Table of Contents
Why Do Historians Argue Over Journal des Sçavans vs Philosophical Transactions as Original Scientific Journal?
Examine the primary debate on the first scientific journal’s origins—Journal des Sçavans (Jan 1665) versus Philosophical Transactions (Mar 1665)—including their scopes, timelines, and impacts on modern publishing for academic certification exam mastery.
Question
What is the main debate surrounding the origins of the first scientific journal?
A. Whether Journal des Sçavans or Philosophical Transactions was the first scientific journal.
B. Whether scientific journals should include peer-reviewed articles.
C. Whether journals should publish monthly or quarterly.
D. Whether journals should be freely accessible to the public.
Answer
A. Whether Journal des Sçavans or Philosophical Transactions was the first scientific journal.
Explanation
The main debate surrounding the origins of the first scientific journal revolves around the close timing and differing scopes of Journal des Sçavans, launched on January 5, 1665, in Paris by Denis de Sallo, and Philosophical Transactions, issued on March 6, 1665, by Henry Oldenburg for the Royal Society in London, with the former predating the latter by roughly two months but sparking contention over true precedence. Journal des Sçavans covered broad scholarly topics including book reviews, legal matters, obituaries, and some scientific observations, lacking formal peer review or exclusive focus on empirical research, which leads some historians to view it as more of a general learned periodical rather than a prototype scientific journal. In contrast, Philosophical Transactions emphasized original scientific communications, experiments, and natural philosophy from Royal Society fellows, establishing enduring practices like priority claims and peer scrutiny that align more closely with modern scientific publishing, thus fueling ongoing scholarly disputes about which truly inaugurated the genre.