Members research: They are also involved in practical projects such as the international standardization of geographical names.

One of the aims of ICOS, unlike many national societies for name-study, is the advancement, representation and co-ordination of name-research on an international level and in an interdisciplinary context.

Thus, its members come from diverse disciplines such as linguistics, philology, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology, geography and literary research.

This organization replaced the former International Committee of Onomastic Sciences, which was composed exclusively of representatives of member countries and did not welcome individual researchers as this new structure allows.

The General Assembly of ICOS, which also functions as its business meeting, and at which its officers are elected, is usually held at these congresses.