Problematyka historii subdziedziny chemia w latach 1956-2005 na łamach "Kwartalnika Historii Nauki i Techniki"

The purpose of the current paper is to give an account ofthe writings of authors who published studies on the history ofthe subfield chemistry in "Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki" in the years 1956-2005. The approach adopted in the paper does make use of the work of authors who devoted their publication to related issues, but is above alI meant to introduce a new dimension with regard to describing writings on the history of the subfield chemistry. The paper covers ali the publications in the field that appeared in "Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki", according to the sequence in which they were published and the sections in which they appeared in particular issues ofthe quarterly. A general acco- unt ofthe subject-matter of the published materials is given, especiaIly with regard to the studies published in the "Articles" sections. The author ofthe current paper believes that the quantity and quality ofthe writings on the history ofthe subfield chemistry is impres- sive, both with regard to publications by Polish and foreign authors. Predominant among the studies published are those that deal with the intemal history of the subfield chemistry, but there also some studies that form part of the extemal variant of the history of the subfield. Problems of methodology, however, are rather infrequently tackled in the quarterly. Within the internal history of the subfield chemistry, practically all authors are -to grater or lesser extent -influenced by the 'inductive history of science'. It is worth noting that "Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki" has also published three autobiogra- phies of eminent Polish chemists: Tadeusz Urbański, Wojciech Świętosławski and Zbigniew Ryszard Grabowski, as well as a thematic bloc covering articles on the Polish chemist Wiktor Kemula. A negative aspect of publications on the history of the subfield chemistry has to do with the diminishing number of authors in the area, and especially the lack of young authors who could fili the ever-growing generational gap in this metascience.