The Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology <http://www.harcourt.com/ dictionary/> is the product of a team composed of three divisions of Academic Press: Book, Journal and Reference. In the preface to the dictionary, Christopher Morris, Editor, described it as “the largest scientific dictionary ever compiled in the English language”. More than 400 individuals, working over four years, have identified the scientific vocabulary and verified definitions. The result is a compilation of over 133,000 entries that can be accessed free via the Internet or purchased in either the hardcover or CD‐ROM versions.
This review of the Internet version describes a very usable resource. (The print edition was reviewed in the February 1, 1993 issue of CHOICE). It should be noted that the contents seemed more similar to the description found in Books in Print for the print version issued in 1992 than to the description for the 1995 publication. Terms and Conditions of Use and the publisher’s Privacy Policy are hyperlinked online.
Users may search the dictionary by word as well as browse through 124 fields of science and technology. There may be as many as seven parts to each entry: main entry word, pronunciation, field of science or technology, definition, secondary entries, cross references, and etymology. Various abbreviations of words and phrases are included as main entries. Users encountering unfamiliar abbreviations can refer to the guide section where a listing of abbreviations used in the dictionary appears along with explanations. Readers will not encounter abbreviations within the context of definitions.
This dictionary is very easy to search. Special instructions to open the dictionary or browse through definitions are not necessary. Anyone familiar with using a Web browser and the Internet will find this dictionary a quick reference and as handy as anything currently available online. Entries are well organized and should be clear to scholars, who should all find the dictionary useful. The inclusion of definitions of words, abbreviations, phrases from the general to the specific, subject terminology, and biographical entries place this resource among the most outstanding. It should surely be bookmarked by anyone researching or writing in the subject areas covered. The Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology is very highly recommended. The absence of complicated formats, lengthy research paths and overshadowing advertisements permit Academic Press to offer an online dictionary of exceptional quality.
