Research Guides: History of Science &amp; Technology: Background / Reference Resources

Collections and Individual Titles

Individual encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc
Reference Databases

What we now call the sciences, technology, medicine, and mathematics have histories as old as the written record. Historians have approached these topics in many different ways and just as the disciplines have evolved so have the historiographies. These resources provide two ways to approach the field: through the individuals involved and through the impact of their discoveries.

Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Publication Date: 2008
Provides information on the history of science through articles on the professional lives of scientists. All periods of science from classical antiquity to modern times are represented.
A History of Science in Society, Volume I : From the Ancient Greeks to the Scientific Revolution
Publication Date: 2017
A History of Science in Society is a concise overview that traces the history of the changing place of science in society. Volume I covers the origins of natural philosophy in the ancient world to the Scientific Revolution.
A History of Science in Society, Volume II : From the Scientific Revolution to the Present
ISBN: 9781442635067
Publication Date: 2017
Volume II covers from the Scientific Revolution until the present day. New topics in this edition include science and the corporate world, the regulation of science and technology, and climate change.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the History of American Science, Medicine, and Technology by Hugh Richard Slotten
ISBN: 9780199766666
Publication Date: 2014-10-28
Science, medicine, and technology have become increasingly important to the average individual in modern society. The entries in this encyclopedia explore the changing character of science, medicine, and technology in the United States.

Science Reference Center (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
Topics covered in the Science Reference Center include biology, chemistry, earth and space science, environmental science, health and medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science and society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology and wildlife.
Cambridge Core This link opens in a new window
Cambridge Core indexes all material published by Cambridge and full text access to resources we subscribe to: both ebooks and journals. Direct searching and browse by subject available. You do not need to register or login at the top.
New Pauly Online This link opens in a new window
Coverage: Full Text
Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World Online features the complete sets of Brill's New Pauly (in English) and Metzler's Der Neue Pauly (in German). The online version includes both sets of the print edition: Antiquity (factual articles on topics of ancient Greece, Rome and the greater Mediterranean world) and Classical Tradition (historical and contemporary scholarship on the influence of the Classical world).
Oxford Bibliographies Online - Classics This link opens in a new window
Coverage: Index Only
Provides overviews, definitions, and citations to works on classical topics.
Oxford Bibliographies Online - Medieval Studies This link opens in a new window
Oxford Bibliographies offer item level overviews and references to important works. OBO Medieval studies explores European and Mediterranean civilization from the 4th to the 15th centuries through topics including history, literature, art, archaeology, religion, and gender studies among others.
Oxford Reference Online- History This link opens in a new window
A subset of Oxford Reference Online, the History subject search allows for searching across all 37 titles collectively or in individual titles.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy This link opens in a new window
Coverage: varies
A dynamic, peer-reviewed, open access encyclopedia of philosophy.

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