Home - History of Science, Medicine & Technology - overview - Oxford LibGuides at Oxford University

Collection Development Policies

The subject of History of Science, Technology, Mathematics and Medicine is vast, spanning many different disciplines which have evolved over the course of centuries. The policies below outline our selection priorities and the key libraries where material on those subjects is held.

Finding books

Oxford has a wide range of books for History of Science, Medicine and Technology.

SOLO
Search SOLO, the University's resource discovery tool, to find books, journals and databases at Oxford. You can search by author, title or subject and limit to a specific library or online resources.

You can find more history of science and medicine books in SOLO with the following suggested subject searches:

Astronomy, Medieval

Islamic learning and scholarship -- History

Water mills -- England -- History

Microscope and microscopy -- History

Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 -- Correspondence

Chemists -- France -- Diaries

Relativity (Physics) -- History

Nurses -- Great Britain -- Diaries

Orthopedic surgery -- England -- Oxford -- History -- Sources

SOLO user guide
If you need help with SOLO, take a look at this guide for tips on searching, managing results and using your SOLO account.

Key resources

Search SOLO to find useful books, journals and databases for History of Science, Medicine and Technology. Material that is off-site can be requested by using the Hold option in SOLO.

Upper Reading Room (Old Bodleian Library)
Houses a significant open shelf collection for History of Science, Medicine and Technology, covering some ancient history, but otherwise medieval to modern periods. It includes both legal deposit as well as purchased materials in English and European languages. Books in this collection cannot be borrowed.
Humanities Library - History of Medicine collections
Primarily supports the needs of the University's postgraduate students and researchers in the history of medicine. Its holdings comprise around 7,000 monographs, serials and theses on diverse topics, including UK public health administration, hospitals and hospital movements, and tropical medicine.
Radcliffe Camera (History Faculty Library)
Supports teaching and learning in the History of Science. The Library primarily supports undergraduate courses, but some research material can also be found here. Books in this collection can be borrowed by current staff and students of Oxford University.
Radcliffe Science Library
Has particular strengths in 19th century holdings, as it focused exclusively on science and medicine from 1810. Since 1883 the RSL has received, via legal deposit, a copy of all British scientific publications. Older and less-used material is kept in remote store (listed as "Offsite"), including scientific doctoral theses submitted for degrees at Oxford University.
Weston Library
Has acquired through purchase and donation scientific books and manuscripts from the medieval period to the present day. For the early modern period the Library holds papers of many individuals of note in science and medicine. Modern collections include papers of contemporary scientists, archives of scientific organisations, and the Marconi archives. See also the Guide to Scientific Papers in the Bodleian Library.
Guide to Scientific Papers
A guide to the finding aids available for early modern and modern manuscripts and printed ephemera in the Bodleian Library.
Museum of the History of Science Library
Has strong modern and antiquarian holdings in those sciences most involved with instrumentation, particularly astronomy, geometry, optics, chemistry, and physics. Many of their modern print collections were transferred to the Bodleian Library in autumn 2017.

Other associated collections

Primary materials relating to the history of specific subjects can also be found in departmental libraries such as these

Philosophy of Science collections at the Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library
The Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library (PTFL) is a lending library, and supports study, teaching and research in the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Theology and Religion. For more material on Philosophy of Science see also the Radcliffe Science Library.
Alexander Library of Ornithology, now part of the Radcliffe Science Library
The RSL has particular strengths in 19th century holdings, as it focused exclusively on science and medicine from 1810. Since 1883 the RSL has received, via legal deposit, a copy of all British scientific publications. Older and less-used material is kept in remote store (listed as "Offsite"), including scientific doctoral theses submitted for degrees at Oxford University.
Sherardian Library of Plant Taxonomy
This is the principal research collection for plant taxonomy, covering research in plant taxonomy, systematics, floristics and plant evolution. Printed copies of journals related to plant systematics and taxonomy are kept in the Sherardian reading room. Some historical journals are kept as part of special collections at the library, including titles such as Curtis's Botanical Magazine.
Library of the University Museum of Natural History
Contains over 20,000 volumes, including a number of rare and antiquarian books, and over 100 current periodicals. The majority of the collection comprises works in geology and entomology, with smaller representations for zoology, mineralogy and general natural history.

All major history of science databases are available online with a full list appearing in Databases A-Z.

Bibliographical databases

For literature searches, use:

Bibliography of British and Irish History (BBIH)
BBIH is a comprehensive guide to historical writing about the history of Britain, Ireland, and relations with the empire and Commonwealth from 55BC to the present. The database consists of more than 670,000 records giving as comprehensive a guide as possible to books, articles in journals, and articles in books published since 1901, and to a considered selection of those published before 1901. It is not intended to be a guide to the raw material of history (such as manuscripts, printed books, buildings, artefacts etc.). However, published guides to these sources are included, as are modern editions of primary material and a selection of printed primary material published up to 1900.

more... less...

BBIH is the successor to the Royal Historical Society Bibliography online and consolidates a number of existing bibliographies (primarily series published by the Royal Historical Society and the Institute of Historical Research) together with some additional material.
BBIH also includes the ability to find out more about people covered using the integrated links with the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, the National Register of Archives, and Who Was Who; and includes links to British History Online, Reviews in History, H-Albion Reviews, BLArticles Direct and Google books.
British Books and Books Published in English Related to Medicine, 1475- 1640: A Handlist of Identified Works
2015 handlist by Prof. Christopher Whitty which aims to list all books on medicine or related disciplines published in Britain between 1475 and 1640, with the Short Title Catalogue numbers of their editions. Appendices include printers and publishers of medical books over this period.
Historical Abstracts
Published since 1954, Historical Abstracts is a leading bibliography for historical study in the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada, which are covered in EBSCO's 'America: History and Life'). It is a database of annotated references to information on topics from the Renaissance to Tiananmen Square - over half a million entries in all. Over 2,000 journals published throughout the world are covered.

more... less...

In addition to including the key historical journals from virtually every major country, Historical Abstracts includes a targeted selection of hundreds of journals in the social sciences and humanities that are of special interest to researchers and students of history.
Brepolis Medieval and Early Modern Bibliographies
A key finding tool which gathers more than 1,250,000 bibliographic records from three databases: International Medieval Bibliography, Bibliographie de civilisation médiévale and International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance. Covers published research on European history from 300 to 1700. Please note that we only have a three user licence for this title so please exit when you have finished!

more... less...

For advanced-level research, it is still recommended to use the individual databases as they have specific indices for subject, place and period searches.
The Medieval and Early Modern Bibliography comprises the International Medieval Bibliography (IMB), Bibliography of Medieval Civilisation (BCM) and International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance (IBHR). These databases include records deriving from articles published in periodicals (journals) and in miscellany volumes (conference proceedings, collected essays, Festschriften and exhibition catalogues) published world-wide.
Scopus
Abstract and citation database for the physical, life and medical sciences, as well as some social sciences. It covers over 28,000 journals and over 390,000 books from over 7,000 publishers worldwide, providing access to over 100 million records going back as far as the 18th century. Incorporates journal articles, conference proceedings and patent records.

more... less...

Also includes material from other databases such as GeoBase and MedLine.

Source databases

The History of Science and Medicine subject guide (pdf) provides more information about useful print and electronic resources.

Arcadian Library Online
Enables high-resolution access to the rich holdings of the Arcadian Library, a privately-owned collection of rare ancient manuscripts, early printed books, and documents from the 10th to 20th centuries which collect the shared cultural heritage of Europe and the Middle East.

more... less...

The Arcadian Library's History of Science and Medicine collection contains the contributions of early Arab and Persian scientists, doctors and thinkers; their translation, reception and influence in Europe and their lasting influence on the development of Western scientific and medical knowledge. It also brings together 19th and 20th century records of science, medicine and natural history from across the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions.
Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online
Access to Darwin's complete publications, 20,000 private papers, the largest Darwin bibliography and manuscript catalogue and hundreds of supplementary works (specimens, biographies, obituaries, reviews, reference works and much more). Also provides a link to the Darwin Correspondence Project.
Early Zoological Literature Online (AnimalBase)
Provides open access to more than 800 early printed books on Zoology, as well as manually verified lists of names of zoological genera and species. Created by the Zoological Institute of the University of Göttingen, Germany.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829): works and heritage
Website designed to make available the works of the French naturalist, as well as documents relating to his career and life. It contains a chronology of Lamarck’s life and career, a complete bibliography of his scientific production, as well as the corpus of his theoretical works electronically edited, and freely available. Finally, it has a complete list of students attending Lamarck’s lectures from 1795 through 1823.
The Newton Project
A non-profit organization dedicated to publishing in full an online edition of all of Sir Isaac Newton’s (1642–1727) writings — whether they were printed or not. The edition presents a full (diplomatic) rendition featuring all the amendments Newton made to his own texts or a more readable (normalised) version. Also makes available translations of Newton's most important Latin religious texts.
Wiley Digital Archives: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
The Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers) was founded in 1830. The learned Society promotes the advancement of geographical science in all its aspects. Its archive contains vast collections of documents, maps, photographs, expedition reports, manuscript materials and books, and span 500 years of geography, travel and exploration. The RGS holds one of the largest private map collections in the world.

more... less...

The Digital Archive includes Maps, Atlases, Charts and Plans; Expedition Reports; Fieldnotes, Correspondence and Diaries; Grey Literature; Photographs, Artwork and Illustrations; Journal Manuscripts; Photographs; Proceedings, Lectures, and Ephemera.
Wiley Digital Archives: British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) Collection (1830-1970)
The British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS) was founded in 1831 to promote the advancement of science in all its aspects. The BAAS collection documents the efforts of the British scientific community to establish science as a professional activity. It contains a broad collection of document types: reports, manuscript materials, newspaper clippings, photographs, brochures and catalogues; field reports and minutes; annual reports.

more... less...

The BAAS collection is complemented by a wealth of material drawn from ten British universities, in order to connect the manuscripts, papers, and correspondence of some of the most important scientists of the 19th and early 20th centuries into a singular source for research. Many of the prominent names of British science since the early 19th century are associated with the BAAS. These include past Presidents such as William Ramsay; Norman Lockyer; John Scott Burden Sanderson; Albert, Prince Consort; Charles Lyell; William Fairbairn; Thomas Henry Huxley; and Oliver Lodge.
Wiley Digital Archives: Royal College of Physicians (Part I)
Includes content within the date ranges of 1101 through 1862. From the founding charter to 20th-century reports on the effects of smoking, there is a wealth of material on the RCP's role in relation to contemporary medical advances.

more... less...

The archives contain an eclectic range of 14th- to 19th-century manuscripts, as well as personal papers of past fellows from the 16th century to the 20th century and records defining the RCP’s changing role in setting standards in medical practice

Useful websites

Oxford Health Histories
"A historical perspective on how medicine and healthcare have developed in Oxford. You can explore themes that are still challenges for medicine today, such as the role of anatomy in medical education, the treatment of mental health and how innovations in drug development are shaped by patients."
Royal Society
"The Royal Society supports activities in the history of science and related disciplines by making available resources and funding, by celebrating history through awards, and in hosting public events. On this page you will find a wide range of online resources related to the history of science, to aid remote research, to explain, and to inspire. Find information catalogues, full text manuscripts and books, and interpretative material here."
Wellcome Collection
The Wellcome Collection has the most important and largest collections for history of medicine, incl. archival holdings. Much is digitised.

A lot of journals, as well as being available in print, are available online and can be searched via SOLO and Journal Search. Below are a few of the top journals for History of Science, Medicine and Technology which you can find in SOLO. A more comprehensive list is in the History of Science and Medicine subject guide (pdf).

Ambix: the Journal of the Society for the Study of Alchemy and Early Chemistry
Publishes studies and primary sources relevant to the historical experience of all areas related to alchemy and chemistry covering all periods (ancient to modern) and geographical regions.
Annals of Science
Launched in 1936 and publishes work on the history of science, technology and medicine, covering developments from classical antiquity to the late 20th century.
British Journal for the History of Science
Published for The British Society for the History of Science (founded 1947). Publishes scholarly papers and review articles on all aspects of the history of science, interpreted widely to include medicine, technology and social studies of science.
History of Science
Peer reviewed journal devoted to the history of science, medicine and technology from earliest times to the present day. Also publishes articles that focus on relevant historiographical issues and matters related to teaching the history of science, technology and medicine.
Isis
An official publication of the History of Science Society, Isis (est. 1912) is the oldest English-language journal in the field. Features scholarly articles, research notes, and commentary on the history of science, medicine, and technology and their cultural influences.
Medical History
International journal devoted to all aspects of the history of medicine, health and related sciences. Associated with the Asian Society for the History of Medicine.
Nuncius
International journal devoted to the historical role of material and visual culture in science. Explores the material sources of scientific endeavour, such as scientific instruments and collections, the specific settings of experimental practice, and the interactions between sciences and arts. Founded in 1976, and now published under the auspices of the Museo Galileo in Florence.
Revue d'Histoire des Sciences
Established in 1947 and publishing articles in both French and English. General review for the history of all scientific disciplines across all periods, from logic to mathematics to medicine.

Official papers are an excellent source of information for the research of the history of public health, parliamentary and governmental policy and responses, legislation and more relevant for the study of history of medicine.

The Bodleian's Official Papers section is situated in the Bodleian Law Library.

Official Papers for the History of Medicine
Use this guide to find out about parliamentary and government papers from the UK and Ireland relevant to the history of medicine in print and digital format.

Isabel Holowaty

she/her

Email Me

Contact:

Upper Reading Room, Room 2.03 (North / History end)
Bodleian Library, Broad Street
Oxford, OX1 3BG

01865 2-77294

Subjects: History - British

Book a 1-1 with Isabel

Contacts

Isabel Holowaty, History Librarian
tel: +44 (0)1865 277294
email: isabel.holowaty@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

General enquiries regarding history of medicine: historyofmedicine@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Guide to Resources

History of Science & Medicine Sources

Use it to

find secondary readings (books, journal articles, dissertations)
major sources for most periods
discover what relevant archives are available in Oxford
find a listing of important reference works, such as biographical dictionaries

History of Science, Medicine & Technology - overview: Home

Purpose of this guide