History of Science

Reference Shelf

This is a brief guide to historical research in science and medicine with entry points to both scholarly and primary source collections.

Reference Shelf

This page provides access points to BC's subscriptions to reference material on the History of Science. Here, you can find resources for finding definitions (e.g., dictionaries); suggested scholarly material (e.g., bibliographies); as well as background material and explanations written by experts in their fields (e.g., encyclopedia and handbooks).

What's on This Page

This page has a lot on it. You can use the following anchors (links down the page) to jump straight to a relevant box.

Find Definitions

Oxford Reference Online
This is a quick go-to for high-quality, short, dictionary style descriptions, definitions, facts, and figures. Great for date and name checking.

Individual Titles

Dictionary of the History of Science by William F. Bynum; E. Janet Browne; Roy Porter (eds.)
Call Number: JSTOR
Publication Date: 2014-07-14
Conceptually organized historical dictionary of scientific thought. The purpose of the dictionary is to illuminate this history by providing a concise, single volume reference book of short historical accounts of the important themes, ideas, and discoveries of science.

Find Scholarly Sources

Oxford Bibliographies Online
Access to Boston College's subscriptions to Oxford's bibliographies on subjects including African Studies, Evolutionary Biology, Public Health, and more.

Find Biographical Information (Who's Who)

Complete dictionary of scientific biography by Charles Coulston Gillispie, et al (eds.)
Call Number: GALE
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.

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Scholarly biographical articles with short bibliographies on deceased notable Americans.
Marquis Biography Online This link opens in a new window
International in scope, this database includes biographies of people in business, law, science, medicine, the arts, government, and entertainment. Updated daily, this source also includes biographies that have appeared in 24 Marquis Who's Who print titles since 1985, plus historical biographies from our Who Was Who in America volumes from 1607-1985.

Find Background Information

Oxford Research Encyclopedias This link opens in a new window
Working with international communities of scholars across all fields of study, OUP is developing collections of in-depth, peer-reviewed summaries on an ever-growing range of topics. BC Libraries has access to the following subject areas:
-African History
-American History
-Asian History
-International Studies
-Latin American History
-Linguistics
-Literature
-Oxford Classical Dictionary
-Politics
-Religion
-Social work

Individual Titles

The Cambridge History of Science
Call Number: Cambridge histories online
Publication Date: 2003-2020
A multi-volume set with that operates as a handbook with chapters featuring overviews of topics in the history of science from Mesopotamia to the contemporary era.
A Companion to American Environmental History by Douglas Cazaux Sackman (Editor)
Call Number: Blackwell reference
Publication Date: 2010
Brings the field up-to-date to reflect the latest trends and encourages new directions for the field Includes the work of path-breaking environmental historians, from the founders of the field, to contributions from innovative young scholars Takes stock of the discipline through five topically themed parts, with essays ranging from American Indian Environmental Relations to Cities and Suburbs.
A Companion to the History of American Science by Georgina M. Montgomery; Mark A. Largent (eds.)
Call Number: Blackwell reference
Publication Date: 2019
Covers topics including astronomy, agriculture, chemistry, eugenics, Big Science, military technology, and more Features contributions by the most accomplished scholars in the field of science history Covers pivotal events in U.S. history that shaped the development of science and science policy such as WWII, the Cold War, and the Women's Rights movement.
Encyclopedia of Case Study Research by Albert J. Mills, Gabrielle Durepos, Elden Wiebe (eds.)
Call Number: SAGE
Publication Date: 2010
Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions by Anne Runehov, et al (eds.)
Call Number: SpringerLink Ebooks
Publication Date: 2013
The encyclopedia maps the (self)-identified disciplines and religious traditions that participate or might come to participate in the Science and Religion debate.
The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science by John L. Heilbron (ed.)
Publication Date: 2003
From the biographies on Galileo and Dorothy Hodgkin to the discussions chronicling the change of science from simply a tool of learning to a major force in society, The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science is the most comprehensive one-volume resource on science from 1550 to the present.