INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY

FOR QUALITY-OF-LIFE
STUDIES (ISQOLS)

About ISQOLS
The International Society for
Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS)
is an international society whose
purpose are to promote and encourage research in the field of
quality-of-life (QOL) studies.
Established in 1995 by a group
of academic colleagues who
have long engaged in quality-oflife research, ISQOLS became an
interdisciplinary and professional
home that binds scientists doing
quality of life or well-being research in the basic and applied
social and behavioral sciences.
In the last 20 years, ISQOLS has
become a globally-recognized
professional organization, with
its own publications, journals,
conferences, and identity.
ISQOLS mission focuses on creating a paradigm shift within traditional academic disciplines and
to transform Quality-of-Life
studies into an academic discipline in its own right. The goal is
to establish academic degree
programs, departments, and
schools within institutions of
higher education worldwide, all
focused on the science of wellbeing. The ultimate goal is to
help with the creation, dissemination, and utilization of
knowledge of the science of wellbeing across all walks of life.

http://www.isqols.org/
ISQOLS MISSION:

To provide an organization through which all academic

and professional researchers interested in QOL studies
may coordinate their efforts to advance the field of QOL
studies to their own academic disciplines
To assume leadership in academic circles (and/or establish guidelines) for an objective and scientific appraisal
of the impact of products, programs, services, organizations, and/or institutions on the QOL of society and selected groups (e.g., populations segments, communities, countries).
To stimulate interdisciplinary research in QOL studies
within managerial (policy), behavioral, social, medical,
and the environmental sciences.
To develop closer liaisons across academic disciplines
such as marketing, management, economics, sociology,
psychology, communications, political science, hospitality, housing, education, public administration, health
care, environmental sciences, medical sciences, and
others where QOL research is being pursued.
To encourage closer cooperation among scholars engaged in QOL studies in developing better measures
and methods of QOL for various groups (at various levels of
analysis) and better QOL intervention strategies, programs, and policies.
To develop closer liaisons with other organizations associated with QOL studies to help develop a network of
QOL researchers and organizations world-wide.
To play a role of a social change agent to bring about
policies to foster QOL of various segments of society
based on solid scientific study of QOL.

ISQOLS members answer:

What is Quality-of-Life
Studies? and Why did
you join ISQOLS?
Carol Graham

Dr. Carol Graham

PhD, Leo Pasvolsky Senior
Fellow, The Brookings Institution/College Park Professor,
University of Maryland, USA

Quality of Life studies seek to understand human experience and human wellbeing beyond what can be assessed by simple, income based metrics. It combines the work of several disciplines, from behavioral economics and psychology, to many others, including sociology and anthropology. It is a burgeoning
and exciting new field in the social sciences. I have been a member of ISQOLS
from its early days. I chose it and stay with it because of the wonderful scholarship and collegiality of all of those involved. It is a constant window into new
work in the area, with endless opportunities for collaboration and new learning.

Graciela Tonon

Quality-of-life studies is a specialty field devoted to the analysis of material and

psych-social conditions of living. The social indicators movement provided the impetus for public policy officials to use this science in political decision-making. It is
an evolving field of study where we are always learning new things. I joined
ISQOLS because I wanted to learn from other researchers about social indicators
research and the science of well-being. ISQOLS has the best network of scientists who are at the forefront of the QOL/well-being research movement."

M. Joseph Sirgy

M. Joseph Sirgy
PhD, Virginia Tech Real
Estate Professor of Marketing, Pamplin College of
Business, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, USA

havioral sciences.

Graciela Tonon
Director of UNICOM
(Universidad de Lomas de
Zamora, Argentina) and the
Director of CICS (Universidad
de Palermo, Argentina)

One way to think of the concept of quality of life can is by making reference to
its antonym, namely quantity of life. Quantity of life refers to life expectancy or
longevity. Health sciences tend to focus mostly on life expectancy or longevity as
the ultimate performance criterion. Most medical interventions are evaluated in
terms of this construct. In contrast, quality of life focuses on what makes life
worth living. Subjective indicators of quality of life point to constructs such as personal happiness, life satisfaction, hedonic well-being, psychological well-being,
and Eudaimonia. Objective indicators of quality of life point to constructs such as
the objective reality affecting peoples various life conditions in work life, family
life, leisure life, social life, financial life, community life, cultural life, spiritual life,
etc. This field of study is extremely important because the concept of quality of
life is the ultimate performance criterion in many disciplines of the social and be-

ISQOLS
HIGHLIGHTS
ISQOLS Publications
ISQOLS is involved in the publication of a wide range of scholarly journals, book series, and other academic publications. Most notable journal publications include Social Indicators Network News
(SINET), the journal of Applied Research in Quality of Life (ARQOL), Social Indicators Research (SIR),
Journal of Happiness Studies (JOHS). Book series include a variety of Springer published handbooks
featuring handbooks in quality-of-life research, best practices in quality-of-life, and community quality
-of-life. All ISQOLS members receive significant discounts to these and many other publications.

Annual ISQOLS Conference

Each year, ISQOLS hosts an annual conference which focuses on a particular theme related to quality
-of-life and well-being research. QoL experts, students, and professionals gather together to present
their research on topics ranging from policy and governance to the environment, poverty, happiness,
and societal well-being. ISQOLS welcomes paper submissions from anyone interested in presenting
on these topics at the upcoming conference. More details can be found at http://www.isqols.org/
event/

ISQOLS Awards

ISQOLS is proud to honor individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to the field
of quality-of-life studies. Annual awards include recognition of research fellows, distinguished service,
distinguished quality-of-life researcher, best dissertation, award for the betterment of human condition, and the best annual paper in Applied Research in Quality of Life (ARQOL), Social Indicators Research (SIR), and Journal of Happiness Studies (JOHS). To view a full list of awards and recipients,
visit: http://www.isqols.org/award/

ISQOLS Foundation

The objectives of ISQOLS foundation are to sponsor research on QOL in an area that is likely to lead
to policy formulation and/or positive social change. Various funds provide members with financial assistance to cover expenses related to conference registration and travel/lodging related to the annual
conference.

Quality-of-Life Certification Program

This certification program is designed to help QOL researchers specializing in community indicators
projects obtain additional training and become officially certified in the field. This self-paced course

Leadership Positions

ISQOLS provides members with many leadership opportunities such as chairing tracks on the annual
conference, members of the conference scientific committee, becoming a vice-president on the executive committee, becoming a member of the board of directors, serving on the editorial boards of
ISQOLS various publications, etc.

Mentorship Opportunities

ISQOLS provides mentorship to doctoral students and junior faculty to assist in their professional development. Mentorship workshops are offered through the annual conference.

ISQOLS

MEMBER BENEFITS
2016

http://www.isqols.org/

Why join the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies?

As a registered member of the ISQOLS community you receive the

following benefits:
Discounted cost of registration for accredited Quality-of-Life
Certification Program
Significant discounts to books in Springers book series on Social
Indicators Research, Community Quality of Life, Best Practices in
Quality of Life, and Handbooks of Quality of Life Research.
Three issues of Social Indicators Network News (SINET) every
year
Free access to back issues of SINET
Four issues of Applied Research in Quality of Life (ARQOL)
every year
A personal expertise profile in the online ISQOLS membership
directory
Significant subscription discounts for Social Indicators Research
(SIR) and the Journal of Happiness Studies (JOHS)
Significant discount to books in Springers Social Indicators Research Book Series
Communication and debate with other QOL researchers on the
open ISQOLS blog
Getting recognized for important work through ISQOLS awards
program
Apply for research support through ISQOLS Foundation
Free access to lectures, slide presentations, and other educational resources from ISQOLS website

To become a member of ISQOLS or to renew your

membership for the year, visit :
http://www.isqols.org/ and select membership
Questions? Email: isqols.org@gmail.com

ISQOLS ANNUAL
MEMBER FEES (2016)
Regular

$75 USD

Membership
Full-time Student

$50 USD

Membership
Retired

$50 USD

Membership
Institutional

$285 USD

Membership*
*Institutional membership has now
changed to provide ISQOLS benefits to
four named persons within the institution. These members will receive
ARQOL and SINET as part of the membership fee and are also entitled to all
other benefits provided to regular members

WE NEED YOU!
We need all quality-of-life
researchers to band together
and join ISQOLS. ISQOLS can
be highly instrumental in
propagating the cause, the
movement, and the
paradigm shift. Please join
ISQOLS and make it your
professional home. We need
you to contribute in any and
every way possible to the
paradigm shift. Please do!