vote.
2.2 All regular individual members of RC 26 shall be entitled to

(a) Participate in the scientific activities of the Research Committee;
(b) Receive the RC26 Newsletter issued electronically free of charge;

2.3. All regular individual members and affiliated organizations of RC 26 shall be obliged to:

(a) Uphold the present Statutes of RC 26 and to adhere to the stipulations of the present Statutes;
(b) Conscientiously fulfill the tasks entrusted to them by the General Meeting or other bodies of RC 26;
(c) Pay their fees for the respective period (i.e., 4 years). This fee shall be fixed by the Board of the Research Committee at each General Meeting for both individual members and organizations. The respective amounts to be paid shall be specified on the RC26 section of the International Sociological Association website.

2.4. Student-members may, at the discretion of the Board, pay a lower fee than the one requested for other members.
2.5. All the decisions made by the Committee as a whole, except these concerning the Statutes, are accepted by simple majority. Proposals for reforming the Statutes, and the decision of acceptance are made by the members of the Committee with 2/3 majority.
2.6 The Committee as a whole has the last decision in questions about membership status. In case a candidate is not able to pay his/her RC26 fees but his/her qualifications are considered appropriate, she/he can be defined as a member of the Committee in good standing and the Committee can pay the dues.

III. BOARD

3.1. The Board is formed by at most twelve regular individual members of whom one shall be the delegate to the Research Council of the ISA and one his/her alternate. Each member of the Board must be, at all times, a member in good standing in accordance with the ISA Statutes, and a member in good standing of RC26.
3.2. At its first meeting the new Board shall elect a President, two Vice-Presidents and a Secretary-Treasurer from among its members. The Chairperson of the Board shall be the President or, in his/her absence, one of the Vice-Presidents, and in the absence of either, the Board shall elect an ad hoc Chairperson.
3.3. The President is responsible for the work of RC 26. The President’s term of office is for four years. The President has the possibility of directly succeeding herself/himself in that office for no more than one additional full term. If the President holds the office for two consecutive terms (whether partial or full terms), the President could be considered again for the term that begins four years after the office was relinquished. Should an Officer fail to carry out his/her presidential responsibilities or allow his/her membership to lapse, the Secretary/Treasurer is required to inform the Board and to serve a four-month period of grace notice on the President. Should the irregularity not be resolved by the end of this period, the Secretary/Treasurer is required to inform the Board. One of the Board members, identified by the Board, will assume the responsibilities of the President of the Board in the case of the death, incapacitation, resignation, or other inability of the incumbent to carry out the responsibilities of the office of the President.
3.4. The Secretary/Treasurer shall:

(a) Organize the General Meetings and the meetings of the Board of RC 26 in co-operation with the President,
(b) Assist the President in organizing the work of the Board and observe the fulfillment of its decisions,
(c) Receive the membership fees and other income,
(d) Keep financial documentation,
(e) Prepare the financial report for the Board to be accepted by the General Meeting, and
(f) Realize the financial relations between RC26 and the ISA.

3.5. The report on the funds of the Committee must be made to the Board of RC 26 every year and to the Business Meeting Assembly each time it meets.
3.6. Candidates for the Board may be nominated by any member of the Committee. Each candidate must be nominated and seconded by a member in good standing. The Secretary/Treasurer shall list the candidates and send the list to the individual members of the Committee for voting. The Secretary/Treasurer must also secure that the candidates proposed to be elected officers will accept their mandate in case of election. Election must be completed before the end of every fourth year.
3.7. Temporary vacancies on the Board between consecutive ISA World Congresses may be filled by appointment by the President, in accordance with ISA Statute 4.5.
3.8. The place of any Board member not in good standing with either the ISA or RC26 may be declared temporarily vacant by the President, at the President’s discretion, and the vacancy filled according to the ISA Statutes.
3.9. The Board shall provide a newsletter or equivalent to the membership at least twice annually.
3.10. The President shall be the Research Committee’s delegate to the ISA Research Council and other organizations. The Board shall choose the alternate delegate to the Research Council.
3.11. The Board may organize on behalf of the Research Committee special task groups of limited duration. These groups must report annually to the Board.

IV. NOMINATION PROCEDURES

4.1. To ensure participation of all individual and affiliated members, nominations shall be done by mail or email. To this end, the Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare a form to be sent to all individual members and affiliated organizations at least twenty weeks before the Election Day together with a list of all individual members of RC26.
4.2. All individual members and affiliated organizations of RC26 shall be entitled to nominate candidates for the Board. Nominated candidates shall be individual members of RC 26 They shall confirm their preparedness to accept the respective position on the Board in case they are elected and to remain a regular member in good standing for the duration of their mandate, and shall return the nomination form to the Secretary/Treasurer, together with a brief curriculum vitae.
4.3. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare a ballot listing all nominated candidates along with the respective positions on the Board. In case of several nominations for the same position, the
nominated candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order. The names on the ballot shall be sent to all individual members of RC26 by mail or email at least seven weeks before the Election Day.
4.4. Individual members shall vote at General Assemblies(s) or, at the discretion of the Board, by mail or email. If a mail or email vote is conducted, ballots received later than two weeks before the beginning of the World Congress shall not be counted.

V. BUSINESS MEETINGS AND MID-TERM CONFERENCES

5.1. A Business Meeting Assembly is held at least every four years, at the ISA World Congress. The meeting is chaired by the President or by one of the Vice-Presidents of RC 26. Votes can only be cast by individual RC 26 members in good standing who are present at the Meeting. The duties of the Assembly are to

(a) Evaluate and approve the RC’s four-year-report,
(b) Discharge the outgoing Board of its responsibilities, including the financial statement, and
(c) Discuss and carry motions on any other point that may arise.

5.2. Decisions in a Business Meeting Assembly are taken by simple majority.
5.3. There will be at least one mid-term conference between International Sociological Association World Congresses. The Board shall identify the themes and topics for any mid-term conference and take responsibility for the organization of all sessions.

VI. REVISIONS OF THE STATUTES

6.1. Any proposal for amendments to the Statutes may be made by any member in good standing of the RC26 Board, or by any five individual members in good standing of RC26. Such a proposal must be received by the Board at least four months before the World Congress.
6.2. The proposal will be circulated among all RC26 members, together with an explanation of its rationale, at least three months before a World Congress. The Board will be entitled to propose amendments, to be circulated at least one month before the World Congress.
6.3. These proposed amendments will be put to the General Meeting or a mail/e-mail vote, and adopted if approved by a two-thirds majority of those voting.