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Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society
 
 
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The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, or Phil. Trans., is a scientific journal
Scientific journal

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research....
 published by the Royal Society
Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence....
.

Begun in 1665, it is the oldest scientific journal printed in the English-speaking world
Anglosphere

The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of anglophone nations which share historical, political, and cultural characteristics rooted in or attributed to the historical experience of the United Kingdom....
 and the second oldest in the world, after the French Journal des sçavans
Journal des sçavans

The Journal des s?avans , founded by Denis de Sallo, was the earliest scientific journal published in Europe, although from the beginning it also carried a proportion of non-scientific material, such as obituaries of famous men, church history, and legal reports....
.






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Encyclopedia


1665 Phil Trans Vol I Title
The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, or Phil. Trans., is a scientific journal
Scientific journal

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research....
 published by the Royal Society
Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence....
.

Begun in 1665, it is the oldest scientific journal printed in the English-speaking world
Anglosphere

The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of anglophone nations which share historical, political, and cultural characteristics rooted in or attributed to the historical experience of the United Kingdom....
 and the second oldest in the world, after the French Journal des sçavans
Journal des sçavans

The Journal des s?avans , founded by Denis de Sallo, was the earliest scientific journal published in Europe, although from the beginning it also carried a proportion of non-scientific material, such as obituaries of famous men, church history, and legal reports....
. It is still published, making it the world's longest running scientific journal. The use of the word "philosophical" in the title derives from the phrase "natural philosophy
Natural philosophy

Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the Objectivity study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science....
", which was the equivalent of what we would now generically call "science
Science

In its broadest sense, science refers to any systematic knowledge or practice. In its more usual restricted sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on scientific method, as well as to the organized body of knowledge gained through such research....
".

History

The first issue, dated 6 March 1665, was edited and published by the society's secretary, Henry Oldenburg
Henry Oldenburg

Henry Oldenburg was a German theologian known as a diplomat and a natural philosopher. He was one of the foremost intelligencers of Europe of the seventeenth century, with a network of correspondents to rival those of Fabri de Peiresc, Marin Mersenne and Isma?l Boulliau....
, some six years after the Royal Society
Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence....
 had been founded. Over the centuries, many important scientific discoveries have been published in the Philosophical Transactions. Famous contributing authors include Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton, Fellow of the Royal Society was an English people physicist, mathematician, Astronomy, Natural philosophy, Alchemy, and Theology and one of the the 100 in human history....
, Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday, Fellow of the Royal Society was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
 and Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin Royal Society was an English people natural history who realised and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolution over time from common descent, through the process he called natural selection....
. In 1672, the journal published Newton's first paper New Theory about Light and Colours, which can be seen as the beginning of his public scientific career. The position of editor was sometimes held jointly and included William Musgrave
William Musgrave

William Musgrave , physician and antiquary. He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, where he was a fellow from 1677 to 1692....
 (167 - 178) and Robert Plot
Robert Plot

Robert Plot was an England natural history, first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum....
 (144 - 178).

Current publication

In 1887 the journal expanded to two separate publications, one serving the Physical Sciences: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, or Phil Trans A for short, is an academic journal published by the Royal Society....
 and the other focusing on the life sciences: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, or Philosophical Transactions B, is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society....
. Both journals now publish themed issues, and individual research
Research

Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual application in the investigation of matter. The primary purpose for applied research is discovery , interpretation , and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe....
 articles are published in the sister journals Proceedings of the Royal Society
Proceedings of the Royal Society

Proceedings of the Royal Society is the parent title of two scientific journals published by the Royal Society.Originally a single journal, "Proceedings" was split into two separate journals in 1905;...
.

Free issues now available

All content older than 12 months is available free online (back to 2000).

Philosophical Transactions A, cited as Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A :
All theme issues can be accessed .


Philosophical Transactions B, cited as Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B :
All theme issues can be accessed .


Footnotes



See also

  • Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A
    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences

    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, or Phil Trans A for short, is an academic journal published by the Royal Society....
  • Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B
    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, or Philosophical Transactions B, is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society....
  • Proceedings of the Royal Society
    Proceedings of the Royal Society

    Proceedings of the Royal Society is the parent title of two scientific journals published by the Royal Society.Originally a single journal, "Proceedings" was split into two separate journals in 1905;...
  • Journal of the Royal Society Interface
    Journal of the Royal Society Interface

    Journal of the Royal Society Interface is an international journal publishing reviews, research articles and short reports from the interface between the physical sciences, including mathematics, and the life sciences....
  • Biology Letters
    Biology Letters

    Biology Letters is a journal covering a wide spectrum of the biological sciences published both in print and online. Launched from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences in 2005, it publishes papers regularly online....


External links



Archive journals

  • (1800-1843)
  • (1854-1905)
  • (1905-1934)
  • (1905-1934)
  • (1934-1990)
  • at the Bodleian Internet Library of Early Journals