Programes of research, scientific contributions and magisterial of José María López Piñero. Hommage to a master of history of science.

Abstract

In this introductory paper it is given a general overview of the work of José María López Piñero, trying to reconstruct the design and development of his research programs and noting his contributions to the history of medicine, history of science and other fields such as bibliometrics, scientometrics and sociology of science. A total of 171 books as sole author or in collaboration, as well as 434 scientific articles and conference papers, are only part of his immense scientific output. The overall review of the chronology of his works shows that very early he designed a comprehensive research program that was enriched and that it would branch into a range of diverse intellectual projects and extremely ambitious. This organizational ability is reflected in numerous initiatives, from the Library and Historico-Medical Museum of the University of Valencia and the Instituto de Estudios Documentales e Históricos sobre la Ciencia (which would become the Instituto de Historia de la Medicina y de la Ciencia José María López Piñero) and other information centers for health. His teaching is reflected in the direction of 81 Ph. Thesis and 70 Master' thesis, and the trainig of teachers and researchers working today in universities of several countries. He was also a scientist committed to his time; he was well aware of the reforms that were needed, and he always thought that science should be at service of social change.