Women and Gender in Science,
Technology, and Medicine
The Guide to the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine lists general resources which may also be of interest.
Guides to Resources (Research Handbooks and Bibliographies)
Facts, Dates, and Terms (Dictionaries and Chronologies)
Information on Individual Women Scientists (Personal Papers, Biographies and other sources)
Locating Articles (Databases and Indexes)
Locating Books (Library Catalogs)
Guides to Resources in the Discipline
The History of Women and Science, Health, and Technology : a Bibliographic Guide to the Professions and the Disciplines. Call # HQ1397.H57 1993, Life Sciences Reference, 4th Floor Paterno Library, also Engineering Library, 325 Hammond Bldg
Reader's Guide to the History of Science. Call # Q125.R335 2000, Arts and Humanities Reference Collection, 2nd Floor Pattee Library. Contains essays highlighting significant works on over 900 topics, including Gender and Science, prominent women scientists, and science in specific countries/regions.
Women and Science: An Annotated Bibliography. Call # Q130.O35 Life Sciences Reference, 4th Floor Paterno Library. A list of resources by topic.
Women and Technology: An Annotated Bibliography. Call # T36.B55, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library. A list of resources on the topic.
Reference Resources: Facts, Dates, and Terms
Dictionary of Concepts in the Philosophy of Science. Call # Q174.7.D87 1988, Life Sciences, 4th Floor Paterno Library, also Business Reference, 3rd Floor Paterno Library.
Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in non-western Cultures. Call # Q124.8.E53 1997, Physical Sciences Library, 230 Davey Laboratory.
Four Thousand Years of Women in Science Contains biographies, photographs, and lists of resources.
International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists. Call # Q141.O27 2002, Life Sciences Reference Collection, 4th Floor Paterno Library
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Call # Q123.M34 1994, Life Sciences Reference, 4th Floor Paterno Library. Q123.M5 2002 newest edition on order for Engineering Library, 325 Hammond Building.
Statistical Record of Women Worldwide. Call # HQ1101.S73, Social Sciences Reference, 2nd Floor Paterno Library
Timetables of Science a Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in the History of Science. Call # Q125.H557 1988, Life Sciences, 4th Floor Paterno Library. Also, Physical Sciences Library, 230 Davey Lab
Women in Science. Statistics. A collection of links to reports compiled by various agencies. The page was created by the Association for Women in Science
Information on Individual Women Scientists
Papers and Other Primary Sources
The library has acquired reproductions in paper and on microfilm materials for prominent scientists. To determine if the library has sources for the scientist you are interested in try a keyword search in The CAT using the name of the scientist combined with one of the following terms: Letters, Papers, Sources, Correspondence, Diary/Diaries, Archives.
Many papers and other primary sources have not been published and can only be accessed at the library or archive holding the original documents. To identify libraries that may have items of interest consult the following:
ArchivesUSA -- A subject guide to special collections in archives across the country. Contains entries from the National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC). You can also search detailed finding aids contained in the National Inventory of Documentary Sources (NIDS), Call # MICRO 4 NIDS, News and Microforms Library, Basement West Pattee.
RLIN Union Catalogue -- Contains holdings of large research libraries. To locate papers and other primary source documents, limit your search to the material type, "Archival and Mixed Collections".
You can find documents (primarily published texts) for some scientists online. For example,
- Ava Helen & Linus Pauling Papers (Oregon State University). Linus Pauling is also part of the National Library of Medicine's "Profiles in Science"
- Barbara McClintock Papers National Library of Medicine, "Profiles in Science"
- Margaret Sanger Papers Project (New York University)
Texts and other documents are available for many other individuals, from the prominent to the obscure. Try an Internet Search Engine (e.g. Google.com, AltaVista.com), or ask for Help.
Biographies of Women Scientists
The easiest way to locate a biography of a scientist is to do a Browse Subject search in The CAT. Enter the name of the scientist as the subject. For autobiographies do an Author search.
Unfortunately the above approach only works if the entire book is about the one individual. Many people are not famous enough to have entire books devoted to them (or you may not want to read an entire book!) In these cases your best bet is to consult a biographical dictionary or encyclopedia. Typically these sources provide a brief essay (a paragraph to a few pages) summarizing the individual's major accomplishments. The library has hundreds, if not thousands, of these sources. The ones below will get you started.
The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science : Pioneering Lives from Ancient Times to the mid-20th Century. Call # Q141.B5285 2000, Life Sciences Reference Collection, 4th Floor Paterno Library, also Engineering Library, 325 Hammond Bldg
Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Call # Q141.D43, Life Sciences Reference, 4th Floor Paterno Library. The standard reference work now over 16 volumes.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index An online index to biographies published in biographical encyclopedias and dictionaries on all topics/regions/disciplines.
Faces of Science: African-Americans in the Sciences Profiles of African-Americans who have contributed to the advancement of science and technology.
A Historical Catalogue of Scientists and Scientific Books: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the 19th Century. Call # Q141.G38 1984, Life Sciences Reference, 4th Floor Paterno Library. Lists over 14,000 scientists and where biographical information has been published on each.
International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists. Call # Q141.O27 2002, Life Sciences Reference Collection, 4th Floor Paterno Library
Prominent Scientists: An Index to Collective Biographies. Call # Q141.P398 1994, Life Science Library Reference, 4th Floor Paterno.
Locating Articles
Articles are NOT in The CAT. To search for articles on a topic use an Index. Below are a few good places to start searching.
Article Databases
History of Science, Technology and Medicine -- An index to articles, books, book reviews and dissertations published since 1975. For articles published before 1975 consult the ISIS Cumulative Bibliography, or JSTOR
America: History and Life -- An index to articles pertaining to U.S. and Canadian history
Historical Abstracts -- An index to articles covering the history of the world, largely excluding the United States and Canada
Bibliography of Asian Studies, 1971-present. Articles in all disciplines
Compendex, 1970-present. Articles in Engineering journals
Contemporary Women's Issues, 1992-present. Full-text of various sources
Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index Index to journal articles, books and essays in books.
Gender Watch, Full-text of various publications relating to gender in all fields
Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance -- An index to books and articles in all fields
Medline -- An index to articles appearing in medical journals
Muse -- Contains the full-text of recent journal articles in various fields
JSTOR -- Contains the full-text including back issues of journal articles in various fields
Women's Resources International, 1972-present. Book chapters and article
Additional ARTICLE INDEXES (Not online)
ISIS Cumulative Bibligraphy: a Bibliography of the History of Science Formed from ISIS Critical Bibliographies 1-90, 1913-65. Call # Z7405.H6I2, Life Sciences Reference, 4th Floor Paterno Library. Additional bibliographies cover the years from 1965-1995, and are shelved in the same section. After 1975 the bibliography can be searched online as part of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine database.
London Times Index, 1785-present. (1790-1905 searchable online). Print Index: Call # AI21.T5 News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor West Pattee
NY Times Index, 1861-present. Call # AI21.N44, News and Microforms Library, Ground Floor West Pattee
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, 1802-1906. Call #AI3.W3 Arts & Humanities Index Tables, 2nd Floor Pattee Library
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, 1901-present. Arts & Humanities Index Tables, 2nd Floor Pattee Library
Locating Books
Search The CAT to look for books owned by the library. The CAT will tell you which books we own and where they are located.
Click here for an online guide to The CAT
LOOKING FOR MORE??? If you can't find what you need on The CAT, try locating it elsewhere.
- CIC University Libraries (Big Ten) (Search all the library catalogs of the Big Ten)
- OCLC WorldCat (40 million + records from library catalogs across the U.S. and selected international libraries. Use the ILL button to request materials be sent to PSU)
- National Union Catalog, pre 1956 Imprints (Early list of holdings of U.S. Libraries. Contains references to some material not in the online library catalogs) Call # Z881.A1N2, Arts and Humanities Library, Reference Collection, Pattee Level 2
If you still cannot find what you are looking for ask for HELP.
Useful Web Sites
Many of the sections above contain useful web resources. The links below are for general sites that provide starting points for research.
Penn State's Program in Science, Medicine, and Technology in Culture
Penn State's Science, Technology, and Society Program
Association for Women in Computing
Association for Women in Mathematics
Association for Women in Science A good source for statistics, with links to related organizations
Center for Women and Information Technology
H-Sci-Med-Tech A discussion list for those in the field. The web site also contains a list of links to Internet sites.
U.S. Graduate Programs in the History of Science. See als Academic Programs in the History of Science around the World
Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
Help
Can't Find what you are looking for here?
In-person: Arts and Humanities Reference Desk, 2nd Floor Pattee.
Telephone: History Librarian, Eric Novotny, 814-865-1014
E-mail: History Librarian, Eric Novotny, ecn1@psu.edu.
IM: HistoryLibrarian
You might also consider posting a question to the H-net discussion list, H-Sci-Med-Tech. the list's web page contains an archive of previously posted questions and answers.