Part I is a brief appraisal of what ISTR has achieved in its first decade. It explains the society’s origins, highlights areas of progress and points to challenges that require a response. Part II appraises conditions for civic research that are likely to be in the foreground in the years to come, particularly financing for the ‘knowledge infrastructure’ of international scholarly societies like ISTR. Part III presents four, illustrative strategic options for ISTR’s evolution that invite response from members, supporters and critics. To assist feedback, readers can use the table in the Annexe to indicate their preferences for ISTR’s strategic future.