George Sarton and Isis – a paradigm of bibliography in

history of science27th international conference of Baltic historians of

science (Riga, 1–2 October, 2015)

Dr. Birutė RailienėWroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

General history is utterly incomplete if it be not focussed upon the development of science

George Sarton, A Guide to the History of Science

George Sarton was born in Gent, Belgium, on 31 August, 1884

Dr. of mathematics at Gent University in 1911

Journal for history of science Isis started in Wondelgem, Belgium, in 1912

G. Sarton emigrated to USA in 1918

Teacher of history of science at Harvard university 1916-1918, 1920-1951

Editor of Isis 1912-1953

End of a journey 1956 http://isisbibliography.org/blog/page/4/?blogsub=confirming

On history and historian of science: Historians of science must know

science and history

The most distinguished men of science are unqualified if they lack historical sense and philosophical visdom

He [historian of science] shall be the keeper of scientific memories and the defender of tradition

Bibliography is a vade mecum for students

A Guide to the History of Science

In his lectures on history of science G. Sarton gives insights about the need to have good teachers on this subject:

“To know the best source or the best book on a topic is almost as good as to know that topic. Such bibliogra-phical information is not easy to obtain (...) the master of it in a large field may require a whole life of study and meditation” (p. 14).

https://archive.org/stream/guidetohistoryof00sart#page/n9/mode/2up

Publishing Isis CB Isis. – Chicago, Ill. : Published by the

University of Chicago Press for the History of Science Society, Vol. 1, no. 1 (Mar. 1913)– . ISSN 0021-1753;ISSN1545-6994.

Isis Current Bibliography. – Philadelphia : History of Science Society, 1989-

Isis Cumulative Bibliography. A Bibliography of the History of Science formed from Isis Critical Bibliographies, 1913–1995.

Publishing Isis CB Isis. – Chicago, Ill. : Published by the

University of Chicago Press for the History of Science Society, Vol. 1, no. 1 (Mar. 1913)– . ISSN 0021-1753;ISSN1545-6994.

The journal Isis began publication in Belgium in 1913. Today it is published by the History of Science Society in conjunction with the University of Chicago Press.

Publishing Isis CB Isis Current Bibliography. – Philadelphia :

History of Science Society, 1989-

The Isis Current Bibliography was published in annual and semi-annual installments in the journal Isis since the first issue of that journal in 1913.

Publishing Isis CB Isis Cumulative Bibliography. A Bibliography of

the History of Science formed from Isis Critical Bibliographies, 1913–1995.

Several Isis Cumulative Bibliographies have been published containing the contents of the annual bibliographies from the years 1913 to 1995. Today the cumulation is found online in the HSTM database.

 

Isis CB blog

http://isisbibliography.org/history-of-the-isis-bibliography/

Philosophy of a Isis Current Bibliography:

Selection Classification Access

Selection:

251 journal titles were indexed in the last issue of IsisCB, with the total of 4058 records

Classification scheme G. Sarton created influenced by the works of

Auguste Comte (1798–1857) and

Wilhelm Ostwald (1853–1932) darbai

Classification:

IsisCB classification sceme

Classification:

Visualizing history of science < http://isisbibliography.org/?s=subject >

Access:

IsisCB archives from 2002 at http://isisbibliography.org/archive/

Or at JSTOR, together with Isis journal archives:

http://www.jstor.org/journal/isis

Access:You can now search the Isis CB through WorldCat.org directly

You can search the Isis CB directly

through WorldCat.org

Note: enter the code xisi2 along with any other search term 

Access:

Isis CB platform

Isis CB platform

Conclusions: One man’s determination paved the road for

the subject of and methodology of the history of science;

The international publication Isis CB illustrates the world-wide activity of historians of science;

Bibliography is an active field that provided a tradition of respect for the research of past scholars and support for the pursuit of future generations.

Thank you