清代学者学术信息获取方式初探——以乾嘉时期为中心

Exploration of the Ways to Obtain Academic Information by Scholars in Qing Dynasty

清代学者获取学术信息的方式大体上可以归纳为以下五种:一是通过当面交流获取;二是通过往来函札获取;三是通过撰写序跋获取;四是通过购买、借阅图书获取;五是通过相互赠书获取。上述学术信息的获取方式基本上符合清代(尤其是乾嘉时期)的学术、文化、经济、交通等发展水平。及时获取学术信息的最大好处是能够在很大程度上避免重复研究,同时充分利用已有的相关成果。

During the periods of Qianlong and Jiaqing, Qing Dynasty when communication and traffic was slow, so a worthy question to ask is how scholars obtain academic information. Previous research upon this issue is rare, let alone monographs on this subject. After exhaustive investigation, the author finds that there were basically five ways for scholars in Qing Dynasty to obtain academic information. First, by face-to-face communication. Face-to-face communication was the most direct and unique way when there was no telephone nor broadband service. A large amount of academic information was obtained by face-to-face discussion of related issues or even gossips. Second, by letters. Communicating by letters was a simple, economical and effective method to exchange information, and it could be more thorough and more concrete than face-to-face communication. Moreover, many valuable academic achievements were first published in the form of letters. To a large extent, communication by letter expanded the space of academic exchange, which was helpful in the formation of the knowledge community during Qian Jia period. Moreover, communication by letter was not limited by space, time or other factors, and merited the name of ＂floating academic media＂. It was the most convenient method among the five to obtain academic information. Third, by writing prefaces and postscripts. Compared with letters, prefaces and postscripts often had more insightful and systematic comments. In addition to evaluating a piece of work, prefaces and postscripts may include discussion of academic issues. Preface-writers were among the first readers of a book or an article after it was finished but before it was published, becoming the first recipient of academic information. The writer, or the preface-requester, also learned new academic information from the preface. Fourth, by purchasing and borrowing books. Most of the scholars in Qing Dynasty had many collections of books. They acquired academic information mainly from their own collections of books, and also by reading other people＇s books. The books were mainly purchased at bookstores, sometimes at temporary stalls, floating book-ships and so on. Communication in bookstores was frequent among scholars, and among scholars and shopkeepers. Fifth, by giving books as gifts to each other. While the handed-down books were mainly acquired from purchases, a large proportion of the newly published books of contemporaneous scholars were gifts. Famous scholars had more opportunities to receive books, so they could read the books of their peers at the earliest time. Books as gifts were not limited to block-printed editions, but also manuscripts, drafts and so on. Besides their own writings, other books might also be given as gifts. The number of scholars in Qing Dynasty was limited, and the scholars in the same field were often more or less associated. Moreover, there were not many academic works at that time. Therefore, the ways to acquire academic information as described above basically matched the situations of academic study, culture, economy, transportation in Qing Dynasty （especially in Qian Jia period）. The greatest advantage of acquiring academic information in time is to avoid duplication and unilateralism in research, and to make full use of the existing results.The greatest advantage of acquiring academic information in time is avoiding duplication and unilateralism in research, and making them able to make full use of the existing results.