Social potential of Russian scientific organizations: concept, specific features, factors

The article analyses science as a specific social system that affects development of the society. The authors consider the social potential of scientific organizations and its sub-potentials. The imperatives of the sociology of science are described. The factors determining the social potential of scientific organizations are reviewed. The article deals with the process of new science fields emergence, which includes the theoretical foundation, production techniques, needs of the internal development of science as a system of knowledge, organizational groundwork, scientific courage, honesty, socioeconomic and geographic factors.