Library Guides: History of Science, Technology, & Medicine: Biographical & Background Resources

Biographical Resources

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Scholarly full text biographies and bibliographies on thousands of Americans.
Biographical portraits of more than 17,400 American men and women.
Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography This link opens in a new window
Provides information on the history of science through articles on the professional lives of scientists from classical antiquity to modern times
Information on the professional lives of scientists. All periods of science from classical antiquity to modern times are represented.

Database of Scientific Illustrators, 1450-1950
The Database of Scientific Illustrators was created by the Section for History of Science and Technology, University of Stuttgart. It lists illustrators of scientific publications of all genres (especially atlases, articles, textbooks) who were active between 1450 and 1950.

Medieval Muslim Thinkers and Scientists
Call Number: BP70 .S24 1991 NRLF (UCB)

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) This link opens in a new window
Full text scholarly biographic dictionary of individuals who have shaped the history of Great Britain from the the fourth century BC to present day. (Oxford DNB). Please note: There is a 1 user limit. If this resource doesn't work, please try again at another time.
Includes more than 50,000 biographies of individuals who shaped the history of Great Britain and beyond. From the fourth century BC to the 2000. Includes illustrations.

Profiles in Science
The National Library of Medicine provides information on twentieth-century leaders in biomedical research and public health

World Biographical Information System
Access to this resource will be discontinued effective 6/30/24 due to library budget cuts.
Index of biographies of over 6 million people from the 8th century B.C. to the present, available in full text on microfilm such as K. G. Saur's Biographical Archives. (WBIS Online)
Indexes the complete contents of 38 microfiche sets of biographical archives, providing short biographies on more than 3.6 million persons from all periods, countries and regions worldwide. Based on K. G. Saur's microfiche Biographical Archives, which consolidates biographical articles from a wide variety of printed reference works published from the 16th to the 20th century. UCB owns virtually all the microfiche sets which the WBIS indexes.

Encyclopedias

Using specialized encyclopedias to become familiar with your topic is the most efficient way to get started on your research. These encyclopedias, written by knowledgeable scholars, will summarize your topic, provide you with social and historical context, familiarize you with specialized terminology, and often provide lists of additional resources on your topic. They are providing you in condensed form information from multiple books and articles. Think of them as CliffsNotes ... that you are allowed to use.

Try a combination like this in UC Library Search:

Use the keyword search so that it looks for the words everywhere in the record.
The asterisk is a truncation symbol, which will retrieve variations of the word: ethic, ethics, ethical, etc.
Use AND in caps to combine your search terms.
To find print encyclopedias, limit your search to UC Berkeley catalog. Otherwise, use the default "Articles, books and more."

Try different terminology and be persistent. If you are not finding a relevant resource, be sure to ask for help.

Examples of Encyclopedias

Oxford Research Encyclopedias
In-depth, peer-reviewed summary articles from encyclopedias on the following areas: Climate Science, Environmental Science, Natural Hazard Science, Neuroscience, and Planetary Science.

Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Includes Cambridge History of Science.
Explore American and British history, ancient history, Islamic history, economic history, the histories of philosophy, science, music, literature, religion, social histories, and much more. "My Histories" allows you to create and share a personalized library with your own bookmarks and notes.

Encyclopaedia of classical Indian sciences: natural science, technology, medicine
Call Number: Q127.I4 E63 2007 Main (Gardner) Stacks
Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures by Helaine Selin (Editor)
ISBN: 9789400777477
Publication Date: 2016-01-15
Encyclopedia of the History of Arabic Science
Call Number: Main (Gardner) Stacks Q127.A5 E53 1996

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science and Technology in Islam This link opens in a new window
Articles explore Islamic philosophy, science and technology during historical and contemporary times.
In-depth surveys, overviews and theories are included covering movements, events, thinkers, and historical developments, classical to the contemporary.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the History of American Science, Medicine, and Technology This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia explores the historical context and impact of science, medicine, and technology on American Society and culture.
Key individuals, institutions, and organizations responsible for major developments are covered along with concepts, practices, and processes. Written by experts in the field, entries are broad and provide in-depth analysis for students in the social sciences and humanities, sciences, and medical sciences.

Other resources

Science and Civilisation in China
Call Number: DS721 .N39 Main (Gardner) Stacks & other locations
An onging series of books about the history of science and technology in China, published by Cambridge University Press.

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History of Science, Technology, & Medicine

Biographical Resources

Encyclopedias

Examples of Encyclopedias

Other resources