History of Science and Natural History
History of Science and Natural History is a research topic within History and Philosophy of Science. Science Explorer counts 10k research works in it since 1950. 18.7% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the circulation and localities of scientific knowledge, particularly focusing on the global history of science during the Victorian era. It delves into topics such as colonial knowledge, scientific networks, imperialism, and transnational science, providing a historiographical survey and guide to sources. The papers also discuss the reconstruction of geohistory and the impact of scientific exchanges on a global scale.
- Global History
- Science Circulation
- Colonial Knowledge
- Scientific Networks
- Imperialism
- Historiography
- Local Exchanges
- Transnational Science
- Victorian Era
- Geohistorical Reconstruction
- Research works
- 10k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 1.9k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 18.7% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +4% the tick is no change
Which countries lead History of Science and Natural History research?
By volume, the United States and the United Kingdom publish the most (273 and 160 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 273 works
- 2 United Kingdom 160 works
- 3 France 93 works
- 4 Germany 69 works
- 5 Australia 55 works
- 6 Italy 46 works
- 7 Canada 41 works
- 8 Brazil 39 works
- 9 Spain 25 works
- 10 Netherlands 21 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead History of Science and Natural History research?
By volume in 2022–2025, University of Cambridge publishes the most History of Science and Natural History research, followed by University of Edinburgh and University College London.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 17 works
- 2 University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom 8 works
- 3 University College LondonUnited Kingdom 8 works
- 4 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 8 works
- 5 Film IndependentUnited States 6 works
- 6 University of ExeterUnited Kingdom 6 works
- 7 King's College LondonUnited Kingdom 6 works
- 8 York UniversityCanada 6 works
- 9 The University of MelbourneAustralia 5 works
- 10 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 5 works
Who are the leading researchers in History of Science and Natural History?
The most-cited researchers publishing on History of Science and Natural History include Steven Weinberg and John Clare.
- 1 Steven Weinberg United States 5.1k citations
- 2 John Clare United Kingdom 2k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is History of Science and Natural History research done?
The largest centres of History of Science and Natural History research in 2022–2025 are London (United Kingdom), Paris (France), Cambridge (United Kingdom) and Sydney (Australia). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Paris and London.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where it is the local speciality
- ParisFR · 41.4 works4.6×
- LondonGB · 41.9 works4.5×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in History of Science and Natural History than the world average.
Where is the best place to study History of Science and Natural History?
Among universities, judged by research, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and University College London score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom | 70.0 | 28.4% | 15.2× | 17 | +11.6% |
| 2 | University of OxfordUnited Kingdom | 53.7 | 33.4% | 6.4× | 8 | +94.4% |
| 3 | University College LondonUnited Kingdom | 28.0 | 24.0% | 5.9× | 8 | +61.6% |
| 4 | University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom | 25.3 | 20.4% | 10.8× | 8 | +6.9% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is History of Science and Natural History research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 4% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are History of Science and Natural History.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.