Kelly Moore's paper in the American Journal of Sociology (Moore, K.,
Organizing integrity: American science and the creation of public interest
organizations, 1955-1973, American Journal of Sociology, 101:1592-1627,
1996) sees the differentiation of "public interest" or politicized
scientific groups as a means for protecting the value orientations of
mainstream science and scientfic associations. Interesting reading re this
discussion.