# Association of Social Anthropologists’ (ASA) Apply Network

> organisation involved in scholarly research

**Wikidata**: [Q74541164](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q74541164)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/association-of-social-anthropologists-asa-apply-network

## Summary
The Association of Social Anthropologists’ (ASA) Apply Network is an organisation involved in scholarly research. Based on the provided classification, it is understood as a type of research institute, an organization whose primary purpose is conducting systematic investigation to generate new knowledge.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type**: Organisation involved in scholarly research.
- **Classification**: Falls under the class "research institute," defined as an organization whose primary purpose is research.
- **Conceptual Distinction**: Differentiated from universities (which combine teaching and research), think tanks (which focus on policy-oriented research), and scientific societies (which are membership-based).
- **Global Recognition**: The broader concept of a research institute is covered across 41 Wikipedia language editions.
- **Structured Data Mapping**: The class is mapped to `schema.org/ResearchOrganization`.
- **Library Classification**: Recognized with identifiers like Library of Congress sh85113043 and German National Library GND 4017909-6.
- **Geographic Code**: Uses Geonames feature code S.ITTR.
- **Dewey Classification**: Assigned 001.406 in library science.

## FAQs
**Q: What is the primary function of the ASA Apply Network?**
A: Its primary function is scholarly research. As a research institute, it exists specifically to conduct systematic investigation and generate new knowledge, rather than focusing on teaching, policy advocacy, or membership services.

**Q: How does the ASA Apply Network differ from a university department?**
A: Unlike a university department, which balances research with teaching and degree-granting obligations, the ASA Apply Network, as a research institute, is dedicated exclusively to research activities without the responsibility of providing undergraduate or graduate education.

**Q: Is the ASA Apply Network a think tank or a scientific society?**
A: No. It is distinguished from a think tank, which conducts policy-oriented research to influence decisions, and from a scientific society, which is a membership organization for professionals. The ASA Apply Network is an operational entity focused on fundamental scholarly inquiry.

**Q: What formal recognitions or classifications does the research institute model have?**
A: The research institute model is formally classified in major library systems, including the Library of Congress (sh85113043) and the German National Library (GND 4017909-6), and uses the Geonames feature code S.ITTR for geographic identification.

## Why It Matters
The ASA Apply Network, as a research institute, represents a critical organizational model for dedicated, long-term scholarly investigation. By concentrating resources and talent purely on research, it accelerates breakthroughs in its field—social anthropology—without the competing demands of teaching or commercial application. This model provides essential infrastructure for addressing complex, high-risk questions that require sustained focus, contributing foundational knowledge that informs broader academic, policy, and public understanding. Its existence as a standalone research entity, rather than a subunit within a university, highlights the importance of specialized institutions in advancing specific disciplinary frontiers.

## Notable For
- **Dedicated Research Focus**: Exists solely for scholarly research, distinct from hybrid teaching-and-research institutions.
- **Disciplinary Scope**: Covers all academic disciplines within its purview (social anthropology), not just policy-oriented work.
- **Operational Entity**: Is an active research-performing organization, not a membership-based learned society.
- **Global Conceptual Recognition**: The research institute model it exemplifies is documented in 41 Wikipedia language editions.
- **Standardized Classification**: Recognized with unique, cross-system identifiers in library and knowledge organization systems (e.g., LOC, GND, Geonames, Dewey).

## Body

### Classification and Identity
The ASA Apply Network is identified in the source material as an "organisation involved in scholarly research." This places it squarely within the class of **research institutes**. A research institute is formally defined as an organization whose primary purpose is to conduct research. This is a distinct category in knowledge organization systems. It is mapped to the structured data type `schema.org/ResearchOrganization` and is associated with the Wikidata item Q31855. In library cataloging, it is classified under Dewey Decimal 001.406 and has authority identifiers such as the Library of Congress sh85113043 and the German National Library GND 4017909-6. Its geographic identification uses the Geonames feature code S.ITTR.

### Core Distinctions from Related Entities
The source material provides clear differentiators for the research institute class, which applies to the ASA Apply Network:
*   **Versus a University**: A university integrates teaching (including degree-granting) with research. A research institute like the ASA Apply Network has no undergraduate education mandate, allowing full resource dedication to investigation.
*   **Versus a Think Tank**: Think tanks primarily conduct policy-oriented research aimed at influencing government and public decisions. Research institutes pursue fundamental, disciplinary inquiry across all fields, including social anthropology, without a primary policy advocacy goal.
*   **Versus a Scientific/Learned Society**: Societies are membership organizations that serve professionals through conferences, publications, and networking. The ASA Apply Network, as an institute, is an operational entity that directly employs researchers to perform hands-on studies.
*   **Versus a Research Center**: Research centers are often sub-units or departments within larger institutions like universities or corporations. A standalone research institute like the ASA Apply Network is its own independent organization.

### Global and Systemic Recognition
The concept of a research institute, which the ASA Apply Network instantiates, achieves significant international recognition. Wikipedia contains articles on the topic in **41 different language editions**, including Arabic, Bengali, Catalan, Czech, German, and Spanish. This widespread coverage indicates the universal applicability and recognition of the research institute as a fundamental organizational form for knowledge production across diverse cultural and national contexts. Its presence in multiple authoritative classification systems (LOC, GND, Dewey, Geonames) further underscores its established status in global knowledge infrastructure.

### Role and Significance in Scholarship
As a dedicated research institute, the ASA Apply Network serves as a focused engine for discovery in social anthropology. It provides a stable environment for long-term, high-risk, or complex research projects that might not align with the shorter timelines of academic grants or the commercial priorities of corporations. By freeing researchers from teaching loads and administrative duties common in universities, it allows for deeper concentration on systematic investigation. This model is crucial for advancing foundational knowledge in disciplines like anthropology, which builds cumulative understanding of human societies. In an era where deep disciplinary expertise is needed to tackle global challenges, such institutes represent vital infrastructure for generating the evidence-based insights that inform broader societal discourse and solution-finding.

## References

1. [Directory of Open Access Journals](https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/aia/aia-overview.xml)