In 1665 there was a revolution: the publication of the first volume of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Phil. Trans. was the first peer-reviewed scientific journal. It was published in English, to bring the latest multidisciplinary research to a wide public. This brief talk introduced the Philosophical Transactions to the FORCE11 conference at the University of Oxford, 12-13 January 2015. It was followed by an invitation to delegates to a conversation between Howard Hotson (intellectual historian), Chris Lintott (astronomer and scholarly communication expert), and Anna Marie Roos (historian of the Royal Society), chaired by Pip Willcox. It included a viewing of Christopher Wren's and Edmond Halley's own copies of Volume 1 of the Phil. Trans., both held at the Bodleian Library.

1. In 1665 there was a revolution…
Pip Willcox
Curator of Digital Special Collections
Bodleian Libraries
@pipwillcox

2. De Roure, D, The future of scholarly communications,
Insights, 2014, 27(3), 233–238;
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1629/2048-7754.171
“In 1665 there was a revolution…”

3. Photograph: Pip Willcox
Editing: Adi Himpson
• In English rather than Latin
• Peer-reviewed scientific journal
• Longest running scientific
journal in the world
• Bringing the “new philosophy”
to the public
• Producing knowledge through
public demonstration
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society

4. • The President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London
for Improving Natural Knowledge
• 28 November 1660: College for the Promoting of Physico-
Mathematical Experimental Learning
• Nu!ius in verba
• Meetings date back to 1645
The Royal Society of London

5. By User Magnus Manske on en.wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons;
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHenry_Oldenburg.jpg
• c. 1619—1677
• Theologian, natural philosopher,
diplomat, linguist
• Joint first secretary to the Royal Society
Henry Oldenburg
• Robert Hooke on Henry Oldenburg:
“those who then knew Mr Oldenburg,
understood we! enough how little he himself
knew of philosophic matter”

6. Volume 1
“The Happy Inventions of
obliging Men all over the
World, to the General
Benefit of Mankind.”
“…be invited and encouraged to search, try, and find out new things,
impart their knowledge to one another, and contribute what they can to
the Grand design of improving Natural knowledge”
Photograph: Pip Willcox

7. • 3 copies in the Bodleian Library
• Christopher Wren’s (1632—1723), Savilian
Professor of Astronomy, 1661—1673
• Edmond Halley (1656—1772), Savilian
Professor of Geometry, 1704–1742
• Radcliffe Library
Books: social objects
Photographs: Pip Willcox

8. • Howard Hotson, Professor of Early Modern
Intellectual History, University of Oxford
• Chris Lintott, Professor of Astrophysics &
Citizen Science Lead, University of Oxford
• Anna Marie Roos, Senior Lecturer in the
History of Science and Medicine, University
of Lincoln
An invitation

9. We look forward to welcoming you
Quod feliciter vortat academici
Oxoniens bibliothecam hanc
vobis reipublicaeque
literatorum T.B.P.
Thomas Bodley has built
this library for you and for
the Republic of Letters. May
the gift turn out well.
Photograph: Pip Willcox