History of Science Online - Course Info - Time tips - Semester at a glance - Weekly assignments at a glance - Timeline - HSCI 3013 - section 995 - Spring 2014

Some Topical Secondary Sources — Useful for Getting Started

For the content of your Episodes, these secondary sources often provide very helpful background and context, although they do not qualify as reliable professional secondary sources (see "Evaluating Online Resources"). For example, my favorite online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, is not a reliable professional source for research -- it is great for gaining background knowledge and for quick reference. I love Wikipedia, and my web pages have links to Wikipedia all over the place. But gaining a context of background knowledge is different from doing research. For research, the secondary source you rely upon must have direct knowledge of the primary sources. Wikipedia and many of the other secondary sources listed below, therefore, may help you conceptualize your research and help you to frame interesting questions, but they do not count as reliable professional secondary sources unless they fulfill the criteria explained on the evaluating resources page. Although you are encouraged to use them and to cite them in your episodes, they may not fulfill the requirement of engaging the professional literature of the history of science, and it would be wise to independently verify everything you take from them that is central to your project.

1. Library history of science databases (many of which provide full-text articles online)
2. Wikipedia
• Wikipedia is without doubt the most accessible online encyclopedia, and it is superb in many respects, particularly recent and technical information. However, it does not meet the criteria for reliable professional secondary sources. Use Wikipedia only as a springboard for research. You must independently verify anything you use from Wikipedia. Cite Wikipedia whenever you use it. For a review of controversies over academic use of Wikipedia, see:
  • Amanda Turner, "Professor raises Wikipedia awareness," OU Daily, June 20, 2006.
  • Sage Ross, Professors criticize, praise Wikipedia in listserv discussions.
  • Roy Rosenzweig, Can History be Open-Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past, Journal of American History, 2006, 93: 117-146.
3. Catholic Encyclopedia
• This older Catholic reference work contains many helpful entries on medieval scientists. It is available in Bizzell Library reference area and online at: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
4. General, comprehensive websites
   1. ECHO: Exploring and Collecting History Online; Science, Technology, and Industry, http://echo.gmu.edu (a searchable guide to websites on the history of science)
   2. PSI Gate: Science History and Policy Gateway (UK)
5. History of Art
   1. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
6. History of Astronomy and Physics
   1. Galileo Project, http://galileo.rice.edu/
7. History of Biology and Medicine
8. History of Chemistry
9. History of Mathematics
   1. http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Indexes/Hist_Topics_alph.html
10. History of Philosophy, Intellectual History
    1. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://www.iep.utm.edu/

These websites just scratch the surface! Please submit your recommended websites in the Confluence forum!!!

	HSCI 3013. History of Science to 17th century Kerry Magruder, Instructor, 2004-14 Brent Purkaple, TA Report typos or broken links	Go to this course at Janux spellcheck.net | wordcounter.net Many thanks to the pedagogical model developed in Mythology and Folklore and other online courses by Laura Gibbs, which have been an inspiration for this course.	Academic Calendar
	This course is currently undergoing major reconstruction to bring it into alignment with the new version of the course at Janux