Little Book, Big Book

Abstract

Since its publication in 1963, Derek Price’s Little science, big science (LSBS) has achieved ‘citation classic’ status. Examination of the genesis of LSBS and the state of the discipline of the history of science in the UK and the USA in the late 1950s demonstrates that Price’s ideas were formulated during a pivotal period in the development of socio-historical studies of science. Price’s talent for innovation and synthesis at an unsettled but highly charged time, and his appreciation of the pioneering work in science studies of the crystallographer J.D. Bernal, are reflected in the uniquely profound and wide-ranging respects in which LSBS has contributed to the development of scientometric and sociological theory.