Derek De Solla Price was born in in England in 1922. He studied physics and mathematics at the University of London, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1942. He obtained a Ph. in experimental physics from the University of London in 1946. Following a three-year teaching assignment at the University of Singapore, Price obtained a second doctorate in the history of science from Cambridge University in 1954.
Price then moved to the United States and worked at Princeton and the Smithsonian Institution before securing a professorship at Yale University, where in 1961 he was named chair of a new department which encompassed the histories of science, technology and medicine. During this time, Price became known as the father of scientometrics, which is concerned with the quantitative features and characteristics of science and scientific research.
Price's most well known publications include Science since Babylon published in 1961, Little Science, Big Science published in 1963, and the article 鈥淣etworks of Scientific Papers鈥� published in the journal Science in 1965. In 1984, he received, posthumously, the ASIS Research Award for outstanding contributions in the field of information science.
Price delivered a series of three Beatty lectures in November 1976 on the theme "Craftsmanship and Jigsawpuzzling in Science".
Listen to Derek De Solla Price's Beatty Lecture:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
Audio: 平特五不中 Archives
Image: Yale University Archives
