Annals of Science
Encyclopedia
Annals of Science is a peer-reviewed
academic journal
covering the history of science and technology
. It is published by Taylor & Francis
and was established in 1936. The founding editor-in-chief was the Canadian historian of science Harcourt Brown.
of the library of the Royal Society of London. They decided that aside from the Belgian Isis
, there were few outlets for such work, and so founded the Annals of Science with Douglas McKie (University College London
), who was the main editor. The aim was to publish faster than Isis and with a focus on the modern period. The editors chose to have a bright orange cover to make it stand out against the usual blue or grey of periodicals at the time.
Around the time of World War II
, only three volumes were published over a period of 12 years. From 1956-1958, the Bulletin of the British Society for the History of Science was published as part of the Annals of Science. In 1974, then editor Ivor Grattan-Guinness
moved the journal from 4 to 6 issues per year; 100 issues were published from 1936-1969 and a further hundred by 1986. Grattan-Guiness also redesigned the cover and changed the tagline from "The History of Science and Technology since the Renaissance" to "The History of Science and Technology from the Thirteenth Century".
from the year of the launch noted approvingly that the policy of studying the history of science from the renaissance was "liberally interpreted" to accept papers studying earlier periods.
Grattan-Guinness described his experience in taking on the editorship in an article in the journal in 2010. He had published a biographical article on Georg Cantor
in the journal in 1971 and met the-then editor, Heathcote, during the process of publication. Heathcote was overloaded with work - "the journal seemed never to reject anything" - and he invited Grattan-Guinness to join the editorial board. He joined the board and met with the publishers in June 1974, when he told John Cheney, the house editor, that "the journal had acquired a poor reputation in recent years", which surprised Cheney. That same afternoon Cheney rang Heathcote only to find that he was in the process of writing his resignation letter recommending Grattan-Guinness as his successor - the younger man was immediately offered the post of editor. Taylor & Francis would otherwise have closed the journal.
According to the Journal Citation Reports
, the journal has a 2010 impact factor
of 0.222.
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
academic journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
covering the history of science and technology
History of science and technology
The history of science and technology is a field of history which examines how humanity's understanding of the natural world and ability to manipulate it have changed over the centuries...
. It is published by Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom which publishes books and academic journals. It is a division of Informa plc, a United Kingdom-based publisher and conference company.- Overview :...
and was established in 1936. The founding editor-in-chief was the Canadian historian of science Harcourt Brown.
History
The journal was established after Brown visited Britain for a year and discussed where he could publish work on the history of science with Henry RobinsonHenry Robinson
Henry Robinson may refer to:*Henry Robinson , Bishop of Carlisle, 1598–1616*Henry Robinson , English writer on religious tolerance*Henry Crabb Robinson , British diarist...
of the library of the Royal Society of London. They decided that aside from the Belgian Isis
Isis (journal)
Isis is an academic journal published by University of Chicago Press. It focuses on the history of science, history of medicine, and the history of technology, as well as their cultural influences, featuring both original research articles as well as extensive book reviews and review essays.It was...
, there were few outlets for such work, and so founded the Annals of Science with Douglas McKie (University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
), who was the main editor. The aim was to publish faster than Isis and with a focus on the modern period. The editors chose to have a bright orange cover to make it stand out against the usual blue or grey of periodicals at the time.
Around the time of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, only three volumes were published over a period of 12 years. From 1956-1958, the Bulletin of the British Society for the History of Science was published as part of the Annals of Science. In 1974, then editor Ivor Grattan-Guinness
Ivor Grattan-Guinness
Ivor Grattan-Guinness, born 23 June 1941, in Bakewell, in England, is a historian of mathematics and logic.He gained his Bachelor degree as a Mathematics Scholar at Wadham College, Oxford, got an M.Sc in Mathematical Logic and the Philosophy of Science at the London School of Economics in 1966...
moved the journal from 4 to 6 issues per year; 100 issues were published from 1936-1969 and a further hundred by 1986. Grattan-Guiness also redesigned the cover and changed the tagline from "The History of Science and Technology since the Renaissance" to "The History of Science and Technology from the Thirteenth Century".
Reception
David M. Knight has said that "The major event of the first phase of the development of British journals [of the history of science] is the founding of Annals of Science in 1936." Gordon L. Miller called it a "respected scholarly journal". A review in Astrophysical JournalAstrophysical Journal
The Astrophysical Journal is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1895 by the American astronomers George Ellery Hale and James Edward Keeler. It publishes three 500-page issues per month....
from the year of the launch noted approvingly that the policy of studying the history of science from the renaissance was "liberally interpreted" to accept papers studying earlier periods.
Editors
Robinson was an editor until 1960 and McKie until 1967. Subsequent editors were Niels Hugh de Vaudrey Heathcote (1952-1974), W. A. Smeaton (1960-1965), F. W. Gibbs (1961-1965), Trevor I. Williams (1966-?), R.E.W Maddison (1966-?), Harold J. Sharlin (1969-), Hans Kangro (1969-), Ivor Grattan-Guinness (1974-81, book review editor till 1987), G. L. E. Turner (1981-?), and Trevor Levere (1999-present).Grattan-Guinness described his experience in taking on the editorship in an article in the journal in 2010. He had published a biographical article on Georg Cantor
Georg Cantor
Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor was a German mathematician, best known as the inventor of set theory, which has become a fundamental theory in mathematics. Cantor established the importance of one-to-one correspondence between the members of two sets, defined infinite and well-ordered sets,...
in the journal in 1971 and met the-then editor, Heathcote, during the process of publication. Heathcote was overloaded with work - "the journal seemed never to reject anything" - and he invited Grattan-Guinness to join the editorial board. He joined the board and met with the publishers in June 1974, when he told John Cheney, the house editor, that "the journal had acquired a poor reputation in recent years", which surprised Cheney. That same afternoon Cheney rang Heathcote only to find that he was in the process of writing his resignation letter recommending Grattan-Guinness as his successor - the younger man was immediately offered the post of editor. Taylor & Francis would otherwise have closed the journal.
Abstracting and indexing
Annals of Science is abstracted and indexed in:According to the Journal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports is an annual publication by the Healthcare & Science division of Thomson Reuters. It has been integrated with the Web of Knowledge, by Thomson Reuters, and is accessed from the Web of Science to JCR Web. It provides information about academic journals in the sciences and...
, the journal has a 2010 impact factor
Impact factor
The impact factor, often abbreviated IF, is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to articles published in science and social science journals. It is frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed...
of 0.222.
See also
- List of history of science and technology journals and periodicals