从事科技史研究何以可能?——对从业条件与研究生培养实践的探讨

Conditions for Professional Research and Postgraduate-training in the Field of the History of Science and Technology

任何一个学术领域都有基本的从业条件。李约瑟、叶企孙等前辈和科技史培养机构的经验表明,从事科技史研究的基本条件包括:系统的学科基础、优良的史学素养、掌握多种语言。由于本科阶段所学专业不同,科技史研究生的知识结构差异大。他们必须补学自己欠缺的知识和技能。除了撰写学位论文,研究生至少要上系列的必修课和选修课。此外,科技史学者需要一定的天赋。

Every academic field has its basic conditions for professional research.Based on experience from historians such as Joseph Needham and Yeh Chi-sun,as well as talent-training institutions,we may generalize three essential conditions for professional research on the history of science and technology:(1)a systematic disciplinary foundation;(2)being well-trained in historiography;(3)mastery of several languages.Generally,postgraduates in the history of science and technology have different structures of knowledge because they studied various disciplines in undergraduate stage.A postgraduate in this field has to study what they will need.Apart from writing a dissertation,he should also complete a series of compulsory courses and optional courses.Moreover,historians of science and technology need a certain talent.