THE COMMISSION

Since its formation in 1993 the Commission has focused on history of science bibliographies and issues surrounding the understanding and preservation of scientific archives and manuscripts. Although in recent years the principal focus of the Commission’s documentation interests has been contemporary scientific archives, all periods come within its remit and it has, for example, taken an interest in manuscripts of interest to medieval historians of science.

One of the long term projects with which the Commission is associated (along with the History of Science Society and the Society for the History of Technology) is the international electronic database of current work in the history of science established by the Research Libraries Group (RLG). Since it was envisaged that further regional or subject bibliographies would be added a set of bibliographical guidelines was prepared to assist national and other teams proposing to elaborate a bibliography with a view to its incorporation in the database.

Another long term project with which the Commission is associated is the WHSO Project: World History of Science Online: Databases of Bibliographical and Archival Sources. This major international undertaking is an initiative of Professor Juan-Jose Saldaña, IUHPS DHS Secretary General, with the advice of the Commission. A project website is already available. In connexion with this Project a symposium co-sponsored by Professor Saldaña and the Commission was held at the XXII International Congress of History of Science, Beijing, July 2005. This brought speakers from around the world to consider online projects in hand and in prospect and their value to the scholarly community, as well as some of the technical issues involved.

The Commission has taken important initiatives in contemporary scientific archives. As a result of a meeting held by the Commission in Brussels in December 2000 it elaborated a number of resolutions on preserving the records of modern science which were subsequently adopted by the DHS. Subsequently the Commission sponsored with CASE (Co-operation on Archives of Science in Europe) two international ‘Future Proof’ conferences on contemporary scientific archives, Edinburgh, April 2003 and Munich, April 2005. ‘Future Proof III’ is at the planning stage and these meetings are set to become a regular series.

The Commission regularly organises symposia during the international congresses organised by the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science. These symposia provide opportunities to discuss with the wider history of science community current developments in the Commission’s bibliographical and archival work.