Grades of Membership

Ways to save

Remember that you can save money on your membership in several different ways:

• Group discounts for multiple members in the same company renewing or joining at the same time
• Recommend-a-friend discount: if a new or lapsed member joins by 31st January on your recommendation then your renewal will be at the existing rate, and they won’t have to pay the joining fee.

Contact the ISTC office for information about these discounts.

Corporate members

Fellows (FISTCs) and Members (MISTCs) are collectively known as Corporate Members and have voting rights on ISTC issues.

Each Corporate Member is responsible for the liability of the ISTC (if it should close) up to a maximum of £5.00 (five pounds). See item 7 of the Memorandum of Association.

Fellows

Fellows shall be those persons admitted by the Council at its absolute discretion, and who:

1. have been corporate members for at least two years and:
2. have held a responsible position in the field of scientific or technical communication for at least four years and can satisfy the Council that they either:
3. have a comprehensive knowledge of the techniques of scientific or technical communication
   or:
   have a special knowledge of some aspect of scientific or technical communication.

Members

Members shall be those persons admitted by the Council at its absolute discretion and who either:

1. possess an acceptable qualification and have had at least five years’ experience of a type acceptable to the Council, of which they must have spent at least two years in the practice of scientific or technical communication in a responsible position or:
2. have had at least five years’ experience in the practice of technical communication, three years of which must have been in a responsible position, and can satisfy the Council that they have a comprehensive knowledge of the techniques of scientific or technical communication.

Non-corporate members

Honorary Fellows, Associate Members, Student Members, Entry-level Members, and Business Affiliates are collectively known as Non-corporate Members and, whilst enjoying the benefits of membership, do not have voting rights on ISTC issues.

Honorary Fellows

Honorary Fellows shall be those persons elected to the grade by the Council at its absolute discretion and who in the opinion of the Council have rendered outstanding service to the profession of scientific and technical communication.

The number of Honorary Fellows shall not at any time exceed twenty (20). Recommended to Council by the Membership Committee.

Entry-level Members

Entry-level Members shall be those persons admitted by the Council at its absolute discretion and who are active in the profession but have not yet attained sufficient experience for full membership.

Typically, Entry-level Members will already meet some of the criteria for the Member grade. On admitting an applicant at Entry-level grade, the ISTC will suggest a likely suitable time for them to apply for full membership.

Associate Members

Associate Members shall be those persons admitted by the Council at its absolute discretion and who wish to be associated with the Institute to further their knowledge of scientific and technical communication.

Student Members

Students shall be those persons admitted by the Council at its absolute discretion and who:

1. have enrolled in a formal course of further education that will eventually enable them to undertake duties in the field of scientific and technical communication, or:
2. are in full-time employment in the field of scientific and technical communication and are studying by on-the-job training or otherwise with the intention of achieving a qualification in a subject or subjects relevant to scientific and technical communication.

Student Members must apply for a transfer to the grade of Entry-level Member immediately after they have passed an appropriate examination or examinations in a subject relevant to scientific and technical communication.

In other cases membership in this grade will be reviewed not later than three years after admission.

Business Affiliates

Business Affiliates shall be those organisations (Businesses, Companies, and Educational Establishments) admitted by the Council at its absolute discretion and who:

1. employ scientific and technical communicators as may from time to time be determined by the Council and as set out in the Bye-laws of the Institute and:
2. provide education or training in the field of scientific and technical communication as may from time to time be determined by the Council as set out in the Bye-laws of the Institute.

See Business Affiliates for further details on the benefits enjoyed by Business Affiliates and the criteria necessary to become a Business Affiliate of the ISTC.

Detailed membership information

The rules governing membership of this Institute are detailed in Articles of Association.

If you apply to join the ISTC, your application is considered by the membership committee and, if accepted, you are invited to join at an appropriate level. Requests for a membership upgrade are also considered by the membership committee.

The ISTC is bound by the Articles of Association and Memorandum of Association that define the basis on which it operates. Everyone within the ISTC is expected to follow the Code of Professional Practice and the policies of the ISTC. All of these documents are available on the Governance page.