Where to Start: Reference Works
Reference sources give more general information on a topic. These are a great place to start if you are looking for background information, or an alternative to wikipedia. Reference can be dictionaries (describing terms of a field), chronologies (giving timelines and descriptions of important events), bibliographies (listing sources for the field), or general reference (which are usually encyclopedias). UCLA houses many other reference sources that can be found in the library catalog.
Dictionaries
Chronologies
- A Chronology of the History of Science, 1450-1900 byCall Number: Q125 .G39 1987ISBN: 082409106XDate: 1987-03-01
Reference Books and Bibliographies
Below is a short list of encyclopedias, bibliographies, and handbooks for the history of science, technology, and/or medicine. You can find additional resources by searching the UCLA Library Catalog.
The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science by Call Number: Q125.C737 1990ISBN: 0195112296Date: 2003-03-27
Early American Scientific and Technical Literature by Call Number: Z7402 .B38 1990ISBN: 0810823187Date: 1990An annotated bibliography of scientific and technical books, pamphlets, and broadsides published in the US between 1665 and 1799.
Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, 2nd edition by Call Number: Q124.8.E56 2008Date: 2008
A Historical Catalogue of Scientists and Scientific Books by Call Number: Q141 .G38 1984ISBN: 9780824089597Date: 1984-10-01Bibliography and encyclopedia
Information Sources in the History of Science and Medicine by Call Number: R131 .I53 1983ISBN: 9780408107648Date: 1983-01-01
Biographies
Dictionary of Scientific Biography by ISBN: 9780684805887Date: 1998This standard reference source contains more than 5,000 biographies of mathematicians and natural scientists from all countries and from all historical periods. It presents an accurate and reliable narrative of the development of science, not as a mere accumulation of technical information but as the collective accomplishment that has ordered our understanding of nature.
A Dictionary of Scientists by ISBN: 0192800868Date: 1999From Archimedes and Copernicus to Stephen Hawking and Stephen Jay Gould, this is the most authoritative and up-to-date biography dictionary of scientists currently available. Compact yet comprehensive, it will be invaluable reference for scientists, students, and anyone with a general interest in science. Over 1,300 entries, spanning over 2,500 years International range covers all areas of science, from physics and astronomy to medicine and ecology, including key figures in the fields of mathematics and technology Clear explanations of the science itself and its historical significance. Includes all Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry, physiology, and medicine Comprehensive index of topics, and extensive network of cross-references to related entries
